'They deserve better': Heartbroken daughter reveals 'disgraceful' food her father was served at Sheffield care home

Alyson Louise Davis went to visit her 88-year-old father at Balmoral Care Home on Beighton Road last week but was left shocked when his evening meal was brought out.

The meal, consisting of mashed potatoes and purified baked beans, was so 'disgusting' that Alyson decided to share a picture of it on Facebook.

She wrote: "The wonderful staff at my dads home are battling with the disgraceful food being served up by their kitchen!

"This is no complaint about the care staff there just the cooks! One in particular!

"She told me her dad was in the home and he eats it. I said that might be so bless your poor dad, but my dad doesn't eat muck!

"Today this is what he was served...mash potatoes and beans really!!!!! This is going further I'm so upset for the residents."

Elior, the catering company responsible for the food at Balmoral Care Home, said that the meal had been specially for certain residents who need a 'soft food diet'.

However, Alyson, 50, also complained that the portion sizes and food quality in general was 'very poor'.

She said: "My father has dementia and needs 24-hour care. He's not mobile and all of the family work so it was a hugely upsetting decision to move him into a home.

"The girls who work here are absolutely fantastic but you just want the food to be as good as the rest of the care.

"It breaks my heart to see my dad having these meals. I understand he needs purified meals but it's the food quality in general. They deserve better than what they're getting.

"These are people who have been through rations so they should not have to do it again. This is all some of them have to look forward to and it's absolutely disgusting what they get. It's the cheapest of the cheap."

Alyson said that the only reason her father has not lost weight as a result of the meals is because the rest of the family regularly bring him meals during their frequent visits.

"We had a similar problem last year. I complained about the portion sizes and they had another look at the evening dinners and they increased it," she said.

"I got that investigated but the food has gone downhill since. It did get better but it has gone down again. We need to take it in and make sure he's fed well.

"There's nothing wrong with the home, they are lovely but the food quality is awful."

Elior UK said that the area manager would be meeting with Alyson today (Monday, October 23) to address her concerns.

A spokesperson for Elior UK said: "We are sorry that the presentation of one of our snacks disappointed some relatives.

"It is important to understand that the food pictured is texture modified and made specially for certain residents who need a soft food diet because they are at risk of choking. It’s cooked fresh, purified and then rebuilt to give it some structure, while being easier to swallow.

"Diets are planned to meet the nutritional requirements of each resident individually and there is a choice of dishes at each mealtime, with the main meal being served in the evening. We recognise that texture modified food may look bland and so as part of our ongoing team development, additional training is being given on its presentation.

"We have offered to meet with the relative who posted the picture or any other families to answer any questions they have and to explain about texture modified foods.

"Our catering has a good reputation and the team pride themselves on delivering a friendly service tailored to residence specific dietary needs, but we are always ready to listen to customer feedback and to act on it.”