Good food is an important part of daily life at Southern Cross Care WA. Meals should be nourishing, enjoyable and full of familiar tastes that help people feel comfortable and cared for.
To keep improving this experience, we came together in the kitchen for a special cultural cook-off.
Each team cooked a dish inspired by a different culture, including New Zealand, Brazil, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Italy, America and India.
“This day was designed to build our chefs’ skills in a practical, engaging way. We began with training on texture-modified meals, nutrition, and how to make the best use of key ingredients and products for the people in our care. This is the second time we have run the program,” Hospitality Services Manager John Rabone explained.
The day was about more than cooking. It was a chance for our chefs to learn from each other, try new flavours and better understand the food preferences and traditions that are important to the people in our care.
The cook-off then gave chefs the chance to put the learning into action. Working alongside executives and senior managers, the teams also helped everyone better understand the skill, time and pressure involved in preparing high-quality meals every day.
Each team received a mystery box of ingredients and was asked to create dishes inspired by a country different from their own background. The chefs guided their teams, while the teams prepared a morning tea, entrée and dessert, including textured dessert options.
“It was a busy and enjoyable challenge, with only 90 minutes to prepare dishes that celebrated culture, taste and good nutrition,” John said.
Southern Cross Care WA consumers were the final judges. They tasted each dish, shared their feedback and were impressed by the quality, creativity and teamwork on display.
“I’d like to thank everyone who helped make the day such a success, especially our sponsors and training partners.
“Thank you to Djinda Produce, an Aboriginal-owned Western Australian supplier, for providing fresh, high-quality ingredients that brought flavour to the dishes.
“Thank you also to Unilever Food Solutions for delivering a valuable training session on how our chefs can get the most from everyday products and new ingredients for aged care menus.
“We also thank Flavour Creations for showing how Shape It products can help prepare texture-modified meals that support different needs.
“Nutrition is central to good care, and we are grateful to Eat Well Nutrition for sharing nutrition advice to help ensure meals are both tasty and nourishing.
“We were also pleased to complete the training and competition at the Australian Professional Skills Institute, which provided high-quality training facilities.” John said.
Congratulations to everyone who took part, and a big well done to Team Philippines who won the challenge, judged by our consumers.
Feel inspired to try out one of the recipes? Check out this Djinda and SCCWA inspired recipe at home.
