CARE home residents are getting a taste for the finer things in life – thanks to their innovative head chef who puts on posh dining nights and themed menus alongside old-school classics.

Chefs at Longfield and Hollymount care homes, Blackburn, who have been hailed for their healthy food, have all worked in the restaurant industry and have cooked at some of the country’s top venues.

Almost all of their ingredients come from local providers and the team love wowing their ‘customers’ with their creations.

The two homes, which have been given a healthy eating Gold Award by Blackburn with Darwen Council, put on ‘care dine with me’ events where relatives are invited to join their loved ones for restaurant-style food.

Families are also invited to the homes for barbecue parties, and they also held a Queen’s Jubilee garden party.

And residents have not been forgotten in the warm weather, with an ice cream van visiting both homes.

Matt Pickup, head chef and catering manager for the two care homes, said: “We realised we could do some interesting things when we looked at the different skills the chefs in the homes had.

“This is about keeping things interesting and fresh for the residents, but also putting to use some of our combined knowledge and skills.

“People always have an impression of food in a care home coming out of tins and packets, so it was key for us to modernise the menus and keep things as interesting as we could.”

The care homes have three fully-trained chefs with more than 60 years’ experience in the industry between them.

They are all locally based and all attended Blackburn College, and come from restaurant and hotel backgrounds.

All three chefs worked at Buckingham Palace, Ascot and Aintree in the course of their training.

Mr Pickup added: “We have all-round ‘good’ ratings in our CQC report and this in part comes down to feedback and participation from residents’ families.

“The good feedback from families is key to us and getting them through the doors to participate in some of the things we put on is great for all involved.”

Other themed events at the home include Mocktail Mondays, coffee afternoons on Tuesdays and Fizzy Fridays, using a soda stream.

But despite the wide range of dishes and events on offer at the two homes, one dish remains a diners’ favourite – corned beef hash.