Delivering an exceptional dining experience in care homes has never been more complex. With skills shortages, rising costs, changing demographics and growing expectations from residents and their families, the care catering sector is being pushed to innovate and adapt.
Avendra International, a procurement specialist supporting the healthcare, education and hospitality sectors, hosted an exclusive virtual roundtable exploring the unique challenges facing care homes. Experts shared insights on everything from procurement and training to culture and kitchen design, making it clear that food in care is about far more than what’s on the plate.
Roundtable Participants:
The Pressure Points
We start off by asking everyone what in the industry is keeping them up at night and a common thread was immediately apparent: staffing – specifically recruiting and retaining chefs.
“Staff shortages are a massive issue since the changes to National Insurance rules,” says George Bartlett, highlighting the increasing pressure to do more with less. “We’re seeing entire layers of experienced middle management being stripped out as providers restructure to create financial savings.”
Stuart Keown of TLC Care confirms the struggle from the front line: “Chef recruitment is also a challenge. We can shortlist candidates, line up interviews yet still 60% won’t show. It’s become a buyer’s market; wage expectations are high and care has to compete alongside hotels and restaurants. I think it’s about inspiring chefs and college students that there are real opportunities for creativity and growth in this industry.”
But for Jamie Clews of Metcalfe Catering & Ambassador of The Burnt Chef project, the issue runs deeper than recruitment logistics, it’s about perception: “There’s still this outdated idea that care food is ‘slop in a bowl,’ or that care kitchens are where chefs go to retire. That perception has to change. You can be creative, you cook something different every day, the hours tend to be better, and if you’re good you can climb the ladder quite rapidly. I’ve been in care homes where the food far outshines some of the best restaurants.”
Paul Bloxham has seen the passion and talent in care kitchens first-hand but warns that without proper support, even the most committed teams can burn out: “When you can’t fill vacancies, morale dips, creativity vanishes and it becomes about survival, not service. That’s why investing in people is essential to sustaining quality and passion in the kitchen and why we, at Avendra, offer culinary training and chef development opportunities.”
In terms of cost, there’s broad agreement that rising food, labour and utility prices have forced providers to become more strategic but, all agree, it hasn’t meant a decline in quality.
At Colten Care, Richard Pearshouse is turning inflation into innovation. “As an example, we moved from pre-portioned fish to whole sides. It cut costs by 25% and reduced waste as we use every part of the ingredient. You get flexibility, creativity and value in one go without compromising quality .”
Meanwhile, Jamie cautions against basing decisions purely on unit cost: “One care group switched to a cheaper milk powder without checking the nutritional value. The most expensive product actually delivered more protein per gram and ended up being cheaper overall. You’ve got to ask why you’re buying something, not just how much it costs.”
Adds HICA Group’s Mark Midgley: “Food costs are a major pressure, and when you’re managing around 1,500 product lines, even a small price increase across a few hundred items can have a significant impact. That’s where Avendra really helps: they benchmark what suppliers are proposing, review the market on our behalf and take the time-consuming haggling off our plate. It means we can focus on delivering a great service rather than chasing price checks.”
Food with Feeling: Putting Resident Experience at the Heart of the Plate
Across all participants, there’s a shared belief that food in care settings is a cornerstone of dignity, comfort and connection.
Stuart explains that: “70% of a resident’s day involves thinking about, smelling or eating food, so we treat it like an experience, not just a service. We involve residents in menu reviews, host tasting sessions and ask for feedback every season. This is fundamental.”
For George, it’s about emotional resonance: “Food is medicine. But it’s also memory; I’ve seen care homes build entire cookbooks from residents’ own recipes - dishes they grew up with. That emotional connection is just as important as the nutritional value.”
Richard stresses that setting and atmosphere are as important as what’s served: “Even if you went to your favourite restaurant every day, you’d get bored. So it’s about variety, presentation, music, themed meals; anything that makes the experience feel special.”
His kitchens are also designed with purpose. “Most of our dining rooms are adjacent to kitchens, which makes a huge difference. When food has to travel in hot boxes, even great meals can lose their freshness quite quickly.”
Jamie is exploring how subtle environmental tweaks can drive results. “We’re working with a care operator to trial everything from lighting changes to diffusing food aromas into dining rooms. It sounds small but smell is key to appetite - supermarkets know this, so why shouldn’t care homes use the same techniques?”
“The dining experience shouldn’t be a task, it should be just that: an experience,” explains Mark. “It’s easy for it to become routine, so we ask our teams to immerse themselves in it and see it from the residents’ perspective. It’s about lighting, music, delivery, choice: creating something that’s meaningful, not just functional.”
Managing Complex Needs
With residents presenting a broader range of personal preferences, health conditions and dietary restrictions, care homes are under increasing pressure to deliver meals that are not only safe and appropriate but genuinely nutritious and enjoyable.
“We’re seeing more vegan and vegetarian diets, more allergens and a demand for culturally relevant dishes,” notes Jamie. “It’s evolving fast and care homes need to be ready.”
To meet this growing complexity, many providers are turning to digital tools to streamline planning and compliance. “Thanks to tech, chefs can now manage tailored nutrition digitally, from allergens to texture levels,” says Paul. “It frees up time to focus on flavour and presentation, because chefs have real confidence in the data they’re working with.”
But the need for nutrition goes beyond labelling and systems, it’s about intention. Stuart highlights the importance of rethinking even the most routine tasks: “If we’re pureeing carrots, we don’t just add water. We add vegetable stock and honey to bring out flavour as if they’re honey roasted carrots, while retaining nutritional value. It’s about making every bite count.”
When it comes to texture-modified diets, there’s broad agreement that both innovation and ongoing training have greatly improved. “Many new chefs entering care have never worked with modified meals,” says Jamie. “Training is improving but it needs to be continuous. It’s not just a skillset, it’s a mindset.”
Paul agrees: “Food moulds, plate presentation, IDDSI-compliant systems - all of these tools help chefs serve meals that are not only safe but still recognisable and appealing. The difference that makes for residents is massive.”
Mark explains how the use of technology is helping HICA Group manage its nutritional and allergen requirements: “With Avendra’s Piranha module, our chefs can easily track and amend recipes, see allergens and even the cost per serve. It’s given us consistency and control, while ensuring we meet our nutrition standards.”
From macro nutrients to micro details, care kitchens are learning to balance safety and satisfaction, ensuring every meal supports residents’ health, dignity and personal needs.
Managing Food Waste
One big topic that all contributors agreed on is that food waste is no longer an acceptable loss, but is a key metric in financial, nutritional and environmental performance.
“Plate waste is the biggest issue by far,” says Jamie. “We started a campaign called ‘Respect the Ingredient’. It’s not about aiming for zero waste immediately. I believe that’s unrealistic. It’s about starting with one thing and making one improvement at a time – that is achievable.”
Richard has seen how data can drive results. “We track food waste weekly across all our homes. When teams can see the numbers in black and white, it becomes a conversation. We’ve achieved big reductions already listening to our residents about portion sizes and reviewing menu items so we deliver what our residents enjoy eating!”
George notes that the mindset is shifting: “It’s about learning - what are we throwing away, and why? That’s why we have invested in online tools to support care operators in accurately tracking waste metrics.”
“Yes, in fact, AI-driven systems like Winnow or Chef’s Eye can quantify waste and help operators identify trends,” agrees Paul. “But the best kitchens combine data with old-school awareness - like a clear plastic pot next to the chopping board.”
Efficiency Without Compromise
Preparing meals at scale doesn’t have to mean compromising on quality but it does require a different mindset.
“We talk about hybrid food models,” says Paul. “Some ready-to-use elements, some scratch cooking, all engineered to suit the residents, the facility and the team. As I always say, simple dishes, done well, can be exceptional.”
Stuart echoes this with a seasonal, feedback-driven approach: “We plan menus quarterly, proactively collaborate with suppliers for their input, then test dishes with residents, which they love. That way we’re not just ticking boxes - we’re putting residents at the heart of what we do and delivering food they genuinely want.”
Richard: “Food costs are an issue but you can be a bit cleverer about what you do to manage your waste and make sure teams understand the value of waste If think about it, if you waste 10% of what you’ve cooked, that’s 10% of costs you’ve wasted. If you reduce waste, even if prices have gone up 3-4% – you’ve essentially mitigated the increases.”
Technology is playing a role in creating efficiencies at HICA, as Mark explains: “We’ve got 153 suppliers supporting our 17 services, so our goal is to centralise ordering and invoicing through one digital platform. Avendra’s system does all of that - from managing supplier quotes to tracking spend and ensuring governance. That level of control will be a game changer for us.”
Conclusion: Raising the Bar, One Plate at a Time
What emerged from this roundtable wasn’t just a list of problems but a portrait of a sector undergoing transformation.
The challenges are real: staffing shortages, rising costs, dietary complexity. But so is the potential. Through smarter procurement, thoughtful design, deeper training and a renewed focus on resident dignity, care homes are redefining what food service can be.
As Richard puts it: “Spend less on the items that don’t impact our residents so you can spend more on the things they do. And food? They always notice food.”
Concludes George: “Cost pressure is a constant in care, but that’s not new. But cutting costs shouldn’t mean cutting quality. It’s about using the right data, managing stock and supplier relationships intelligently and understanding where the real opportunities for efficiency lie. At Avendra International, we’ve been helping care operators do exactly that for decades: giving them the tools, insights and support to make smart decisions that don’t compromise on resident experience.”
We get it, and we can help.
Get in touch with our team to discover how we can help improve food quality, reduce costs, and create dining experiences that truly matter in care homes. Contact us at: Hello_UK@avendra.com.
