Robert proves you can discover new talents at any age

When our food-loving customer, Robert, mentioned he had never learnt to cook, his Home Care Worker Michelle saw an opportunity to prove you’re never too old to learn something new. She started teaching the 83-year-old basic skills and Robert quickly discovered a new passion for cooking. A star student, he mastered cupcakes and soups and is now ready to start making his own meals.

“I’d never cooked anything in my entire life. I came from the bush and knocked about all over the place until I came to Sydney in 1953. Cooking was not something I ever got ‘round to learning,” says Robert, who is better known as Gummi to his friends.

Robert says that while he has enjoyed eating the meals that used to be delivered to him, something was always missing.

“They were tasty, but they didn’t have any gravy – and I love gravy!” he laughs.

“My mum used to say she didn’t need to wash my plate when I was finished. She could just put it back in the cupboard because I’d cleaned everything up with bread.”

In her lessons, Michelle started by teaching Robert some basics including how to make scones and cupcakes.

“Then we tried some stews and a big veggie soup. They were pretty good. One will last me two to three days,” Robert says.

“Next up, I’m going to cook a leg of lamb. I might make a huge mess doing it, but I’m going to try. There’s nothing better than cold lamb on toast with a pickled onion. I’m pretty sure there won’t be a lot left for the dog once I’m done.”

With his new cooking skills, Robert is not only making nutritious meals for himself, he’s also found a new pastime to stay busy around the house.

Well done Robert – we can’t wait to see what you create next!

If you’d like support with your meals and with staying healthy through good nutrition, you might like to chat with your Customer Care Manager about our meal services.