Gatesworth Stories —
The Gatesworth’s Culinary Team
Creating the Finest—and Freshest—Meals for Residents
Food tastes best when it is prepared with care, from someone passionate about what they do. At The Gatesworth, residents are treated to the same kind of bespoke dining experience you’d find at any fine restaurant, made by a team that is constantly looking to go above and beyond.
“We’re lucky that we have a large team with the expertise to know both foundational and modern culinary techniques,” says The Gatesworth’s executive chef Brian Hardy. “The combination helps us maximize resident satisfaction.”
Resident Carol Max adds that in her time at The Gatesworth she’s seen Hardy’s team bring fresh perspectives to the community’s ever-changing menu.
“Chef Hardy always has young and upcoming chefs who provide us with unique and delicious new menu items,” she says. “As the seasons change, our menus reflect their award-winning creations.”
Beyond that, The Gatesworth’s award-winning culinary team is knowledgeable on its ingredients, sourcing all of its meat and produce from the best possible places and avoiding anything processed. The result is food that is naturally more healthy for older adults, without ever sacrificing the quality or taste. Additionally, the community’s restaurant dining style allows for every resident to make individual notes on how they want their food prepared in accordance with their particular dietary needs.
Hardy adds that preparing meals in accordance to resident’s specific needs is easy at The Gatesworth, where dedicated staff members know residents by name and make note of their preferences.
“When you work with people you know every day, you can convey things between servers and residents and cooks,” he says. “The staff here know all about the residents and do an amazing job caring for them.”
“He’s always interested in taking care of us to keep us healthy,” adds Max.
Hardy and his team, however, aren’t resting on their laurels. He explains that he and his sous chefs are regularly attending seminars and classes, as well as visiting other restaurants and reading up on the latest food trends, all with the goal of creating the most memorable experiences for The Gatesworth’s residents.
“Our team is genuinely excited about food, so we are always inspiring each other,” he says. “Food changes every day. We stay in the know and that helps us keep innovative. We track what is ordered and what people like. We invite a lot of that feedback; our goal is to make residents and guests happy.”
“At any time, residents are welcome to meet with Chef Hardy about any food concerns or offer new recipes,” Max observes. “He’s always open to new ideas and wants to please us.”
In both day-to-day dining and large events like Mother’s Day brunches and holiday dinners, Hardy and his team are always looking for what they can be doing better for the next time. They check in on what residents find meaningful and ask, ‘how can we make this special?’ at every opportunity, whether that’s comfort food or elegant presentations or something as simple and fun as adding a kid-sized buffet table to The Gatesworth’s Easter brunch so young guests could go get their own food.
“I get a lot of notes from residents I keep in a box in my office, compliments they have for things my team and I have done,” Hardy adds. “I have too many to count and that’s something I’ve always treasured. We use that energy toward the next event.”
