All aboard the Orchard Cruise!
Throughout June and July, our care homes across the North of England and Midlands set sail to 5 destinations across Britain in a bid to win our Cruise Around Britain competition. From culinary delights to immersive experiences, care home teams were challenged to create fun, engaging experiences that captured the essence of each region.
Week 1 – England:
The first stop of our Cruise Around Britain tour saw the teams dock in England, where they enjoyed British classics like bangers and mash, steak & ale pie, and apple crumble. For their first week, Langfield Care Home’s catering team cooked a delicious cream of heritage tomato soup, with homemade croutons and a bacon & asparagus side salad – delicious!
Activity Co-Ordinators in the care homes also joined in the fun, by creating handmade props to start the journey. The team at Lansbury Court Care Home in Sunderland built the Lansbury Liner, where their captain, Norma, welcomed fellow residents on board.
Week 2 – Scotland:
With England’s visit complete, our teams set sail to sunny Scotland. Residents were welcomed with neeps and tatties, traditional music and even a visit from a well-known mythical creature.
Mastering the art of bagpiping is trickier than it looks, but the residents at Green Park Nursing Home were naturals. Based in Warrington, the nursing home organised a fantastic show for the residents. One of their team members, Tina, even learnt how to play the bagpipe in 24 hours!
The food was just as impressive as the activities at Ashlea Lodge Care Home in Sunderland, where they created a dessert so beautiful, it was almost too pretty to eat. Layered with raspberries, oatmeal and a generous helping of whipped cream, the cranachan is a local delicacy in Scotland, and a new favourite amongst the residents.
Week 3 – Wales:
Arriving in Wales, the 3rd stop on our 5-week long cruise consisted of Welsh rarebit, visits to a local farm and competitive games in the sunshine.
In Liverpool, residents at Thornton Hall and Lodge Care Home enjoyed some quintessentially Welsh cuisine, including traditional Welsh cakes and Bara Brith. Is there anything better than cake and a cuppa in the afternoon?
Archers Court Nursing Care Home in Sunderland, who are the first home within the Orchard Care Homes group to become entirely dedicated to specialist dementia care, organised a sheep race in the garden. Don’t worry, no real sheep were used – instead, residents had a blast watching the team race against each other in their costumes…what a ewe-nique experience!
Week 4 – Ireland:
From Boxty to Irish dancing, the penultimate trip to Ireland was filled with rich food, rainbows and plenty of celebrations!
Based in Rotherham, Cherry Trees Care Home wowed their residents with a deliciously cheesy Guinness bread. By combining the iconic stout with sharp cheddar and chives, they created a moreish, intense flavour that works perfectly as a starter.
To capture the essence of Ireland, Ashlea Mews Care Home in South Shields organised a pub experience for their residents, complete with a backdrop and plenty of 0% Guinness to enjoy. We wonder if the top hat and beard were part of the pub’s dress code?
Week 5 – Devon & Cornwall:
For our final stop on the Orchard cruise, our teams docked in South England for Cornish pasties, seafood platters and some incredible in-home experiences.
At Penwortham Grange & Lodge Care Home in Preston, residents not only enjoyed a party with friends, but were also visited by Aqua Lease, who brought in starfish, shellfish and crabs. The interactive experience gave residents a chance to learn more about our sea life, and they even got to hold some of the creatures!
The last culinary experience at Millfield Nursing Home in Bolsover consisted of delicious homemade yarg cheese & squash soup, fish and chips, and scones for dessert. The kitchen team at our Chesterfield nursing home pulled out all the stops to finish the cruise, and residents particularly loved the apple pie.
And the winner is…
Voting on both the fabulous food and fun activities on offer, the judges had a hard time deciding the winner. Each home brought their own take on the theme, and created truly unforgettable experiences for our residents – but there can be only one winner!
Middleton Park Lodge Nursing Home in Leeds took third place, thanks to their fantastic creations in the home. Adele, Activity Co-Ordinator, even created a Loch Ness monster sculpture using materials found in the nursing home.
Coming in 2nd place, Eaton Court Nursing Home in Grimsby not only organised fun-filled events, such as performances from talented bagpipers, but also presented beautiful food each week that was delicious, nutritious and loved by all.
Okay, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for - the winner of Cruise Around Britain 2024 is…Paddock Stile Manor Dementia Care Home! Team Paddock consistently blew the judges away with their creative thinking, beautiful dishes and even have their own Captain’s table.
Julie, Home Manager at Paddock Stile Manor, was over the moon to win the competition. "WOW - thank you so much to the judges, we are all ecstatic! We have all absolutely loved the whole process and we are continuing with monthly destinations, starting with Italy for our Italian resident."
And that’s it! We’d like to say a special thank you to every single person who took part in our Cruise Around Britain competition. Because of your dedication and hard work, residents have had an incredible 5 weeks of exciting events, delicious food and unforgettable experiences – same again next year?
Congratulations again to Paddock Stile Manor on winning Cruise Around Britain 2024!
