The Country Range Group funded and ran an interactive training session on the 23rd April to provide specialised training and skills to the team at the University Hospitals of Leicester on catering for people with dementia. The unique training day was a standout prize in the Group’s publication, Stir it up magazine’s advent calendar campaign.
With The Alzheimer’s Society estimating that around 70% of care home residents have dementia or severe memory problems, this unique training is becoming increasingly important due to major staff shortages and a growing skills gap across the care catering sector.
The special training day was run in conjunction with IDDSI Consultant Andy Cullum and follows the publishing of the Country Range Group’s comprehensive Catering for Dementia Guide last summer that focused on creative solutions to ensure menu inclusivity, nourishment, stimulation and tips to help residents with eating and drinking difficulties.
The interactive day was attended by six NHS catering professionals and featured demonstrations on key areas such as fortification, diet notification sheets/food passports, the IDDSI framework, cooking techniques, waste reduction, IDDSI auditing tools, preparation, storage and dining with dignity.
Rachel Porter, Country Range Group Own Brand Manager, said: “Dysphagia is something that can affect people of all ages due to a wide range of reasons. It was therefore a privilege to run the special training day and do our small bit to help train and provide skills to a passionate group of NHS caterers. Andy’s training breaks down barriers and gives caterers the confidence to incorporate safely modified meals without specialist ingredients or equipment. With the many challenges faced by caterers in the health and welfare sector such as low funding and skilled staff shortages, coupled with an aging population, training like this is increasingly important and at Country Range Group we want to support this in any way we can.”
IDDSI Consultant Andy Cullum, said: “Training and education around dementia catering and dysphagia support has never been more important, so it’s fantastic to see Country Range Group continuing to invest in this area and help shine a spotlight on the challenges facing care caterers. The care sector plays such a vital role in supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society, and initiatives like this provide teams with practical skills, confidence and knowledge that can make a real difference to residents’ quality of life. It’s been brilliant to partner with Country Range Group on such an important topic and support a sector that deserves far greater recognition and support.”
If you want to find out more about Andy and the training, he delivers then please visit
About the Country Range Group
With over 30 years of heritage servicing the UK & Ireland’s innovative foodservice sector, the Country Range Group is made up of 17 member businesses and 19 wholesaler – Birchall Foodservice, Blakemore Foodservice, Brook Street Foodservice, Country Valley Foods, Crowndale Foodservice, Dunns Food and Drinks, Europ Foods, First Choice Foodservice, Harlech Foodservice, Henderson Foodservice, King Brothers Foodservice, Kitwave (including Creed Foodservice, Total Foodservice and WestCountry), McClures, Savona Foodservice, Trevors Foodservice, Valley Foods, Waterdene Foodservice.
In addition to offering the leading brands from around the globe, the Group also offers a three-tiered own brand portfolio under Country Range, Signature by Country Range and Catering Essentials.
Widely recognised by caterers as trusted and reliable brands that deliver consistent quality and value for money without compromising on taste and flavour, the 700 plus products are all developed exclusively for professional caterers and cover grocery, chilled and frozen.
Alongside this, the Group recently launched its Clean Range Pro brand which features over 40 professional cleaning products which are colour co-ordinated, adhering to the British Institute of Cleaning Science’s colour coding system, and include QR codes on the product labels that link directly to safety data sheets for full product and usage information. Arming foodservice professionals with the ultimate tools to keep every area clean, protected and food-safe, the new range improves product visibility and consolidates the Group’s hygiene and cleaning offering.
The Group publishes its trade magazine Stir it up 9 times a year, which features the latest food, drink and industry news, Country Range brand promotions and in-depth trend reports and sector specific guides to support and inspire all foodservice caterers.
The Country Range Group has also entered into a three-year charitable partnership with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation. The unique partnership will see the buying group and its members work alongside the charity to raise compassion, understanding and crucially, vital funds, to help make food allergy history.
