North West Hospital and Health Service’s (NWHHS) Acting Hotel Services Manager, Maree Walduck, has been selected to take part in the prestigious Maggie Beer Foundation State and Territory Training Hub for Cooks and Chefs, a national program designed to enhance the quality, flavour and enjoyment of meals served in health and aged care settings.
Based at Cloncurry Hospital, Maree will undertake the training with the aim of sharing her learnings across the local kitchen team to inspire new ideas, build confidence, and ensure residents and patients enjoy nutritious and beautifully presented meals.
“I chose to participate in the training to enhance my culinary skills, with a particular emphasis on using fresh ingredients, improving presentation, fostering creativity, and engaging with diverse cultural and sensory experiences,” Maree said.
“Having both a full-time cook and a relief cook participating alongside me means we can learn together, strengthen teamwork and enhance communication in our kitchen.”
The Maggie Beer Foundation training brings together cooks and chefs from across Australia to champion excellence in food service and make mealtimes more enjoyable and dignified for older Australians.
“This opportunity will significantly enhance the meals and overall dining experience for our aged care residents and patients,” Maree said.
“There is this myth that hospital food is bland and unappetizing. By focusing on nutrition, presentation, and fresh seasonal ingredients, we can create meals that are not only healthy but also delicious and satisfying, enhancing the overall dining experience for patients.”
Known for her passion for fresh produce, Maree’s favourite dish to prepare is a roasted pumpkin and sage risotto, a recipe inspired by Maggie Beer herself.
“The combination of sweet roasted pumpkin and aromatic sage mixed with the creamy texture of the risotto creates a comforting and satisfying dish. It’s simple, seasonal and full of flavour, exactly what great food should be,” she said.
Maree said one of her goals through the training is to challenge the old perception that hospital and aged care food is unsavoury.
“With creativity, good ingredients and care, hospital food can be exciting, nutritious and deeply satisfying,” she said.