Care Home Chefs Rise To The Occasion For Culinary Masterclass With Richard Bertinet
Leading care home provider Porthaven Care Homes has teamed up with acclaimed baker and chef Richard Bertinet – BBC Food Champion of the Year and author of award-winning cookbooks – for a one-day culinary masterclass aimed at enhancing the skills of its chefs and raising the standard of nutrition and dining across its homes.
On Tuesday 23rd of September, eleven Porthaven chefs took part in a hands-on breadmaking workshop at The Bertinet Kitchen in Bath. Led by Richard, the chefs learned how to make traditional and nutritionally balanced bread, pastries and finishing techniques, gaining practical recipes to bring back into their own kitchens and serve across Porthaven Care Homes.
The legacy of the training will extend beyond the kitchen. Porthaven chefs will be embedding the new bread recipes into weekly menus, offering residents greater variety and freshly made food. At the same time, residents will be invited to take part in baking activities, creating opportunities for engagement, enjoyment and wellbeing while ensuring meals remain nutritionally balanced and a meaningful part of daily life.
Taking part in the masterclass, John Huggett, head of hospitality at Porthaven Care Homes, said:
“Nutrition in care is one of the sector’s most pressing challenges, and we believe chefs are central to solving it. At Porthaven, we are investing in their skills so our residents benefit from food that is freshly made, nutritionally balanced and enjoyable every day.
“Learning directly from Richard Bertinet has been hugely invaluable. His recipes and expertise will cascade through our homes, and we are so grateful for his collaboration in helping us set a higher standard for food and wellbeing in care.”
This collaboration builds on Porthaven’s growing relationship with Richard Bertinet, who earlier this year led a cookery demonstration at Cotswold Gate Care Home in Burford. It also continues the provider’s tradition of working with leading hospitality figures such as celebrated restaurateur Mark Hix, further strengthening its commitment to investing in chef development and raising the standard of food in care.
Richard Bertinet, baker and chef at Bertinet Kitchen School of Cookery, added:
“It was a great day. We worked on a mixture of bread doughs, sweet doughs and simple pastries, focusing on helping the chefs really understand the method behind the recipes. Consistency is very important in care settings, so I wanted to show them not just the recipes, but the way of working that keeps standards high even when new chefs join a team. It’s always a pleasure to teach and share ideas – every chef has their own approach, and we learned from each other. They left with bags full of bread and pastries, and I look forward to visiting a Porthaven home soon to see how they’ve put these techniques into practice for their residents.”
