This project brings together artist-researchers from Coventry University and the University of Warwick, and participants recruited through Groundwork’s Cook Together Eat Together network.

Cooking Connections Coventry explores how creative food-based sensory activities can support wellbeing for older people in isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Cooking boxes containing recipes and ingredients, accompanied by sensory cues, were be delivered to participants homes as part of the project activities.

Prior to the pandemic, an in-person event had been planned, which was redesigned in response to Covid-19. The plan to facilitate a sensory food workshop with older people in the community was replaced with a socially-distanced food event. Food boxes containing ingredients for making a recipe, menu cards and sensory prompt cards were delivered to participants homes. Researchers engaged with the participants via telephone to conduct a guided sensory mindfulness meditation and to collect feedback on the cooking activity. Outputs included a project video, an audio track (with sensory mindfulness meditation), sensory prompt cards, and an academic journal publication.