Chefs create ultimate dining experience Uniting AgeWell turned the heat up on its chefs, testing their skills with a unique MasterChef-style cook-off as part of a broad range of tactics designed to boost the overall dining experience for residents in aged care. Masterclass 2018 saw 24 chefs from across Victoria and Tasmania working in four teams of six to create the ultimate aged care dining experience at the PFD Food Services Tasmania Trade Show in Hobart in October. The teams had just 90 minutes to create a main course and dessert dish that adhered to the aged care dietary guidelines as well as a table setting for the judging panel that included three Uniting AgeWell residents. Doris Thackery, from Uniting AgeWell’s Mornington Community, Lillian Martin, said judging Masterclass 2018 was a “wonderful experience” and each dish was delicately presented. “The meals were delicious and they weren’t just thrown on a plate, they were presented really well,” she said. Blue team, which presented a pan fried salmon dish with roasted vegetables, beetroot and roasted capsicum sauce and lemon basil pesto, topped with crunchy sweet potato chips, followed by a raspberry and orange flan, was declared Masterclass 2018 winner. Uniting AgeWell CEO Andrew Kinnersly said Masterclass was among a range of initiatives the organisation introduced to enhance the quality of food at its residences and the overall dining experience for residents. 8 “This event is a great way to support our chefs to create tasty and nicely presented dishes that adhere to the aged care dietary guidelines, and take what they learned back to their kitchens for the benefit of residents,” he said. The organisation has held training days with top international and national chefs – including George Calombaris and Mark Baylis – and with food suppliers and manufacturers to keep chefs up-to-date with the best food available. Masterclass 2017 earned Uniting AgeWell an ACSA Victoria Aged Care Award for Innovation in Service or Design, which recognises a program, project or initiative that shows originality to improve the lives of older Australians. Uniting AgeWell would like to acknowledge the sponsors who made Masterclass 2018 possible: PFD Food Services, Tasmanian Hotel and Catering Supplies, Nestle, Rubbermaid, Fresh Cut, Map Coffee and Kraft Heinz.
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