Monica’s culinary creations - cooking food from the heart and enriching lives

Meet head chef Monica, who tells us why cooking food from the heart makes residents at our Wantage Residential and Nursing Home smile.

Monica, who came third place in Sanctuary Care’s Masterchef Competition last year, loves baking – and she has a reputation for fabulous cakes!

Every resident gets something a special themed cake for their birthday. From a bouquet of delicately crafted flowers to a piano, a giant hedgehog and even a cat, there’s no limits to Monica’s creativity.

“I always ask them what cake they would like, and when I see their happy faces, it means I can go to sleep feeling happy!”

For Monica spending time in the dining room, checking the residents are enjoying their meals, is so important, and seeing them happy gives her such a sense of achievement. And, if a resident, particularly because of their dementia, struggles to choose what they fancy, she makes presentation plates, so they can see and smell what’s on the menu to help them choose.

“Food is very important to our residents - if I enter the dining room and see the residents are smiling, then I am happy,” she explains.

For Monica, who moved to England from Romania and has worked at the home for eight years, Wantage is more than somewhere to work.

“I love working here – most of my family are in Romania so the people here at Wantage are like my family – they have a place in my heart.”

One of her residents Doreen recently shared a very special recipe with Monica, for her tangy lemon cake. “I made it for her and she was so happy, and I was so pleased that she gave me the recipe.”

And whenever there is an occasion, Monica is inspired to make something extra special – like individual cakes for Valentine’s Day, or a themed banquet for Chinese New Year!

For more about life at Wantage, our Enquiry Support Team are here to talk on 0800 331 7421.