Richard Lees has the best of both worlds at Linson Court as he is able to do the two jobs he enjoys the most.
By day, Richard is our Assistant Head Chef, working alongside our Head Chef Alison and two Kitchen Assistants, to ensure our residents get nice nutritionally balanced, fresh home-cooked meals every day.
But then he can slip out of his chef whites and step into his overalls for a stint in the Linson Court garden.
This is because Richard also spent a few years working as a gardener in between jobs in hotel, restaurant, and care home kitchens.
Richard explains: “I have always enjoyed gardening as a hobby, and I wanted to take a break from cooking, so I ended up as gardener for a while before I went back into the kitchen.
“Now, at Linson Court I can do both, cooking during the day and then looking after the gardens in my spare time, which gives me the best of both worlds.”
Richard has been the Assistant Chef at Linson Court for the past two years, having previously worked at other care homes. This included a stint as the Catering Manager for a company which owned three homes.
This means he is well versed in what is required to cater for people living in a busy home like Linson Court.
Richard’s day starts at breakfast. on breakfast. Similar to what you would expect in a hotel, residents are able to choose from a range of options, from cereal and porridge through to a full English breakfast.
After breakfast it’s time for lunch prep and this the main meal of the day, which is based on a four-week rotating menu.
Then it’s onto a lighter tea, often consisting of soup and sandwiches, although throughout the day and into the night, there are also snacks and refreshments available.
“We provide our residents with as much choice as possible and a few even opt to buy their own food and send it to the kitchen for us to prepare,” says Richard.
“We also have different diets and allergies to beat in mind, for example diabetics, vegetarians, people who need to have their food pureed because of swallowing issues, those can only eat halal food due to their religion.
“I enjoy working in a care home kitchen because it’s easier to plan than in a restaurant where you might cater for 100 people and only ten people show up.
“I prefer the structure plus being at Linson Court means I can indulge my love of gardening too, so it’s win, win!”!
Outside of work, Richard playing for his local darts team, gaming and, yes, cooking!
Once a chef, always a chef!
