A very merry Ryman Christmas

When delightful Christmas fare is served up to Ryman Healthcare residents, the food will not only fill a gap but also help bring those wonderful festive emotions to the fore.

variety of delicious dishes and offerings are planned by the Ryman food team this year. Ryman chefs and their kitchen teams will serve up three-course Christmas meals, platters and hampers, in the lead up to and on the big day.

Chefs and the kitchen crew are always trying to provide that extra zing to the tastebuds, particularly in the wonderful summer months when fresh ingredients are plentiful.

Food Services Training & Development Chef Matt Orr said the Christmas meals fall within the seasonal menus, that help guide the chefs in all the Ryman villages. There are winter, spring and summer menus, but there is also a ‘harvest’ menu for the autumn period.

Traditional roasts are always a favourite amongst Ryman residents. So, the kitchen teams will make sure whole meat and vegetable dishes regularly make their way onto dining room tables within Ryman’s 44 villages, spread across New Zealand and Australia.

Comfort meals such as beef, lamb, and fish pie, usually remain staples of the menus no matter the season. The menus help ensure consistency in the quality of both meal preparation and plating up the cooked food to be presented to residents. The chefs get photos of prepared meals, as a plating guide, Orr said.

There have also been recent additions to Ryman’s main menu. Partly to address the diversity of Auckland’s population, an extra vegetarian meal has been added in, alongside the protein (meat-based) meals offered.

“So in fact, if you’re a flexitarian, you’ve got four choices; two vegetarian, two meat… We’ve added in the curry and spicy food.

“Having the variety is great. But we’ve also tried to ‘up the game’ and improve the meals, so residents get a better dining experience – which has been received really well.”

For Christmas and the festive season, Ryman has created a special village-wide menu.

“We’ve got an entrée, a main and a dessert, and we’ve got a vegetarian option as well.”

Because of COVID-19 precautions, the independent residents are going to be presented with Christmas baskets full of treats.

“Basically, everyone in the village will get a nice festive meal.”

Marko Meingassner is one of Ryman’s longerserving chefs and has been serving up at Charles Upham Retirement Village since the Rangiora village opened in 2016. Recently, Meingassner helped pave the way for a beehive to be placed on the village grounds.

The honey has been part of residents’ meals during fine dining experiences.

Staff won’t miss out and for their Christmas meal, and in the lead-up to December 25, will get to sit down together, relax and choose from platters of carved ham, summer vegetables, cheese, salads and rolls.

Chef Tim Garlick, from Jane Mander village in Whangarei, says in the five years of working for Ryman the Christmas meals and festivities have always been a big focus for the team. The traditional lunches would involve different parts of the village including the care centre and serviced apartments, with an evening meal for the independent residents.

The Ryman food team includes Young Achiever of the Year Ryman Award winner Millie Fraser.

Fraser cooks at Diana Isaac village and she’s proud of both the team members she is surrounded by, and the food they plate up. Given she is on an afternoon and evening shift Fraser said she prepares bar food for residents.

“We do nachos, seafood baskets, pizzas and chicken nibbles… and it’s a lot of fun doing the fine dining and events like that.”

Media advisory: For more information, photos, interviews or comment please contact Ryman Healthcare Corporate Affairs Manager David King on 021 499 602 or Communications Advisor Alan Wood on 027 225 0268. About Ryman Healthcare: Ryman was founded in 1984 and has become one of New Zealand’s largest listed companies. The company owns 43 villages and serves over 12,750 residents in New Zealand and Australia. Each village offers a combination of retirement living and aged care. Ryman Healthcare employs more than 6,300 staff.