Rachel achieved a distinction in Childhood Nutrition and the national Food for Life Award and is passionate about creating innovative and nutritious menus using locally sourced produce.
Martin has honed his culinary skills over many years, bringing a wealth of knowledge to our nursery kitchen. He is a master of flavours, always experimenting with innovative recipes and exciting combinations that not only tantalise the taste buds but also promote healthy eating habits.
Both Martin and Rachel are more than happy to work with you to cater for a wide variety of special dietary needs, just ask!
“We truly believe that if we instil in our children a love for a wide variety of healthy, tasty foods at a young age that they will carry this love throughout their lives.”
There are no traditional ‘children’s meals’ of convenience, such as fish fingers and potato waffles, at Almond House. We take pride in serving wholesome meals that are not only nutritious but help broaden the children’s palettes and willingness to try new things. From traditional British dishes like fisherman’s pie to more exotic options such as Spanish salsa chicken, Rachel takes influence from cultures the world over and likes to experiment with a variety of ingredients and techniques.
“Everything that the children eat at nursery is cooked here from scratch. We like to know what’s going into the meals we prepare so we can be sure that the quality is as high as possible. We don’t use pre-made sauces or packet mixes. Food provenance is important to us. All of the fish that we use in our recipes are from a sustainable source.”
Almond House are now distributing vitamins as part of the National Healthy Start scheme.
If you receive Healthy Start vitamin vouchers, you can now collect them from us – just bring along your voucher(s) and we’ll swap them for your entitlement.
Healthy Start entitles eligible families to free vitamins (for expectant mums and children under 4) and weekly monetary vouchers from £4.25 that can be spent on fresh fruit, vegetables, infant formula and cows milk at various different stores.
If you’d like to see if you’re eligible, you can visit www.healthystart.nhs.uk or speak to us – we’ll have application forms on hand to pass to parents who may need them (freepost envelope included).
Not only are Rachel and Martin passionate about creating these nutritious dishes, they also want to pass this on to the next generation…
“Every month we run a cookery school with our pre-school children and help them to make dishes such as fishcakes and cottage pie. We love seeing how proud the children are to take their finished dishes home and hearing parents say that their little ones are now wanting to help with the cooking at home too!”
“My little boy has learnt so many new skills. He loves to tell me what he has been up to. I also feel the staff have catered to his interests – mainly Diggers, which he has loved! There is always something new and interesting happening. It’s really important to me that I feel he is getting something extra from what I can give him by going to Nursery and I definitely feel he is.”
Sally, mother of Finn
“Our little girl started at Almond House just over a year ago and they are amazing. They were fab getting her settled in and she has just developed so much in the last year. The photos and updates on Tapestry keep us up to date with how she’s getting on. She’s made so many friends there and loves going. The team are great, very approachable and clearly love what they do.”
Sarah, mother of Lucia
“My Granddaughter has been attending Almond House for almost two years now and she really enjoys her time there and has progressed well developmentally. The food is excellent and my Granddaughter has enjoyed a wide variety of foods that she may not have opportunities to taste elsewhere. She also enjoys the regular cooking activities and especially enjoyed taking tea home for her and daddy a few weeks ago.”
Sandra, grandmother of Ava
“We are really happy we found Almond House. The staff were brilliant with our eldest, who was very shy and didn’t like leaving us. They followed her personal interests and devised activities based around musicals for her and this really helped her to settle in. She made lots of progress in the time she was at Almond House especially with recognising letters and numbers. Amelia definitely benefitted from the individual attention provided by the staff.”
Marie, mother of Amelia
“Almond House is a fun and caring learning environment for my son. The staff are amazing and friendly and do whatever they can to make Oscar feel safe and happy when he is there. Since my two year old started at the Nursery I have seen a significant improvement in his confidence and development. I cannot recommend Almond House enough, a fantastic Nursery!”
Lauren, mother of Oscar
“Almond House is an absolutely fabulous nursery and my son Oliver has really settled well there. This is due entirely to the staff, who are all fantastic, caring and approachable which means it is a pleasure to drop Oliver off there. They really do take the time to help children settle in which is so reassuring as a parent, and they always greet them with a smile!”
Sarah, mother of Oliver
