Food & Dining
Our care homes have excellent chefs & cooks which maintain a 5-Star Food & Hygiene rating across all homes
Mealtimes are the most popular activity and the most important part of every day for our residents, giving them the opportunity to not only enjoy delicious food but also to socialise with each other.
During 2016 we recruited six chefs from the hospitality and hotel trade and now have a team of seven outstanding chefs who work in the kitchens seven days a week and who are responsible for every meal served to our residents. Heading the team is Ian Grant our Group Head Chef who oversees the team, changes the menus on a regular basis and comes up with lots of new and exciting ideas. The food we serve is of exceptional quality and there is an amazing daily choice offered to each of our residents. Our chefs spend time with each person discussing their preferences and special dietary requirements and particular care is taken with residents who have difficulty in swallowing. Pureed food is piped onto a plate and also shaped into quenelles which enhances the presentation of a meal and allows those residents who need pureed diets to dine with dignity.
Instead of creating one large dining area in each home residents are able to enjoy their meals in a number of smaller areas where tables are laid and prepared, for example The Snug Inn, The Carnaby Street Café, The Garden Room, The Railway Carriage Café or even The Potting Shed. Guests and family members are also welcome to join us for a meal in one of the many quiet areas so they can share quality time with their loved ones.
To start the day we offer a full English breakfast comprising - free range eggs poached, scrambled or fried, West Country bacon, West Country sausages, sauted button mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and baked beans.
Also on the menu are - homemade porridge, a selection of West Country yogurts, a selection of fruit juices, cereals, toast and preserves, fresh fruit salad, grapefruit segments, prunes, fresh fruit smoothies as well as fresh fruit.
For morning coffee the homes all produce a selection of tempting homemade biscuits.
To start the lunchtime menu we always offer a choice of either homemade soup of the day or melon. On a Sunday we offer a choice of two roasts and a vegetarian option. On a Wednesday we offer roast chicken, which is always a favourite, and a vegetarian option. On a Friday we serve homemade battered fish and chips and crushed minted peas and homemade tartar sauce also with a vegetarian option. For the remaining days of the week we offer our residents variety and choice by running with one menu with a choice of six meals as well as a weekly special for the first week and then we change the whole menu for the second week and alternate there after. After a month we start again with new menus to allow for seasonal changes of produce.
The patisserie dessert cabinet is always full of delicious homemade chilled puddings with a minimum of five different choices. Always a fruit salad, a trifle a chocolate dessert, a citrus dessert and a fruit dessert. A hot pudding of the day is also served.
Homemade cakes are served at teatime and some days we offer freshly baked scones and cream, buttered toasted teacakes and toasted crumpets with jam and butter.
Special celebration cakes are also made for every residents’ birthday and also for any member of staff who is working on their birthday too! This means everyone can celebrate and share together.
Suppers are equally gastronomic! These vary enormously but here are just a few of the choices we offer. Eggs benedict, eggs florentine, kedgeree, smoked salmon and horseradish mousse with toasted brioche, Lyme Bay fish cakes, prawn cocktail, lasagne Verdi, moussaka, rillette of smoked mackerel with warm toast, Scampi with peas and triple cooked chips, bubble and squeak with ham and eggs, homemade scotch eggs, mature cheddar ploughmans, chilli con carne, stuffed potato skins with cream cheese and chives, a selection of meat and vegetable stir fry’s with noodles or rice and pasta carbonara.
Both hot and cold drinks are available all through the day and night.
We have recently installed chilled juice machines into each home so cold drinks are readily visible and available at all times. A selection of our residents favourite flavours are, elderflower, orange, multi vitamin, pineapple, raspberry, blueberry, lemon, red berry, grapefruit and cranberry.
We also offer an exciting choice of local ice creams – clotted cream, vanilla, double chocolate, strawberry, honeycomb, toffee, rum and raisin, lemon sorbet and raspberry sorbet.
All the meals are prepared from fresh ingredients sourced from the West Country.
- Meat — Complete Meats, Axminster Devon
- Fish — Lyme Bay Fish Shack, Axmouth, Devon
- Cheese and Dairy — RT Parris, Chard Somerset
- Ice Cream — Toms Farm, Holsworthy, Devon
- Fruit and Vegetables — Arthur David, Somerset
- Eggs — Foots Eggs, Sherborne Dorset
Cannon Care Homes provide food of exceptional quality. Mealtimes are a great opportunity to socialise and family members are welcome to join us for morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea or supper.
