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Students showcased their culinary talents and cultural knowledge in an exciting Nutritious Nations competition held during their weekly Independent Living Skills (ILS) sessions.

Each of our residences, came together to create sweet and savoury dishes inspired by countries around the world

Participants represented a diverse range of nations including Italy, Germany, England, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and India. Each group prepared and cooked a dish that was judged on three key criteria: Taste, Healthiness, and Presentation.

Students came together to work as a team; creating dishes that looked and smelled out of this world! It was great to see so many students working together to peel, chop, squeeze, mix and cook so many different ingredients. The range of menus was exceptional with many new dishes and flavours to discover.

Cooking competition winners …

The difficult job of judging was taken on by our a panel of experts: Governor Barry Langfield, Principal Meryl Green, Director of Care, Health & Wellbeing Karen George, and Care & Independence Quality Manager Jude Cottrell.

Here’s a taste of what each group brought to the table:

  • Acorns impressed with an Italian fettuccine with bolognaise sauce, featuring homemade pasta in the Italian colours of red, green, and white.
  • Bungalows students worked in smaller groups to serve up a traditional German Klump followed by a delightful Apple Cake.
  • Cadbury Court presented a beautifully crafted English Crustless Quiche.
  • Corner House cooked up a classic French Omelette.
  • Juniper represented Spain with delicious Chicken Tostadas.
  • Kendall Court embraced Greek cuisine with Chicken Souvlaki and a fresh Greek salad.
  • Poplar opted for a Turkish theme with their take on kebabs.
  • Thomas House created a vibrant Indian-inspired vegetable tikka masala.

Principal Meryl Green praised the students, saying: “I’d like to give a huge clap to everyone for creating these gorgeous and healthy meals. We had to pick winners but it really, truly was difficult. Honestly, any of these dishes would have been worthy winners.”

While all dishes were healthy and delicious, the winning certificates and prizes were awarded to:

  • Best Presentation: Cadbury Court’s English Quiche
  • Tastiest Dishes: Poplar’s Turkish Kebabs and Acorns’ Italian Fettuccine

The winners were presented with hampers brimming with culinary goodies, and all participants were awarded a cookbook for all their hard work.

The competition was part of the students’ weekly Independent Living Skills (ILS) sessions, where they learn essential life skills such as cleaning, washing up, and laundry. Cooking, of course, remains a favourite among students.

Congratulations to all participants for their creativity, teamwork, and culinary excellence! We look forward to seeing future recipes whipped up from their new cookbooks.


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