14th March 2023
Sanctuary Supported Living
If it’s one thing Tina Fletcher knows how to do at Sanctuary Supported Living’s Poplar House, it’s cook up nostalgia for residents at the Basildon retirement community with a traditional East End supper.
Well, it’s cook up just about anything! Chef Manager, Tina, who has worked at Poplar House for eleven years since it first opened, is highly regarded by staff, residents, and visitors. As well as her proper pie and mash, compliments to the chef include best bacon sandwiches, beautiful buffets, and tastiest roast potatoes.
But it is pie, mash, and memories that residents most look forward to as they prepare for a culinary trip down memory lane. Pie and mash, which originated in the nearby Docks of London, is made with minced beef, mashed potato and a delicious parsley sauce known as liquor, and since Tina is from Bow in the East End of London, it’s been a best-loved staple her entire life.
She recalls: “I used to visit a pie and mash shop as a teenager every Friday night, along with whoever else was in the market at the time. I can remember the atmosphere so vividly – it was such a jolly place!
“When I moved to Basildon in my forties, I couldn’t find a decent pie and mash shop anywhere, so I decided to perfect my own recipe based on the traditional methods used in the East End of London for over a hundred years. And I’ve been dishing up pie and mash to residents for over ten years now.
“It’s remarkable the kind of powerful emotions and memories residents recollect when they’re presented with certain flavours”
“It’s remarkable the kind of powerful emotions and memories residents recollect when they’re presented with certain smells, textures, and flavours – and they invite their families to share the experience. I’m honoured to play such an important part in physically and emotionally nourishing people, which is why I’m offering pie and mash as part of the daily specials on the Taste menu.”
For residents with smaller appetites, there is a takeaway service so they can enjoy the hearty fare in the comfort of their apartments.
Resident, Raymond Traxler said: “Gone are the days where I could polish off double pie, mash and liquor! I’m very grateful to be able to wrap my other pie up to take home. Thank you, Tina.”
All Taste restaurants are open to family and friends, and many are open to the public, where everyone is welcome to enjoy delicious, freshly prepared meals at great value prices.
