A group of care home residents at Harrogate Neighbours have been named the winners of Premier Foods’ ‘Unleash Your Imagination’ competition, after capturing the hearts of the judges with a magical tale of jelly.
Harrogate Neighbours is a not-for-profit charitable organisation providing care services to the elderly across North Yorkshire. The winning tale was masterminded by an imaginative group of 10 residents as part of their weekly ‘get togethers’. Inspired by the playful, wobbly nature of jelly depicted from their childhoods, the group created a fantastical tale that transported the judges into a magical world full of joy and wonder.
The story follows Angelica who, in search of jelly, finds herself transported into a wobbly wonderland of oversized food complete with a giant avocado, a colossal cucumber and an enormous bowl of jelly. A whimsical tale of love and adventure, it quickly captured the hearts of the judging panel with its nostalgia, emotional connection and creativity and expression.
A spokesperson from Harrogate Neighbours commented: “We are thrilled to have won this brilliant competition. Our residents had a great time creating this story, and it was wonderful to see them using their imaginations and memories to create such a special tale of adventure.”
The Unleash Your Imagination competition was fronted by head judge and ambassador James Clear, Hospitality Director at Aria Care. James said: “The story from Harrogate Neighbours was full of joy, humour and heart. Not only did it capture the magic and nostalgia of jelly, but it was also clear how much thought and imagination the group of residents poured into it. A huge congratulations to the whole team – they can now look forward to receiving their special prize.”
As the winning care home, Harrogate Neighbours will receive a special afternoon tea experience during Afternoon Tea Week 2025, hosted by Premier Foods. The celebration will feature a delicious spread of sweet and savoury treats, fun activities, and plenty of jelly.
Mariela Petkova, Channel Marketing Manager at Premier Foods Foodservice, added: “We launched Unleash Your Imagination to spark fun and adventure through some of the nation’s best loved dessert brands. The wonderful tale created by the residents at Harrogate Neighbours is a reminder of how something as simple as jelly can bring moments of joy, fun and laughter into care home settings. We’re proud to support meaningful moments like these through our beloved dessert brands such as McDougalls Jelly.”
Harrogate Neighbours’ winning entry in full:
It was a beautiful October day, and Angelica was feeling peckish. She thought a lovely bit of jelly would be just right. She knew that her boyfriend Angelo had made some jelly the day before, so she went to the fridge to get it. She opened the door, and a whooosing sound filled her ears. Before she knew it, Angelica was staring at an enormous brussel sprout. She looked around and saw a massive milk, an awesome avocado and a colossal cucumber. She had been sucked into the fridge! How on earth would she escape? Just then, she heard a muffled whistling. Angelo! His massive appetite meant he was never far from the fridge. He would save her! Angelica looked around and saw... the enormous bowl of jiggly jelly. Before she could over think it, she dived head first into the bowl. Surely Angelo would want some jelly and see her in the bowl. A whooosing noise filled Angelica's ears, and she saw, to her dismay, Angelo next to her in the bowl of jelly. Angelo looked around, turned to Angelica and said 'Looks like I'll need a bigger spoon!'
