Former Good Food Guide Editor Welcomed to Chef Development Day
Boutique Care Homes gathered its chefs from across the group in May for a Chef Development Day focused on elevating the food, dining and hospitality experience for residents. Held at Keymer Care Home, the day centred on a conviction the group holds deeply: that dining is not simply one part of what a care home does. It is one of the most visible, daily expressions of who Boutique Care Homes is as a care provider.
The event featured a guest session from Andrew Turvil, described by The Independent as one of the UK’s “arbiters of taste”. Turvil is the former editor of The Good Food Guide, the AA Restaurant Guide and the Which? Pub Guide, and has spent his career as a freelance restaurant critic, writer and editor. His first book, Blood, Sweat & Asparagus Spears, was published in September 2025. Drawing on a career at the top of the UK food industry, he shared insights and experiences with the gathered chefs, bringing a level of external expertise rarely seen in the care sector.
“It was wonderful to meet such dedicated chefs and to see how much passion, care and attention to detail is being put into the food by the team at Boutique Care Homes,” Turvil said.
Beyond the guest session, the day brought together culinary teams for a full programme of presentations, hands-on sessions and open discussion. A live culinary showcase formed the centrepiece of the afternoon, with chefs from all five homes taking to the pass to present dishes from the new summer menus. The Burlington served a spinach, roasted pepper and feta roulade with fresh rocket, followed by sweet potato and roasted beetroot with chickpea puree. Martello Manor presented a chickpea and halloumi korma with watermelon rice. Chartwell House unveiled a mini beef wellington with red pepper jam and stuffed jacket potatoes with caramelised onion chutney. Keymer Hall presented a chicken ballotine stuffed with sage and chestnut mousse, with tarragon velouté, asparagus and fondant potato, rounded off with their take on a classic Tunnock’s tea cake with raspberry compote. Brampton Manor showcased the group’s commitment to dining without compromise for every resident, presenting a salmon en croûte with hollandaise sauce prepared to a texture modified standard, proving that elegance and clinical need are never in conflict at Boutique Care Homes.
The programme also included dedicated sessions on bedroom dining, exploring how the same warmth, quality and care given to communal dining is carried through to every tray delivered to a resident in their room. The group’s standard is unambiguous: no resident receives anything less than the full Boutique Care Homes experience, regardless of where or how they are dining.
Priya Bhayani, Director at Boutique Care Homes, described the day as a tremendous success. “Bringing our team together around a shared vision of continually elevating our food, dining and hospitality offering is exactly what days like this are for. It was a real privilege to welcome Andrew Turvil, who shared invaluable insights from throughout his distinguished career.”
The live culinary showcase gave Bhayani particular cause for pride. “Every dish was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. A huge well done to the entire team for your creativity, passion and hard work. Our residents are truly in for a treat.”
Carl Roberts, Sales and Marketing Director, put the day’s ambition in plain terms. “The people who choose Boutique Care Homes are not settling. They’re making an active, considered decision to invest in premium care for someone they love. Our residents have lived full, rich lives. They’ve eaten in good restaurants, hosted dinners, had standards. Those standards don’t disappear because they’ve moved into a care home. Every plate is a moment of meaning, and we should never lose sight of that.”
The group’s mission for food is to serve nutritionally balanced meals, lovingly prepared and beautifully presented, supporting residents to live well whatever their care needs, in dining spaces that feel like home. For Boutique Care Homes, food is central to a resident thriving, not just being cared for. It is social, cultural, a connection to memory and to other people. A person who genuinely enjoys their meals every day is a person who is living well. That is the standard the Chef Development Day was built around.
