A chef who cooked for the British Royal Family, catered for Wimbledon and worked in leading restaurants around the globe is now using his skills to ‘re-design’ food for people living with dementia – of whom there are about 20,000 in Northern Ireland.

Aged care food ambassador, Peter Morgan-Jones, will share his insights and experience through a hands-on Dining by Design school to be held at BCM's Grosvenor House, Belfast, on 2nd and 3rd March, in a course organised in association with Belfast Central Mission.  BCM offers services for older people across a continuum of care and is exploring ways to improve care for those living with dementia.

Morgan-Jones, who began his culinary journey as a child in the family kitchen in Wales, is now based in Australia working for one of the world’s leading dementia care providers, HammondCare.

For the past three years he has applied his vast restaurant experience to improving food service and mealtimes in HammondCare’s dementia cottages, often cooking with residents and staff and learning from sharing meals together. He has also authored a dementia cookbook, Don’t give me eggs that bounce, is working on his second, and is a sought-after speaker and celebrity chef.

He and his team have developed world-leading approaches to nutrition, modified diets and sensory experiences that restore dignity, appetite and enjoyment for people with dementia who often face significant barriers to eating and drinking.

And now he is bringing this knowledge to Ireland for the first time, as part of HammondCare’s International Dementia Centre, headed up by Associate Professor Colm Cunningham, based in Edinburgh.

"Providing nutrition and hydration in a conveyor belt of care has become part of the negative and clinical process of our care systems both in the UK and many parts of the world,” A/Prof Cunningham said.

“The Dining by Design course featuring Peter Morgan-Jones and other leading experts help aged care chefs and service providers to place food back where it belongs, as one of the simple pleasures of life for people with dementia.”

The practical two-day workshop will cover the essential ingredients and skills needed to create engaging meal time experiences that stimulate the senses and palates for older people and people with dementia.

Participants will have an opportunity to discover more about the possibilities of meals for older people and eating difficulties through live presentations and interactive cooking demonstrations under the expert guidance of Peter Morgan-Jones.

He will be joined by Emeritus Professor Mary Marshall, OBE - a leading international expert on dementia care and support - as well as senior dementia consultant Juliet Kelly.

To register for Dining by Design Belfast, and another school to be held in Salford, England on March 10 and 11, please contact the Dementia Centre UK, jgalbraith@hammond.com.au or +44 (0)7787 168168.