Wolverhampton care home residents bring back favourite recipes

A care home in Wolverhampton has joined a nationwide campaign to save traditional recipes from being forgotten.  

A poll of 2,000 adults carried out by Care UK, which operates Foxland Grange, on Wergs Road, 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 through 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 Wolverhampton for many years to come, residents from Foxland Grange have rolled up their sleeves and donned their aprons to show just how tasty their food favourites from the past are.  

Residents had a live cooking session with the home’s Head Chef Dan, where he cooked up a storm using residents' recipes, as they shared their best cooking tips and advice. After the session, the tasty meals and bakes were shared with all the residents and their families. 

93-year-old resident Barbara’s apple and blackberry crumble recipe was provided by her three grandchildren Amy, Johnny and Matt, who have all inherited Barbara’s passion for baking. 

Amy said: “It was a big challenge to pick just one recipe and the discussion was lively but in the end we all agreed that grandma’s homemade apple and blackberry crumble was just the best – especially when accompanied by ice cream and custard.” 

Maria Blackmore, aged 90, was still baking into her late 80s and her signature recipe was a Victoria Sponge, which was shared by her daughter Veronica. Maria passed on her love of baking to her children and grandchildren. 

Veronica said: “I have so many happy memories of my mother cooking for us as children. One of her favourites was the classic Victoria Sponge, which she made every week. I can hear in my head the noise of her wedding ring tapping against the tin as she distributed the flour – such happy memories.”

Katy Anderson, General Manager at Foxland Grange, said: “Spring is in the air – and so too are the smells of some incredibly tasty home-baked 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 ones. 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 devilled eggs, it’s been wonderful seeing the residents revisit some of their favourite foods from across the decades. Arctic rolls might be out of favour 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 don’t 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

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Foxland Grange incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The building has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.