A Taste of Abbeyfield
At Abbeyfield, we understand the importance of healthy well-balanced meals, which is something we offer in many of our houses and homes. Good food brings everyone a lot of joy, as it helps to bring people together. Our houses and homes take great pride in the food they offer to our residents, creating seasonal dishes and taking part in competitions across the Abbeyfield Family.
Food plays a big part in bringing our residents together. Shared mealtime experiences enable our residents to swap stories, enjoy nutritious food and forge lasting relationships, which in turn reduces loneliness and helps residents maintain a healthy weight.
In this section you'll find:
The benefits of eating together later in life
Community is at the heart of what we do at Abbeyfield. Our houses are much more than just a home; we’re a family, where sharing a nutritious meal is big part of what we do. Here we discuss the benefits of eating together for older people.
Abbeyfield recipes
Recipes from our residents and staff showcasing wonderful food and favourite meals.
Starter recipes
A collection of delicious starter recipes for you to try from around Abbeyfield.
Main course recipes
Find a sumptuous selection of main course recipes, ranging from fish pie to spaghetti bolognese.
Side recipes
Find a delicious selection of tempting sides to accompany your dishes from our recipes from around Abbeyfield.
Dessert recipes
See our pick of delightful dessert recipes from around Abbeyfield.
"My mum has called Abbeyfield House her home for three years now. She went for a trial period and never left! There are 12 residents so it's like one big happy family. The staff are truly amazing and they care for these people as they would their own family. The food cannot be faulted, everything made from scratch from the finest ingredients. It is a gem of a place."
Daughter of resident
Seasonal recipes
We've pulled together some of our favourite seasonal recipes for you to try at home.
Winter warmer recipes
With the cold weather set in, it's the perfect time to get out your slow cooker or your favourite casserole dish and make some hearty meals to warm your cockles! We've pulled together some nutritious meals sure to warm you up this winter.
Four easy to make sumptuous summer dishes
We’ve collated four of our favourite easy-to-make, mouth-watering summer dishes that you can enjoy al fresco throughout the summer months.
Our top five autumnal recipes
Tuck into an autumnal feast or soup, hotpot, pie and pastries with our seasonal selection of comforting recipes - perfect for when the nights start drawing in.
“Whilst nutrition is of the utmost importance, by far the biggest visible benefit from this is the coming together and sharing a meal; it's the sense of family, of belonging."
Neil Thompson, Service Development Manager for Abbeyfield
National food days
Why not celebrate national food days by trying a new recipe?
World Vegetarian Day
We discuss the health benefits of eating a vegetarian diet, how to create a healthy, balanced diet and pulled together some recipes for you to try for yourself.
National Pie Day
Pie in just about any form makes a crowd happy. No matter what your preference, we’ve sourced four fantastic recipes suitable for all tastes, ready to celebrate National Pie Day.
How is Christmas celebrated at Abbeyfield?
Christmas is a time where people come together to share the Christmas cheer over a glass of sherry and a mince pie or a full cooked roast with all the trimmings. We all have our own traditions when it comes to Christmas Day, so we thought it would be nice to share a few stories from some of our Abbeyfield homes about how they spend Christmas Day.
Delicious bakes to try at home
We've pulled together a selection of tasty treats to make in your kitchen.
Benefits of baking for older people
Home baked treats are a favourite at Abbeyfield, here we share some of the benefits of baking for older people and have collated some scrumptious bakes for you to try in your home.
How to: Mini-egg rocky roads and rice krispie cakes
Spring has sprung and Easter is approaching! Get into the spirit of things with our delightfully light Rice Krispie cake and scrumptious rocky road recipes.
How to bake your own gingerbread house
Are you ready to get baking this Christmas? We've put together a step by step recipe guide on how to make your own gingerbread house.
"Five glowing stars! My mother could not have been made to feel more welcome. Wonderful, caring and always cheerful staff, delicious home-cooked food and, although she continues to live independently, having been made to feel part of the small community of residents, loneliness is a thing of the past."
Daughter of resident
Tips and advice
Read our guides on healthy eating, food tips and creating balanced meals.
Healthy eating and nutrition
Eating healthily is important for all of us no matter what stage of life we’re in, however ensuring you have plenty of nutritious foods in your diet throughout later life will help you stay active and healthy for longer.
Tips to improve nutrition in older people
Older people are more susceptible to malnutrition which is why it's important to ensure we all eat a varied and balanced diet. We list some ways to help improve nutrition in older people.
Top tips for eating well on a budget
Think you can’t eat healthily on a budget? Think again! We’ve listed the top tips for how you can make the most of your money and eat well on a budget.
Health and wellbeing in later life
Read our hints and tips on living a healthy and active lifestyle in later life. You'll find information and advice on healthy eating, tips on exercising in later life, looking after your mental wellbeing, getting a good night's sleep and loneliness.
Food stories from our homes
Delicious community meal brings cultures together
Community and cultures came together to enjoy a delicious buffet dinner at our Girton Green. Working in partnership with the Abbeyfield Vietnamese Society’s An Lac House, staff hosted an authentic Vietnamese buffet, welcoming residents from both of the Abbeyfield houses as well as over 100 residents and guests from the local community.
Abbeyfield Court wins bronze Food for Life Award
Abbeyfield Court became the first Abbeyfield home to be accredited with a prestigious award from The Food for Life Campaign.
Abbeyfield residents serve up gratitude for the NHS
Residents of Sherwood showed their appreciation for NHS staff by baking them some tasty treats.
The content within the A Taste of Abbeyfield campaign is intended to give general ideas for people to consider for a varied diet. It should not be taken as specific or qualified dietary or nutritional advice, and The Abbeyfield Society is not able to guarantee the suitability of any recipe for any particular person. Care should be taken to ensure that any recipe a reader may wish to try meets their own dietary or other medical or nutritional needs.