John Lewis Partnership

A seat at the table: Feeling at home with the John Lewis Partnership

The John Lewis Partnership is made up of two brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. As a Fostering Friendly employer, the organisation understands that "home" is more than just a place; it’s the warmth, comfort, and stability we create for one another.

Fostering is often found in the small, everyday moments. We believe that having a seat at the table is one of the first steps toward feeling truly at home, which is why we’re working with the John Lewis Partnership to celebrate the power of a shared meal.

To support this, we’ve highlighted some Waitrose recipes below that are perfect for foster and kinship families, focusing on nutritious, uncomplicated food for the whole family to enjoy.

Whether you’re cooking together on a rainy afternoon or need a quick meal after a busy day, here is a selection of favourites from Waitrose Nutritionists. 

They are about more than just food; they are a way to bond in the kitchen and create those "kitchen-table memories" that help a child feel safe and settled. It’s all about simple food and a welcoming home, letting you focus on what really matters: your time together.

Cooking

Win a £50 Waitrose voucher 

To help you get started in the kitchen, we have £50 Waitrose vouchers to give away to five lucky winners. It’s the perfect excuse to pick out a new recipe and enjoy some quality time around the dinner table. 

To enter, simply post a comment saying #ThisIsFostering underneath our Facebook post going live on Sunday 17 May!

Full terms and conditions below.

Recipes

All the recipes selected below provide at least 1 of your 5 A Day and the total prep and cooking time is less than 1 hour. 

Many of these recipes contain beans - adding more beans to our plates is one of the best ways to improve diets, add more plant variety and boost fibre, protein, 5 a day and micronutrient content of dishes. It’s also cheap to buy and easy to cook with - it can make dishes go a lot further too, which is useful in busy households or for batch cooking.

Tuscan sausage and white bean stew

This Tuscan bean stew is a quintessential one-pot winter meal. The beans will fill you up and are a great source of protein and fibre. You can easily leave out the sausage and use vegetable stock to make it veggie, too.

Chipotle sweet potato chilli

A hearty vegan chilli that’s delicious either with brown rice or piled into tacos with guacamole.

 

 

Speedy salmon fish cakes

These zesty fish cakes are made with canned pink salmon and ready-made mash, so they’re great value and quick to cook. You can also prepare and chill them in advance if that makes life easier.

Cheat’s pizzas with mushrooms & black olives

You don’t need a pizza oven to get that enviable crisp base - a simple ovenproof frying pan is all it takes. Better still, this recipe doesn’t involve waiting around for yeasted dough to rise. 

Chicken, butter bean & summer vegetable traybake

With just seven ingredients, this sunshiney roast is easy to shop for, prep and bake.

Hearty spring minestrone

The Italian classic pasta e ceci (pasta and chickpeas) meets minestrone in this big pan of good things. Ideal for supper, but also for lunch the next day.

Roasted squash & chickpea soup

A silky smooth store-cupboard option that works every time. You can use 500g butternut squash (peeled weight) instead of frozen – just roast until tender and golden.

 


 

Pea risotto with spinach

A quick and easy risotto recipe that's packed with flavour. The pea flavour brings a sweet freshness to the dish, which is complemented perfectly by the parmesan.

 


 

Mild chickpea, carrot & pepper curry

A gently spiced curry made with tender chickpeas, sweet carrots and peppers simmered in a rich, comforting sauce.

Sweet & spicy jackfruit tacos

If you don’t tell your family this isn’t meat, we’re almost certain they won’t guess. The soy and maple give the jackfruit an incredible texture – both soft and crisp at the edges.

 

 

Chilli lamb meatball bake

This simple weekday bake is on the table in 30 minutes.