Newbury care home residents team up with local students to bring back favourite recipes

A care home in Newbury has teamed up with local students and joined a nationwide campaign to save traditional recipes from being forgotten.  

A poll of 2,000 adults carried out by Care UK, which operates Winchcombe Place, on Maple Crescent, found almost two-thirds (65%) of the nation no longer use family recipes that have been handed down through the generations, however, 43% of people surveyed are keen to save them. 

In a bid to prevent family recipes passed down from generations from being lost forever, Care UK has launched a free downloadable recipe book – Recipes to remember, which features recipes shared by care home residents across the UK. From food enjoyed during World War Two to quirky desserts from the 1970s, the book includes residents’ favourite foods, alongside recipes tailored to support older people by Care UK’s award-winning chefs. 

Keen to keep their recipes bubbling away in Newbury for many years to come, residents from Winchcombe Place have rolled up their sleeves and donned their aprons, to team up with students from The Downs School to show just how tasty their food favourites from the past are.  

Residents and students enjoyed an afternoon of cooking, whipping up a delicious Pasta al Forno – a baked pasta dish.

Featured in Care UK’s recipe book is a special recipe from Winchcombe Place resident, Eddie Chetcuti, who shared a family-favourite Pasta al Forno recipe, which he would make every Sunday as a tasty starter.

92-year-old resident Eddie said: “I believe that cooking old recipes is a way to connect with the past, to preserve traditions, and to share a piece of history with future generations. These recipes are a link to our heritage and a way to keep memories alive through the wonderful flavours and aromas that have stood the test of time.

“It was wonderful to watch the children enjoying my homemade Pasta al Forno – it filled me with pride and joy. Seeing the smiles on their faces and hearing their laughter brought back memories of my own childhood – food really does create lasting bonds and memories across generations.”

Shirley Summerbell, Home Manager at Winchcombe Place, said: “Spring is in the air – and so too are the smells of some incredibly tasty home-cooked recipes adored by residents and their families for generations.  

“Just like a photograph, a family recipe can be a way to revisit the past and reminisce on a cherished memory or loved one. How something tastes or smells can be a powerful tool for triggering memories and positive feelings, especially for those living with dementia, which is why we’re delighted to be taking part in Care UK’s Recipes to remember campaign.

“From jam roly-poly to Pasta al Forno, it’s been wonderful seeing the residents revisit some of their favourite foods from across the decades with students from The Downs School. Arctic rolls might be out of flavour but it’s clear from how well the resident’s recipes were enjoyed that there’s still a hunger for foods from the past today – so donut give up on them!”

To find out more about Care UK’s Recipes to remember initiative or to download your copy of the recipe book, please visit: careuk.com/recipes-to-remember

Winchcombe Place is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia and short-term respite care. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hair salon and café.