Askham Village Community recently partnered with B&R Restaurant in March on a collaborative hospitality initiative focused on inclusive dining, specialist diets and safe mealtime experiences for individuals requiring modified food textures and fluids under the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework.
The collaboration brought together Tyler Horton, Executive Chef at Askham Village Community, and Pete Mcleease, owner of B&R Restaurant in March, to exchange knowledge around modern hospitality, safe dining practices and specialist dietary requirements. The initiative forms part of Askham’s ongoing commitment to improving dining experiences for residents while helping encourage greater awareness of inclusive dining within the wider hospitality sector.
Continue reading to discover how Askham and B&R Restaurant explored safe dining, IDDSI awareness and restaurant-quality hospitality for people requiring specialist diets.
Supporting safe and inclusive dining experiences
At Askham, dining is viewed as far more than nutrition alone. Mealtimes play an important role in dignity, independence, wellbeing and social connection, particularly for individuals living with neurological conditions, swallowing difficulties or specialist dietary requirements.
The collaboration with B&R Restaurant focused on how restaurant-quality dining experiences can be adapted safely and confidently for individuals requiring texture-modified meals and fluids under IDDSI guidance.
During the initiative, several dishes prepared by the restaurant were found to naturally meet safe IDDSI standards due to existing cooking methods and textures, successfully passing IDDSI flow and pressure testing methods.
Sharing hospitality knowledge between Askham and B&R Restaurant
The collaboration created opportunities for shared learning between healthcare and hospitality environments.
Tyler Horton and the B&R Restaurant team exchanged ideas around plating, preparation methods, specialist diets and inclusive dining experiences, helping explore how accessibility and hospitality can work together in meaningful and practical ways.
Reflecting on the experience, Tyler Horton, Executive Chef at Askham Village Community, shared:
“One of the most important things for us is ensuring that people requiring specialist diets still have access to enjoyable, dignified and high-quality dining experiences. This was a fantastic opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from each other and explore how hospitality and accessibility can work together in a meaningful way.”
The collaboration also explored future opportunities involving residents at Askham, including the possibility of B&R Restaurant visiting Askham to host restaurant-style dining experiences within the care environment.
Raising awareness around IDDSI and specialist diets
The initiative also highlights growing awareness within the hospitality sector around accessibility and inclusive dining.
By sharing practical IDDSI knowledge and safe testing techniques, the collaboration aimed to help create more welcoming dining opportunities for individuals and families who may otherwise feel limited when eating out due to specialist dietary requirements.
Speaking about the wider impact of the collaboration, Mavrick Leveille, Associate Director of Operations and Quality at Askham, explained:
“Collaborative projects between healthcare and hospitality can make a real difference in helping create more inclusive experiences for people with specialist dietary needs. Everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy meals safely, confidently and with dignity, regardless of dietary requirements.”
Building connections between hospitality and care
The collaboration also demonstrated how local businesses and care providers can work together to create more inclusive community experiences.
Reflecting on the partnership, Pete Mcleease, owner of B&R Restaurant in March, shared:
“It was good to collaborate with the Chef from Askham, sharing experiences in how food served in a private care facility compares to a restaurant. It was great to see the effort, energy and food quality that goes into each plate served to residents at Askham. We were able to plate each other’s dishes and share techniques, and B&R have agreed to visit Askham to show residents the different techniques between a restaurant dish and a dish served within a care facility.”
Through collaboration, shared learning and community partnerships, Askham continues to explore innovative ways to combine rehabilitation, hospitality and inclusive care experiences that support dignity, independence and quality of life.
