arcare

How did you get started in the aged care industry and what attracted you to it?

Having been a chef for more than 15 years, it was always difficult to maintain a work-life balance with split shifts and weekend work. I was browsing chef availabilities and when I read the description, I realised this was an opportunity to stay in the career I loved but with a work-life balance, so I applied for the role and have never looked back.

Where have you worked previously?

Glass Dining and Lounge, Costa Cruise Lines, Yachts of Seaborne and Hotel Alpine.

What meals do the residents keep asking you to cook?

The three main ones are parmigiana, fish and chips, and braised steak and vegetables.

What is your funniest work story?

We discovered how to change the sounds on the combi oven. One day while I was busy the combi started to alert that it was finished and instead of going and opening the combi the other person was looking for a mobile phone. Now we all regularly change the sound. For example, we recently had the finishing time alert as a Christmas carol.

What was your best resident experience and why?

I always try to do daily rounds with the residents. At one point I had some time off and when I returned the residents were all so excited to see me back, approaching me to tell me how they are all so appreciative of my cooking. It is very rewarding to feel so valued.

What has been your biggest professional achievement in this role?

I have won several awards including the Arcare National Chef of the Year 2021.

Have you seen the industry change in your time?

Yes, around the quality, variety and consistency of food. Aged care has moved away from production kitchens. Now, experienced chefs are being hired at each venue to create not only nutritious food, but also great tasting, quality meals for their residents.

What do you enjoy outside the kitchen?

Travelling and spending time with friends and family.

What is your favourite recipe or product at the moment and why?

Edgell Bite-Sized Vegetables. Not only is this a nutritious product, but it is also very versatile. I can use the Edgell Bite-Sized mixes for a variety of dishes such as stir-fries, fried rice and soups, and I can also blitz them for minced and moist dishes.

What is the most important piece of kitchen equipment and why?

The dishwasher saves times and wages. If an oven is not working, I can work around it with another piece of equipment. However, should the dishwasher break, we would need to access the dishwashers in other areas of the facility, meaning a loss of time and money. Should a venue not have an additional dishwasher, it would need two extra staff members; one for washing and one more for sanitation.

What’s your secret to success?

Enjoy what you do and have fun doing it!

What products are you excited about currently and would also like to see in this space?

Edgell Bite-Sized coming out as individual vegetables rather than a mix. The mixes are fantastic, however, once the individual vegetables are available this would mean even more versatility, such as side-of-plate and more wet dishes.

Do you have any advice for chefs looking at aged care? Do it! You will not regret having a work-life balance. Not only do you get to enjoy your passion of cooking, but you also get a life outside of work.

What type of food trends are you seeing coming through now in residential facilities?

It varies on the site; my residents enjoy Asian influenced foods.

If you had any advice for your peer group for the next 6-12 months, what would that be?

Get to know your manufacturer sales representatives. Not only do you have a better understanding of supply constraints, which will allow you to have time to look at other alternatives, but you are also on the front foot for new products and promotions.

If you use social media for work inspiration, what things do you like to read or do you search for, and do you have any examples of how it’s helped you?

I don’t usually go online for work inspiration, as I prefer to experiment in-house. Experimenting in-house gives me the opportunity to work with the textures and flavours and get a better feeling for the product and its suitability.

When we have our resident food focus meeting, I like to make the dish per the Arcare recipe, but also do my own version of the recipe based on resident feedback, so I can offer the residents a variation suited to their taste. When I recreate a recipe, I share and retweet my variation of those recipes as this could be beneficial to other chefs.