Under new Food for Thought focus groups, Goodwin aged care residents are taste-testing proposed seasonal menus in an effort to make sure they are getting the food they love.
Residential care menus at Goodwin are changed seasonally, with a four-week rotation within each season to ensure variety.
The first focus groups were held this March to invite residents to taste test the proposed Autumn/Winter menu, developed in conjunction with our in-house dietician and head chef.
“At all times menus are designed placing importance on protein and nutrient intake combined with great tastes and residents’ favourite dishes”, says Robyn Boyd, Goodwin’s Manager of Residential Care.
“We want every aspect of the residents’ dining experience to be great so we are surveying the residents on what they love to eat, how the presentation of the food is, what the dining room atmosphere is like, how they rate the staff service, the temperature of the food and any other comments or suggestions we are open to implementing to improve all aspects of our dining experience”, says Robyn.
“Goodwin is lucky to have an internationally trained and acclaimed head chef, Sandeep Vaid, who mentors the other chefs and brings his Swiss hotel management training and international award-winning skills to his preparation of residents’ food”, says Robyn.
Residents sampled four main courses. The biggest hit was the 8-hour, slow-cooked lamb shanks in red wine jus, served on a bed of polenta with minted peas. Resident Larry Larmour called it “the best meat I’ve ever had” while another resident, Faye Gardner, said, “It was so tender, it completely fell apart in my mouth”.
The other sample main courses were lamb chops marinated in red wine jus with mashed potato and parsley sprinkles; filo pastry with chicken and porcini mushrooms in a béchamel sauce; and fish pie with prawns, calamari, and winter vegetables. Desserts were sticky date pudding, chocolate pudding, and French crepes with berry compote and orange syrup. According to resident Gwen Salmon, “the crepes were divine”.