Summary
Chef Carrington believes no resident should receive a lesser version of a meal. That commitment, along with nearly 30 years of service at Atria Darien, recently earned him Atria’s FLAME Award.
At Atria Darien in Connecticut, the lamb chops are well-known and beloved by residents. And so is the chef behind them.
Chef Carrington P., who has been cooking for the community for nearly 29 years, is the Director of Culinary Services for Atria Darien.
This year, he received the FLAME Award, Atria Senior Living’s culinary excellence honor. Chef Carrington is not someone who chases recognition. When he learned he’d won, his reaction was characteristically modest.
“It really is an honor. At the same time, I’m not someone who loves the spotlight. I just do what I do,” he says.
What he does, it turns out, is extraordinary.
What is the food like at Atria Senior Living communities?
Chef Carrington grew up in the Caribbean countryside, cooking beside his grandmother as a child. That early passion eventually shaped a career in senior living dining that has now spanned nearly three decades at Atria Darien.
With a laugh, he says he was “a chubby kid” who was always in the kitchen, tasting and learning. That love of food followed him to the United States in 1981, where a chance encounter led to a position in a country club kitchen on Long Island.
In the years that followed, he learned from accomplished chefs and mastered techniques rooted in German, French and Italian culinary traditions.
“I elected to work with many chefs and learn skills on the job,” he says.
The craft that hooked him from the start? Plate design.
“I love to design plates,” he says. “How do you take a few pieces of smoked salmon and make roses out of them, for example?”
Today, that eye for beauty and detail shows up in everything that leaves his kitchen.
“Plating is a visual art form, and I’m a very visual person,” Chef Carrington notes.
How do Atria chefs accommodate residents with dietary restrictions?
Whether a resident is vegan, vegetarian or managing celiac disease, Chef Carrington’s approach is the same: no one gets a lesser version of the meal.
“No one is left out, no matter their dietary restrictions,” the chef says.
In practice, that means gluten-free breadcrumbs for the chicken cutlet and an eggplant Parmesan created for vegan residents that’s on par with every other plate.
Some of the alternatives available for residents with dietary restrictions include:
- Gluten-free meals made with dedicated ingredients so residents with celiac disease can enjoy the same dishes as everyone else
- Vegan and vegetarian versions of main dishes plated with equal creativity and care
- Gluten-free pasta available as a regular menu item
What makes Atria Darien feel like home?
One story captures it perfectly.
A resident at Atria Darien was considering a move but stayed a full year longer than she initially planned because she knew what she’d be leaving behind. When she eventually moved, Chef Carrington was the one employee she came back to hug. She told him she knew she wouldn’t find the same level of personal attention he provides anywhere else.
Chef Carrington is very humble in his acceptance of that kind of praise. He describes himself as introverted, but the residents at Atria Darien know him well. And he knows all of them.
He remembers their favorite dishes and understands what makes them feel at home. A supervisor notes that he “speaks directly with all the residents, and he leaves them with a sense of calm.”
What is the FLAME Award and why is it important for Atria chefs?
The FLAME Award recognizes chefs who deliver exceptional dining experiences across Atria communities. Recipients are selected based on Customer Satisfaction Survey results and consistently strong scores for food quality, taste and presentation over time.
Chef Carrington has had incredibly high standards for his dishes since he began at the community nearly 29 years ago. In fact, he served the first breakfast ever prepared in the building.
Asked what the FLAME Award means to him, he keeps it simple.
“I really do appreciate the recognition. I just do my best to provide excellent food for our residents,” he says.
For the residents of Atria Darien, Chef Carrington’s quiet commitment is something they can rely on every day.
Come experience Atria for yourself
Chef Carrington’s story reflects what makes an Atria community feel like home: people who have been here for years, who know the residents and who bring genuine craft and care to their work every day.
If you’re exploring senior living in Connecticut for yourself or a family member, we invite you to visit Atria Darien, meet the team and taste the difference for yourself. You can also learn about other Atria senior living communities throughout Connecticut.
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