Date: 8 October 2015

The Whiddon Group Easton Park in Glenfield has been named NSW ‘Facility Catering Service of the Year’ at the 2015 Aged Care Hospitality Awards.

The award places Whiddon Easton Park as an industry leader in aged care catering services, with high levels of resident satisfaction.

With a dedicated team of more than 80 talented members including sous chefs and cooks, catering assistants and café and function wait staff, the Whiddon Easton Park team recognise that positive and enjoyable dining experiences are essential for resident’s fulfilment, wellbeing and general nutrition.

The team have worked to improve services and, in turn, resident satisfaction over the past 18 months.

These improved services include re-introducing ‘high risk’ culinary favourites by utilising an external food laboratory to test foods and processes. Foods such as pavlova and soft boiled eggs are now available to the residents and the kitchen following the lab results.

Similarly, new systems and processes have been implemented regarding allergen identification and improved servery operations through training and awareness for catering staff.

Residents’ dietary needs are addressed in a flexible and tailored way, with menus custom-made to meet our residents’ diverse range of cultural and dietary requirements. Some of these include vegetarian, vegan, Halal, gluten-free, salt-free, diabetic and texture-modified foods.

Easton Park’s residents also enjoy a ‘Dining with Dignity’ approach, with table service for all main meals, where waiters take orders to the kitchen and return with plated, personalised and garnished meals. In addition to this, the catering team have also continued to set tables with fine crockery and side dishes.

By removing the use of plastic utensils, which are commonly used in aged care, and replacing these with contemporary crockery and cutlery, white linen napkins and also removing clothing protectors worn by staff, we have successfully improved the dining experience, making it more home-like for residents.

Whiddon Easton Park’s Director Care Services, Muriel Dalmasso, is extremely please with the result, saying “The catering team at Whiddon Easton Park is very proud of this achievement and nomination. They work with passion every day to provide high quality, delicious meals for the 470 clients who live here,” she said.

“Food is such a big part of our lives, it provides a social and emotional connection that is so important to us all. It feels really nice to get it right and create exceptional impact through this medium.” she said.

Whiddon Easton Park will now progress to the National finals, with the winners being announced at the Gala Dinner to be held at the Pullman Melbourne on the Park on Friday October 30, 2015.