‘The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes’

In November of this year, The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes opened as part of a Channel 4 programme to raise awareness of dementia and remove the stigma around the disease.

The restaurant is staffed by people with dementia, working in the kitchen preparing food and waiting on tables. All of the participants are at different places on their dementia journey; some with a recent diagnosis in the last six months, but many saying that they had experienced symptoms long before diagnosis. This is all part of a new Channel 4 programme from the producers of The Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, which some of you may have watched earlier this year.

The programme aims to raise awareness of dementia and to show that, despite a diagnosis of dementia, people can still work, encouraging employers to make reasonable adjustments so that those living with dementia still feel like they have a purpose in life.

Members of the public and celebrities alike are able to book a table and be treated to Michelin star food from the kitchen. The chef, who teaches the participants how to prepare the food on the menu, is Josh Eggleton from the Pony & Trap in Chew Magna.

Senior Associate, Anna Molter, was invited to take part as Barcan+Kirby are working towards being dementia friendly and are seen to be ‘movers and shakers’ in the business community in this initiative.

Both Anna and Solicitor, Helena Bond, attended a special reception at City Hall on 10th December to celebrate the end of the project and to hear how, in May, the goal is for as many restaurants in Bristol to employ those living with dementia to serve or cook in their restaurants over a weekend period.

Barcan+Kirby are seen as business leaders in this area and encourage everyone to show their communities that they understand what it is like to have dementia and that they can offer support just by wearing a Dementia Friends badge.

All Barcan+Kirby staff have embraced the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friends initiative, with it being included in the induction process, and both literature and our new Bedminster office designed to be dementia friendly.

The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes is a five-part series and airs in March 2019.