Great food. Real support. Built for care homes.
Care home catering comes with unique pressures, and Nicol Hughes is here to help you meet them. From nutritious daily meals and specialist diets to meaningful menu savings, our comprehensive range and hands-on approach give you the confidence to deliver food that truly matters.
To browse our complete Catering with Care brochure, click here.
At Nicol Hughes Foodservice, we believe great food has the power to bring people together and enrich life at every stage. That’s why we’re committed to supporting care homes with high‑quality, great‑tasting products, competitive pricing and a service you can rely on.
Our comprehensive range and customer‑focused approach are designed to help you meet your catering goals with confidence—whether that’s delivering nutritious daily meals, managing specialist diets or making meaningful savings across your menu.
We understand that care home catering is about far more than working within tight budgets. The food you serve plays a vital role in your residents’ health, wellbeing and enjoyment, and we’re here to help you deliver meals that truly make a difference.
To browse our complete Catering with Care brochure, click here.
How We Can Help
How We Can Help
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Care Top Tips
Our top tips for saving time and money, boosting nutrition, and keeping menus varied, engaging and enjoyable for residents.
Caterfood Collection
Every product in our own-brand range is hand-picked for flavour, quality and value, so you can buy with confidence.
Beyond the Kitchen
One convenient order, one trusted supplier. In addition to quality food, we can provide cleaning supplies for your care home.
Care Menu Building
Expert guidance and practical support to help you build varied, achievable and budget-friendly menus for your care home kitchen.
Managing Diabetes
Practical tips and dietary guidance to help you cater safely for the significant proportion of care home residents living with diabetes.
Why Choose Us
Whatever your kitchen needs, we're here to help you streamline your supply chain, control costs and keep things simple.
Catering for Dysphagia
Everything you need to know about safely modifying food textures to meet IDDSI framework levels for your residents.
The Power of Pudding
How to make the most of dessert as an opportunity to boost residents' calorie and nutrient intake, with ideas for every season and budget.
Care Home Menu Building
Expert guidance and practical support to help you build varied, achievable and budget-friendly menus for your care home kitchen.
Managing Diabetes
Practical tips and dietary guidance to help you cater safely and effectively for the significant proportion of care home residents living with diabetes.
Catering for Dysphagia
Everything you need to know about safely modifying food textures to meet IDDSI framework levels for residents with swallowing difficulties.
The Power of Pudding
How to make the most of dessert as an opportunity to boost residents' calorie and nutrient intake, with ideas for every season and budget.
Beyond the Kitchen
One convenient order, one trusted supplier. In addition to quality food, we can provide cleaning supplies for your care home.
Catering for Care: Top Tips
Our top tips for saving time and money, boosting nutrition, and keeping menus varied, engaging and enjoyable for care home residents.
Caterfood Collection
Every product in our own-brand range is hand-picked for flavour, quality and value, so you can buy with confidence and make significant savings.
Why Choose Us
Whatever your kitchen needs, we're here to help you streamline your supply chain, control costs and keep things simple.
Care Home Menu Building
Putting together care-home-appropriate menus which are achievable and on budget is no easy task.
It's important to mix up the flavours and format of your menus from time to time. We are happy to assist you in creating a rotating weekly menu plan and shopping list for your kitchen.
Care Home Menu Building
Putting together care-home-appropriate menus which are achievable and on budget is no easy task.
It's important to mix up the flavours and format of your menus from time to time. We are happy to assist you in creating a rotating weekly menu plan and shopping list for your kitchen.
Plan Ahead To Save Time And Money
Start with a solid menu plan and regular stock inventory checks. Knowing what you have, and what you need, helps you create varied, nutritious meals while keeping costs under control. Building in opportunities to use leftovers creatively also cuts down on waste and reduces prep time.
Make Smart Ingredient Choices
Choose frozen over fresh for easier, faster and more cost-effective prep. Packet mixes and pre-made fillings deliver consistent results without adding kitchen pressure, and pre-prepared IDDSI-compliant meals save valuable time for residents with texture modification needs.
Prioritise Presentation
Even the most nutritious meal can be off-putting if it doesn’t look appetising. Think about colour, texture and how food is arranged on the plate — particularly for residents with IDDSI needs — and consider using moulds to make texture-modified dishes look their best.
Use Flavour To Beat Menu Fatigue
Experiment with spices, seasonal ingredients and global cuisines; tagines, chowders and curries all work well. Slow-cooked dishes packed with soft vegetables are also easy to adapt into purées, making them a versatile choice for residents with dysphagia.
Tap Into Nostalgia
Ask residents about their favourite meals and the memories behind them. Familiar comfort foods and retro dishes build engagement and often use more economical ingredients, connecting residents to fond memories while helping to manage kitchen costs.
Embrace Plant-Based Options
Rather than substituting meat in existing dishes, make plant-based meals exciting in their own right. Risottos, tray bakes and seasonal vegetable dishes are crowd-pleasing, often higher in fibre, lower in saturated fat, and kinder on the budget.
Celebrate Through Food
Tie menus to the calendar, such as Wimbledon or National Fish and Chip Day, for easy opportunities to serve something special. Themed evenings, tasting events and biscuit decorating are low-cost ways to engage residents and bring a sense of occasion to everyday dining.
Plan Ahead To Save Time And Money
Start with a solid menu plan and regular stock inventory checks. Knowing what you have, and what you need, helps you create varied, nutritious meals while keeping costs under control. Building in opportunities to use leftovers creatively also cuts down on waste and reduces prep time.
Plan Ahead To Save Time And Money
Start with a solid menu plan and regular stock inventory checks. Knowing what you have, and what you need, helps you create varied, nutritious meals while keeping costs under control. Building in opportunities to use leftovers creatively also cuts down on waste and reduces prep time.
Make Smart Ingredient Choices
Choose frozen over fresh for easier, faster and more cost-effective prep. Packet mixes and pre-made fillings deliver consistent results without adding kitchen pressure, and pre-prepared IDDSI-compliant meals save valuable time for residents with texture modification needs.
Prioritise Presentation
Even the most nutritious meal can be off-putting if it doesn’t look appetising. Think about colour, texture and how food is arranged on the plate — particularly for residents with IDDSI needs — and consider using moulds to make texture-modified dishes look their best.
Use Flavour To Beat Menu Fatigue
Experiment with spices, seasonal ingredients and global cuisines; tagines, chowders and curries all work well. Slow-cooked dishes packed with soft vegetables are also easy to adapt into purées, making them a versatile choice for residents with dysphagia.
Tap Into Nostalgia
Ask residents about their favourite meals and the memories behind them. Familiar comfort foods and retro dishes build engagement and often use more economical ingredients, connecting residents to fond memories while helping to manage kitchen costs.
Embrace Plant-Based Options
Rather than substituting meat in existing dishes, make plant-based meals exciting in their own right. Risottos, tray bakes and seasonal vegetable dishes are crowd-pleasing, often higher in fibre, lower in saturated fat, and kinder on the budget.
Celebrate Through Food
Tie menus to the calendar, such as Wimbledon or National Fish and Chip Day, for easy opportunities to serve something special. Themed evenings, tasting events and biscuit decorating are low-cost ways to engage residents and bring a sense of occasion to everyday dining.
Plan Ahead To Save Time And Money
Start with a solid menu plan and regular stock inventory checks. Knowing what you have, and what you need, helps you create varied, nutritious meals while keeping costs under control. Building in opportunities to use leftovers creatively also cuts down on waste and reduces prep time.
Soups
Great for aiding hydration, can be easy for residents to eat and switched up with the seasons. Consider making your own, as a great way to use up leftovers and reduce waste, or save time in the kitchen with pre-made products. They can be thickened and fortified to suit individual needs.
One Pot Wonders
Hearty stews, mild curries, and creamy risottos are all great options for creating satisfying, flavourful dishes. They can be packed with vegetables and boosted with pulses or healthy grains—like lentils, chickpeas, and pearl barley—to add essential fiber and nutrients. Use these dishes to show off different flavours, proteins and vegetables on rotation.
Weekly Theme Day
A themed meal such as ‘Fish Friday’ or ‘Pie Wednesday’ gives residents something to look forward to. A regular pie night, for example, can cover fish pie, cottage pie, shepherd’s pie as well as vegetarian equivalents and traditional short crust of puff pastry pies, stretching to include pasties and lattices, too.
Traybakes
A great way to keep seasonal vegetables high on your menu while reducing hands-on cooking times. Vegetable traybakes, topped with chicken or fish, are a great way to cook a meal that is full of different colours and textures, and can easily lend itself to different flavour profiles (such as Italian, British or Mexican).
Catering For Dysphagia
Dysphagia, the medical term for difficulty swallowing, affects a significant proportion of care home residents.
Catering for dysphagia means modifying food textures to meet specific IDDSI framework levels, ensuring meals are safe, nutritious and appropriate for each resident's swallowing ability.
Learn More About IDDSI
The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) is a global framework for standardising food and drink textures to improve safety for individuals with dysphagia (swallowing difficulties, caused by age-related changes, neurological disorders or physical obstructions).
It defines easy to understand levels (0–7) for textures and thickness, from thin liquids (Level 0) to regular foods (Level 7). When catering to IDDSI levels, you can either blend and/or puree meals yourself, to the required thickness or texture, or buy pre-prepared meals.
To see a detailed breakdown of all the IDDSI levels, click here.
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Texture Modified Ready Meals
Simply Food Solutions is a UK-based specialist in high-quality frozen food, supporting healthcare, catering and foodservice operators with safe, nutritious and great-tasting solutions.
Their offer is structured across three tiers: Simply Puree, providing IDDSI-compliant texture-modified meals; Simply Healthcare, delivering specialist solutions for allergies, intolerances and clinical diets; and Simply Worldfoods, an internationally inspired range designed to add cultural variety and menu choice.
Simply Puree, IDDSI Levels 3 – 6
Simply Puree offers a premium selection of high-quality, texture-modified meals, all prepared to the highest safety standards. Each meal is fully compliant with IDDSI guidelines, covering levels 3 to 6—including Moderately Thick, Extremely Thick/Pureed, Minced and Moist and Soft and Bite-Sized textures.
Designed for convenience, the meals can be cooked directly from frozen with minimal preparation, helping to simplify operations in your kitchen. Each meal is halal certified, and allergen-aware options are available for those looking to reduce allergen risks.
The product range includes breakfast and main meals as well as pureed hot desserts.
Simply Puree believe texture-modified foods should be as visually appealing and flavourful as traditional meals. That’s why every dish is carefully crafted to retain its authentic taste, supporting greater meal satisfaction and encouraging higher consumption at every mealtime.
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We know budgets are tight. That's why every product in our own-brand range, The Caterfood Collection, has been taste-tested and hand-picked by our team of Buyers as the best option on the market.
Backed by trusted producers and available at a competitive price, The Caterfood Collection offers hundreds of carefully selected core products — helping you serve great food while making considerable savings. Exclusive to Caterfood Buying Group Members, and we're proud to be the only Member operating in your area.
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We know budgets are tight. That's why every product in our own-brand range, The Caterfood Collection, has been taste-tested and hand-picked by our team of Buyers as the best option on the market.
Backed by trusted producers and available at a competitive price, The Caterfood Collection offers hundreds of carefully selected core products — helping you serve great food while making considerable savings. Exclusive to Caterfood Buying Group Members, and we're proud to be the only Member operating in your area.
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Managing Diabetes
Up to 27% of care home residents are affected by diabetes, making it one of the most important dietary considerations in a care setting.
A healthy, balanced diet rich in fruit, vegetables and whole foods, and low in sugar, salt, starchy carbs and processed foods, is key to managing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes effectively.
Work closely with your medical teams to ensure every resident with diabetes has a personalised dietary plan in place. This helps balance nutritional needs, maintain healthy blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of complications.
Here are some practical tips for catering for residents with diabetes:
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Encourage a Balanced Breakfast
Offer nutritious options like porridge, wholemeal toast, eggs, Greek yogurt, natural muesli, and fresh fruit.
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Monitor Salt Consumption
Keep salt intake low, around 6g per day.
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Promote Hydration
Ensure access to low-sugar drinks and dilute fruit juices to reduce sugar intake.
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Choose Healthy Fats
Reduce saturated fat and trans-fats, opting for olive oil and rapeseed oil for cooking.
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Limit Sugary and Processed Foods
Remove sugary, processed, and starchy foods, and replace refined grains with whole grains like brown rice, quinoa and rye.
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Prioritise Whole Foods and Lean Proteins
Incorporate beans, pulses, and lean proteins like fish, eggs, and low-fat dairy while avoiding red and processed meats.
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Managing Diabetes
Up to 27% of care home residents are affected by diabetes, making it one of the most important dietary considerations in a care setting.
A healthy, balanced diet rich in fruit, vegetables and whole foods, and low in sugar, salt, starchy carbs and processed foods, is key to managing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes effectively.
Work closely with your medical teams to ensure every resident with diabetes has a personalised dietary plan in place. This helps balance nutritional needs, maintain healthy blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of complications.
Here are some practical tips for catering for residents with diabetes:
-
Encourage a Balanced Breakfast
Offer nutritious options like porridge, wholemeal toast, eggs, Greek yogurt, natural muesli, and fresh fruit.
-
Monitor Salt Consumption
Keep salt intake low, around 6g per day.
-
Promote Hydration
Ensure access to low-sugar drinks and dilute fruit juices to reduce sugar intake.
-
Choose Healthy Fats
Reduce saturated fat and trans-fats, opting for olive oil and rapeseed oil for cooking.
-
Limit Sugary and Processed Foods
Remove sugary, processed, and starchy foods, and replace refined grains with whole grains like brown rice, quinoa and rye.
-
Prioritise Whole Foods and Lean Proteins
Incorporate beans, pulses, and lean proteins like fish, eggs, and low-fat dairy while avoiding red and processed meats.
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The Power of Pudding
Often the highlight of someone's day, pudding is a brilliant opportunity to boost calorie intake without compromising on enjoyment.
Warm sponges, pies and crumbles can be enriched with stewed fruits for added fibre, while cream, custard or ice cream make it easy to adjust calorie content to suit individual needs.
Whether making desserts from scratch or serving a quality ready-made product, we have options to suit every requirement and budget.
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One Order, Everything Covered
Keeping your care home clean and safe is just as important as what's on the plate.
As part of our own-brand offering, we stock the Professional Supplies range which offers a comprehensive selection of UK-manufactured cleaning chemicals, formulated to meet the rigorous hygiene and infection control demands of care environments.
From everyday surface cleaning to targeted solutions, everything you need is available alongside your food order — one delivery, one invoice, one supplier.
Catering For Care:
Top Tips
Catering For Care: Top Tips
Plan Ahead To Save Time And Money
Start with a solid menu plan and regular stock inventory checks. Knowing what you have, and what you need, helps you create varied, nutritious meals while keeping costs under control. Building in opportunities to use leftovers creatively also cuts down on waste and reduces prep time.
Make Smart Ingredient Choices
Choose frozen over fresh for easier, faster and more cost-effective prep. Packet mixes and pre-made fillings deliver consistent results without adding kitchen pressure, and pre-prepared IDDSI-compliant meals save valuable time for residents with texture modification needs.
Prioritise Presentation
Even the most nutritious meal can be off-putting if it doesn’t look appetising. Think about colour, texture and how food is arranged on the plate — particularly for residents with IDDSI needs — and consider using moulds to make texture-modified dishes look their best.
Use Flavour To Beat Menu Fatigue
Experiment with spices, seasonal ingredients and global cuisines; tagines, chowders and curries all work well. Slow-cooked dishes packed with soft vegetables are also easy to adapt into purées, making them a versatile choice for residents with dysphagia.
Tap Into Nostalgia
Ask residents about their favourite meals and the memories behind them. Familiar comfort foods and retro dishes build engagement and often use more economical ingredients, connecting residents to fond memories while helping to manage kitchen costs.
Embrace Plant-Based Options
Rather than substituting meat in existing dishes, make plant-based meals exciting in their own right. Risottos, tray bakes and seasonal vegetable dishes are crowd-pleasing, often higher in fibre, lower in saturated fat, and kinder on the budget.
Celebrate Through Food
Tie menus to the calendar, such as Wimbledon or National Fish and Chip Day, for easy opportunities to serve something special. Themed evenings, tasting events and biscuit decorating are low-cost ways to engage residents and bring a sense of occasion to everyday dining.
Plan Ahead To Save Time And Money
Start with a solid menu plan and regular stock inventory checks. Knowing what you have, and what you need, helps you create varied, nutritious meals while keeping costs under control. Building in opportunities to use leftovers creatively also cuts down on waste and reduces prep time.
Make Smart Ingredient Choices
Choose frozen over fresh for easier, faster and more cost-effective prep. Packet mixes and pre-made fillings deliver consistent results without adding kitchen pressure, and pre-prepared IDDSI-compliant meals save valuable time for residents with texture modification needs.
Celebrate Through Food
Tie menus to the calendar, such as Wimbledon or National Fish and Chip Day, for easy opportunities to serve something special. Themed evenings, tasting events and biscuit decorating are low-cost ways to engage residents and bring a sense of occasion to everyday dining.
Plan Ahead To Save Time And Money
Start with a solid menu plan and regular stock inventory checks. Knowing what you have, and what you need, helps you create varied, nutritious meals while keeping costs under control. Building in opportunities to use leftovers creatively also cuts down on waste and reduces prep time.
Make Smart Ingredient Choices
Choose frozen over fresh for easier, faster and more cost-effective prep. Packet mixes and pre-made fillings deliver consistent results without adding kitchen pressure, and pre-prepared IDDSI-compliant meals save valuable time for residents with texture modification needs.
Prioritise Presentation
Even the most nutritious meal can be off-putting if it doesn’t look appetising. Think about colour, texture and how food is arranged on the plate — particularly for residents with IDDSI needs — and consider using moulds to make texture-modified dishes look their best.
Use Flavour To Beat Menu Fatigue
Experiment with spices, seasonal ingredients and global cuisines; tagines, chowders and curries all work well. Slow-cooked dishes packed with soft vegetables are also easy to adapt into purées, making them a versatile choice for residents with dysphagia.
Tap Into Nostalgia
Ask residents about their favourite meals and the memories behind them. Familiar comfort foods and retro dishes build engagement and often use more economical ingredients, connecting residents to fond memories while helping to manage kitchen costs.
Embrace Plant-Based Options
Rather than substituting meat in existing dishes, make plant-based meals exciting in their own right. Risottos, tray bakes and seasonal vegetable dishes are crowd-pleasing, often higher in fibre, lower in saturated fat, and kinder on the budget.
Celebrate Through Food
Tie menus to the calendar, such as Wimbledon or National Fish and Chip Day, for easy opportunities to serve something special. Themed evenings, tasting events and biscuit decorating are low-cost ways to engage residents and bring a sense of occasion to everyday dining.
Plan Ahead To Save Time And Money
Start with a solid menu plan and regular stock inventory checks. Knowing what you have, and what you need, helps you create varied, nutritious meals while keeping costs under control. Building in opportunities to use leftovers creatively also cuts down on waste and reduces prep time.
Plan Ahead To Save Time And Money
Start with a solid menu plan and regular stock inventory checks. Knowing what you have, and what you need, helps you create varied, nutritious meals while keeping costs under control. Building in opportunities to use leftovers creatively also cuts down on waste and reduces prep time.
Make Smart Ingredient Choices
Choose frozen over fresh for easier, faster and more cost-effective prep. Packet mixes and pre-made fillings deliver consistent results without adding kitchen pressure, and pre-prepared IDDSI-compliant meals save valuable time for residents with texture modification needs.
Prioritise Presentation
Even the most nutritious meal can be off-putting if it doesn’t look appetising. Think about colour, texture and how food is arranged on the plate — particularly for residents with IDDSI needs — and consider using moulds to make texture-modified dishes look their best.
Use Flavour To Beat Menu Fatigue
Experiment with spices, seasonal ingredients and global cuisines; tagines, chowders and curries all work well. Slow-cooked dishes packed with soft vegetables are also easy to adapt into purées, making them a versatile choice for residents with dysphagia.
Tap Into Nostalgia
Ask residents about their favourite meals and the memories behind them. Familiar comfort foods and retro dishes build engagement and often use more economical ingredients, connecting residents to fond memories while helping to manage kitchen costs.
Embrace Plant-Based Options
Rather than substituting meat in existing dishes, make plant-based meals exciting in their own right. Risottos, tray bakes and seasonal vegetable dishes are crowd-pleasing, often higher in fibre, lower in saturated fat, and kinder on the budget.
Celebrate Through Food
Tie menus to the calendar, such as Wimbledon or National Fish and Chip Day, for easy opportunities to serve something special. Themed evenings, tasting events and biscuit decorating are low-cost ways to engage residents and bring a sense of occasion to everyday dining.
Plan Ahead To Save Time And Money
Start with a solid menu plan and regular stock inventory checks. Knowing what you have, and what you need, helps you create varied, nutritious meals while keeping costs under control. Building in opportunities to use leftovers creatively also cuts down on waste and reduces prep time.
Get in Touch
We’re passionate about great quality food and the power it has to connect people.
Let’s start a conversation about working together to bring great-tasting, nutritious and affordable food to your residents.
Browse our complete
Catering for Care brochure
A printed version of our guide is available upon request. Please contact us to learn more.
Browse our full Catering with Care brochure
A printed version of our brochure is available upon request. Please contact us to learn more.
