Connaught Court residents enjoy a taste of the Caribbean

Above: Staff members Mariya Tsenova, Fran Tagg and Neu Khangkhan prepare tasty fruits including watermelon, mangos and passionfruit at Connaught Court, in York.

Residents and staff were virtually transported to the beaches of the West Indies to enjoy a Caribbean themed day at Connaught Court, in York.

The Activities Team, Steph Taylor and Fran Tagg, created classic cocktails for residents to sip, including piña colada, mojito, rum punch, and even a signature cocktail of their own.

The Home’s lounge was transformed into a tropical scene with a wall mural of the Caribbean Sea lapping over the white sand, and clear blue skies fringed by palm trees, whilst residents wore flower garlands and had fun with novelty glasses.

For lunch, residents tucked into jerk chicken and fish curry, served with rice and peas, sweet potato fries, salad and slaw. In the afternoon, they enjoyed a fruit tasting session, trying different fruits such as passionfruit, watermelon, mango, papaya, coconut and pomegranate. Some of the staff who grew up with these fruits in their native countries shared their knowledge including how to grow and harvest them, as well as prepare and eat them.

Residents Ted and Flo Heely enjoy a cheeky cocktail during the Home’s Caribbean themed day.

Activities Coordinators, Steph and Fran, said:

Our Caribbean themed day allowed our residents to discover and explore tropical flavours some had never experienced before, as well as escape the cooler British weather.

They added:

We all enjoyed sharing and listening to people’s stories, learning about different cultures and tastes from around the world, along with refreshing and thirst quenching tipples.

Resident Ted Heely remarked the rum punch was “the real thing.”

Carer Lisa Daniel said:

I’ve never tasted papaya before. I’ll be giving more of these fruits to my family. It’s great to join in with the residents here.

[Summary: Residents and staff enjoyed a Caribbean themed day at Connaught Court, in York. The Activities Team created classic cocktails for residents to sip. They all learned about different cultures and tastes from around the world.]