The Editor's Hospitality Blog

Head of Prison Service Catering and Public Sector Catey winner Alan Tuckwood was in full comedic flow at this week's CESA Conference at the Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel.

Appearing onstage immediately after an in-depth global overview by an economist, Tuckwood announced that he had no slides, only a "mystery toy" which he asked delegates to pass among themselves. "There's a weekend away, all expenses paid, for the person that guesses what it is", he promised.

"I run the largest hotel group in the country", Tuckwood continued. "we've got 71,000 beds, a negotiable rack-rate and 105% occupancy."

The audience knew, though, that he had Strangeways or Wandsworth in mind, not Gleneagles or a Four Seasons.

Tuckwood raised the issue of kit maintenance, and said he insists on five-year warranties on all purchases. "I'm prepared to pay, but I expect you to absorb some of the risk", he told his audience of kitchen equipment manufacturers. His message was echoed later by Neil Watson-Jones, head of the Hospital Caterers Association, who challenged manufacturers to offer more innovative ways of building maintenance into packages, now kit is becoming increasingly complex.

The mystery toy turned out to be a prison services butter pat, by the way. No one guessed correctly.

Three-Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal has joined forces with a team of scientists at Reading University to develop hospital food recipes.

According to the BBC, the host of Channel 4's Heston's Feasts series and owner of the Fat Duck in Bray is contributing to a project to improve nutrition on elderly care wards.

The Reading University team has been experimenting with introducing umami into British staples such as shepherd's pie to enhance the taste. The long-term aim of the project is to develop a series of recipes that revive older diners' palates. The project is also hoping to work towards combating malnutrition among the elderly. 

Dr Lisa Methven, lead researcher, told the BBC that older people suffering from a deterioration in taste don't get an extra taste bud, while they can be fitted with a hearing aid or a pair of glasses. "Our hope is that we can develop foods that older people can get more pleasure out of and enhance their nutritional status," she said.