Focus on food quality in our homes

Fresh Fields Hospitality Services Operations Manager Kevin Fitzgerald.

Family members of residents got a behind-the-scenes look into the food we serve in our homes in 2016, with tastings sessions organised by our catering division, Fresh Fields Hospitality Services.

Based in Carlisle, in Perth’s east, Fresh Fields also provides laundry services for the 13 homes in the metropolitan area. Fresh Fields Operations Manager Kevin Fitzgerald said he wanted to give family members a chance to try the types of meals served in our homes.

“Holding the Chef’s Table events in the home, or at our facility in Carlisle means family members can give us feedback on the food we provide in our Perth homes,” he said. “Whether it’s roast beef, chicken, fish or one of our vegetarian meals, we make sure we use quality ingredients to make it both healthy and tasty.”

Serving meals at the Chef's Table events, held at the Carlisle facility.

The team at Fresh Fields work hard to make meals for almost 800 residents every day.
“The day kicks off at 3am at Fresh Fields, where we start cooking things like soup so they’re ready to be batched out at 5am when the rest of the kitchen team arrives,” he said.

“When you’re cooking 200 litres of soup at a time, you have to be organised so everything runs according to schedule. After it’s cooked, the chef will puree it and put it into a blast chiller set to -20 degrees, so it’s ready to be packed up and sent to our homes.”

Fresh Fields provide a selection of meal options that vary every week, as well as offering alternative options and catering for dietary requirements such as vegetarian or culturally specific meals. There are also special theme days, with things like turkey and pudding making it onto the menu for Christmas. Staff in our homes work with Hall & Prior’s speech pathologists and dietitians to ensure the meals we provide each day fill residents’ nutritional needs.

Together these teams regularly visit each home and assess how residents are eating and drinking. They then make recommendations on whether a modified diet, such as a softer textured food, is required.

Fresh Fields has provided laundry and catering services to our Perth homes since 2002. It is a key part of Hall & Prior’s operations and a major factor in maintaining the health and lifestyles of those we care for in our homes.

Examples of the different textures of Fresh Fields' meals, depending on the resident's needs.