It’s a role that not many people think about, however, being Chef at Sunfield Home, Howick, for intellectually impaired adults is both very rewarding and challenging.
I’m Chef Graham and I’ve been the Chef at Sunfield Home, Howick for 6 years. Using skills I’ve gained both nationally and internationally in the restaurant trade, I have really enjoyed bringing my experience and knowledge into a Home that cares so deeply for its intellectually impaired Ressies.
The days in the kitchen here are filled with a lot of different meals due to the different dietary requirements we need to cater for. We take pride in personally formulating each Ressies intake to match their individual needs and this can prove challenging when managing the kitchen to have everything ready at the same time.
Currently, we have Ressies with diabetes; IBT; lactose intolerance; coeliacs; crones sufferers; then there are the Ressies who require a soft diet; and those who have food allergies like fish, poultry, cinnamon, and fungi … to name a few.
Most Down’s Syndrome people seem to have some sort of stomach ailment so one has to be careful of what is cooked for them.
At Sunfield Home, Howick, we have discovered that a diabetic-friendly menu seems to work with a lot of the Ressies as it cuts down fats and sugars, which helps to keep their weight in check too.
We’ve also found that a good breakfast, having their main meal at lunch, and then having a light supper really does the trick to maintaining their overall health and wellness.
Intellectually impaired adults are no different to you or me. They require a well-balanced, nutritious diet with lots of whole foods, fruits, vegetables and protein.
Our “Green Team” provide the kitchen with fresh vegetables and fruit from the tunnels and trees on the grounds. We have been fortunate that their productivity and quality is excellent, so there is a constant supply that enables us to keep the costs down and has food on the plates that could have been growing only an hour or so before. Such a treat!
Would you like to know what it takes to complete just one dish?
Here’s a sneak peek into what can be happening at any point in time – let’s use the example of cooking a beef stroganoff:
- Check all ingredients and the required quantities are in the pantry eg onions, peppers, beef, herbs, spices and seasoning
- Brown the onions with some herbs, salt and pepper
- Add your beef and sauté it off
- When it is half done you need to split the batch so different dietary needs can be met
- In the first pot, you add the bell peppers, spices, and mushrooms to continue cooking
- In the second pot is mixed the ingredients that don’t cause stomach irritations/allergies. This one needs to be lightly seasoned and have more water added as one can’t use any milk, cream or thickeners
- Then, the second pot is now split once again into smaller pot portion sizes to be able to add what each individual can tolerate. We need flavourful food that doesn’t compromise gut and physical health
- Back we go to the main pot and one can add the peas and the cream then and the roux to thicken it and let it simmer until done.
- More pots now get put on to cook the accompanying starch
- We now move from the pots to the bowls! For those Ressies who can only ingest soft foods, their meal needs to be mashed to a smooth consistency. Sometimes we can use the starch being cooked, sometimes we need to put a portion of potatoes on especially for them
- For the gluten intolerant Ressies, another pot goes on with brown rice for them
- Finally, the vegetables are, mostly, steamed to keep them flavourful and the colour bright and cheerful on the plates
If you can imagine one of those circus performers spinning plates on the top of long poles, then you can imagine our team in the kitchen. All the above has to be done in a way that enables us to serve everyone at the same time with hot food while observing all Covid, Health & Safety and Food Hygiene standards.
It can look chaotic to an outsider, however, we all know our roles and, most days, we’re a well-functioning and efficient team. It is all wonderfully happy fun until Murphy arrives and the timing goes wrong, then it’s a mad dash.
I have a great team of staff in the kitchen who all understand the need for nutritious meals created with care.
#JustSaying – for those of you wondering, yes, I have a Chef’s temperament so unless you are part of the solution and are pitching in to deliver quality food to the Ressies, keep out of the kitchen. It can get hot in there!
