The care home sector has been particularly badly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak with residents no longer able to receive visits from friends and family and, to maintain social distancing, spending more time alone in their rooms.
And it’s not just the residents who are affected, many staff are living on site to avoid bringing infection into the home, and to shield their own families.
So, over the coming months, Brakes is hoping to boost morale and general wellbeing in the sector with a series of themed menus and events that build on the success of its VE Day initiative which included recipes, product guides, and even colouring in sketches. Details on holding an Indian food day - inspired by the exotic scents, colours, and flavours of Indian cuisine – are already available, with more in the pipeline.
All the details can be found on the dedicated web page that Brakes has created for the care home sector at www.brake.co.uk/news/covid-19/care-homes. The page will be regularly updated with details of upcoming themed days which include American and French.
The next event, to help raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society, is National Cupcake Day on Thursday 18 June. Brakes is supporting the event by encouraging people across the UK to get together and bake, to raise money for people affected by dementia.
Everybody likes a freshly baked cake, including care home residents, staff, and their families at home, and enjoying a cake will bring a smile to a face and help make a difference. Care home caterers can get their FREE cupcake POS kit by visiting www.alzheimers.org.uk/cupcake-day.
For each themed day Brakes will be creating menu ideas and templates to bring the event to life, full recipe specifications, product guides for simplified menu solutions, product listings for quick access to what the caterer needs, and sketches that residents can colour in. Blank templates will also be provided to allow a care home to create their own menu.
During the COVID-19 crisis Brakes has stepped up its support for the care sector significantly said Cathy Amos, Head of Customer Marketing, ‘We wanted to ensure that the needs of staff and residents at care homes were met. Many care homes had never worked with a foodservice company before this crisis, buying instead from a local retailer or cash and carry, so we felt it was important to ensure the process was kept simple.
'But we also knew that it was critical to reassure existing and new customers that as a large business with a robust and secure supply chain, we were able to provide continuity of supply and deliver the right services and solutions. And that extended beyond the delivery of food. For example, we added more recipe ideas to our website, and we suggested simplified menus in case there were different staff working in the kitchen.’