A cook who serves up food fit for royalty at a care home is in line for a top award.
Christine Tracey, the Catering Manager at the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham, has rustled up meals for Princess Anne, and worked with TV chef Paul Rankin.
According to the residents, the food at Pendine Park is like what you would expect at a top restaurant.
Christine’s culinary skills have earned her a nomination for the Outstanding Service award, sponsored by Hallmark, at the Wales Care Awards.
The glittering ‘Oscar style’ awards night for the care sector in Wales, is run by Care Forum Wales, and is on Friday October 18, City Hall, Cardiff.
Christine was drafted in to help with the catering at Ruthin School, where Princess Anne, the eleventh in line for the throne, came to open a new sports hall.
Christine said: “She certainly made an entrance in style. I had a good view of her coming down in the helicopter. She landed in the school field. I didn’t get to speak to her myself, but people who did said she was lovely.
“She came to open a new sports hall. There were children waving flags all over the place. People were pretty excited. It was a big day for the school.”
Christine, who has worked at Pendine Park for three and a half years, is delighted about being nominated for such a prestigious award.
She said: “I’m proud of the whole team. It was a big team effort, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything without them. It’s our award so I’d like to pay tribute to them.
Christine worked for catering company Sodexo for 30 years, where she won multiple awards for her culinary efforts, and in that time she worked alongside celebrity chef Paul Rankin.
Paul, who was a regular on hit BBC show ‘Ready Steady Cook’, put on a sumptuous meal at gala evening at the Hammond School of Performing Arts where Sodexo had a catering contract.
Christine said: “It was a very memorable occasion. On arrival there was a selection of canapés on arrival along with a glass of champagne cocktail with a strawberry in.
“For a starter they had a smoked salmon frittata with avocado, and for the main there was a char grilled rack of lamb with Mediterranean chickpea stew. For sweet it was buttermilk cream with walnut shortbread.
“Paul Rankin was a very nice man and very easy to work with.”
Since moving to Pendine Park she says the team have been putting on food fit for Royalty for the residents.
She said: “Over the past few years we’ve expanded the choice of food available to residents, which is very important. At the end of the day, everybody wants choice.
“We serve a wide variety of food, from plaice in white wine and grape sauce, to roast dinners, to beetroot and Feta gratin.
“We also have a wide variety of puddings, from Key Lime pie to summer fruits Eton mess.
“We also put on special meals to celebrate things like the Royal wedding and the Diamond Jubilee.”
Registered manager at Pendine Park Ann Chapman was full of praise for Christine.
She said: “Christine has driven the catering standards to exceptional heights with her innovative menus and wide range of specialty dishes.
“Christine’s leadership has transformed our puree menu into a palette of design and outstanding perfection, ensuring that those needing softer of liquidised menus have a visually appealing meal, shaping vegetables and protein into correct shapes.
“She welcomes input and works closely with all the homes to ensure that greater catering heights are achieved.
“She welcomes new residents and checks the type of food they would enjoy. She is a champion for our residents with her ‘nothing is too much trouble’ attitude.”
Mario Kreft MBE, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, said the Wales Care Awards had gone from strength to strength.
He said: “The event is now firmly established as one of the highlights in the Welsh social care calendar.
“The aim is to recognise the unstinting and often remarkable dedication of our unsung heroes and heroines across Wales.
“The care sector is full of wonderful people because it’s not just a job it’s a vocation – these are the people who really do have the X Factor.
“If you don’t recognise the people who do the caring you will never provide the standards that people need and never recognise the value of the people who need the care in society.
“We need to do all we can to raise the profile of the care sector workforce – they deserve to be lauded and applauded.
“It is a pleasure to honour the contribution of all the finalists. Each and every one of them should be very proud of their achievement.”
