Michelle Etheridge

Head Cook, Orchard Care Homes

Michelle Etheridge outlines why non-care roles are just as integral to residents at Orchard Care Homes:

As Head Cook, my responsibilities include monitoring food stocks, organising staff rotas, and putting together the weekly menu, which is based on resident choices. 

It’s obviously a very hands role, preparing the food for the day ahead and ensuring that all necessary dietary requirements are met. We serve three full meals and snacks throughout the day, whenever the residents want something, so we are on-call at any time. Breakfast can go on all day, depending on when our residents wake up, so we always need to be ready and able to cater for their needs. 

The catering team aren’t restricted to the kitchen either, we are always out and about in the home, asking for feedback and finding out what people want to see on the menu each week. It’s our job to make sure residents look forward to meal times as it’s quite a social occasion here. Some residents don’t have anyone at home, but they have us. We become their family.

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