A Bath cafe opened in memory of a chef who spent years cooking healthy meals for patients at a city hospital has won an honour for its own commitment to good food.
The fresh fare and traditional home cooking served up by the team at Bernie’s Bistro in Weston has earned the eatery a silver Eat Out Eat Well Award from Bath and North East Somerset Council and Sirona Care and Health.
Corinna Athay, who launched the business just 10 months ago in tribute to her late husband Bernie, said he spent most of his working life in the kitchens at St Martin’s Hospital and would be proud of the cafe’s achievement.
She said: “It’s lovely to have won the Eat Out Eat Well Award within the short time we’ve been open. All our food is fresh with nothing artificial, as we feel it’s important to promote healthy eating.
“We serve pasta pots, fruit salad, fresh sandwiches, substantial meals, and it is all made here from local products. On Sundays our roasts are served with five different veg, which all come from the local greengrocer.”
Corinna and Bernie, who were married for 28 years and had four sons and nine grandchildren, dreamed of opening their own cafe together before Bernie passed away in 2012 at the age of 76 after suffering from Alzheimer’s.
Corinna, 57, decided to launch the business in his honour instead and is joined in the kitchen and serving customers by her sister Suzanne Marsh and friend Caroline Ball, while her brother Carl Buck is her partner in the business.
And it’s a combination of familiar, welcoming faces, good food and good value that keeps their customers coming back, Corinna said.
“We have become a hub of the community for many elderly people. I know from the time I spent looking after Bernie when he was in a wheelchair and had to have breathing equipment that there’s nothing worse than unsmiling faces and people who are unhelpful when you are out.
“With all our elderly customers we always help them, make way for wheelchairs and take sticks and coats. We’ve got lots of regulars who feel comfortable to come in on their own as we spend time with them and have a chat – they even get a hug, which might be the only one they get all day!
“Bernie left a big hole in our hearts when he passed away and I think he would be proud of what we’ve done.”
The Eat Out Eat Well Award is presented to food outlets that take steps to help their customers or guests make healthier choices when it comes to their meals, through types of food on offer, cooking methods and promoting those options to customers.
Councillor David Dixon, Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “After carrying out assessments for the Eat Out Eat Well healthy eating scheme, Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Public Protection team are pleased to give Bernie’s Bistro a silver award.
“This reflects their commitment to offering foods that are lower in sugar and fat and salt – making them a really healthy choice. Congratulations to everyone involved!”
There are three levels of award – gold, silver and bronze – and award-holders across B&NES include takeaways, restaurants, sandwich bars, hospital trusts and colleges.
Louise Lees, health improvement specialist at Sirona, said: “Bernie’s Bistro is helping the community make healthier choices when it comes to meals by providing good, healthy food and well deserves its silver award.
“With rising rates of obesity in the UK, more and more people are concerned about eating within the recommended amounts of sugar, salt and fat, but at the same time don’t want this to spoil the fun of eating out!
“A healthy lifestyle including a healthy diet is important in the fight against chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and depression and although we all fall off the wagon from time to time, it’s good to know that when we try to eat healthily the option is there for us, even on a night out!”
“Well done to Corinna and her team for their achievement.”
Award-holders are listed on B&NES Council’s website and can display the Eat Out Eat Well logo – an apple and heart – at their premises.
