The report highlights that care kitchens are under growing pressure as residents’ needs grow more complex, resources stay tight and smaller portions mean every mouthful must be nutrient-dense.
It calls for care operators to protect quality nutrition under mounting pressure not by adding complexity, but by strengthening core ingredients from the outset to improve calorie and protein density without increasing portion size.
The report, titled ‘The Care Kitchen Reset: The Future of Care Catering’, was launched as part of Nutrition & Hydration Week (16–22 March), shines a spotlight on the UK care home sector and the critical role food and drink play in supporting resident health and wellbeing.
The findings reveal rising clinical complexity is a key driver, with almost half (43%) reporting an increase in nutritional needs over the past five years. Over 70% say rising ingredient costs are making it harder to maintain food quality despite 90% refusing to compromise on standards.
Nine in ten resident respondents (90%) cite food as a key factor when choosing a care home, while 87% of residents say mealtimes are the most important part of their day.
Paul Jennings, head of food UK & international at Lakeland Dairies, said: “Care operators are under pressure to do more with less – more nutrition, more quality and more resilience – while also meeting rising expectations from residents around mealtimes. This creates a real tension in care kitchens, where teams are balancing increasingly complex needs with limited time, staff and budgets.
“Ingredient strategy is a practical way forward. By using hard-working bases such as Millac Gold Double and Lakeland Dairies Skimmed Milk Powder, kitchens can build richness, consistency and added nutrition into everyday dishes without adding complexity. In a sector balancing tight budgets and staffing pressures, this timely report explores immediate solutions to support care kitchens.”
Lakeland Dairies says it is committed to supporting the sector through menu guidance, product innovation and training designed to help kitchens build resilience through stronger foundations and long-term supplier partnerships.