Maggie Beer leads good food campaign for aged care residents

Earlier this year MasterChef matriarch Maggie Beer pledged her commitment to improving the quality of food consumed by elderly Australians in aged care homes.

The Maggie Beer Foundation (A Good Food Life for All) was launched in February, guided by the belief that every meal should bring comfort and pleasure.

The South Australian native has since selected three regional facilities in her home state to participate in a pilot program for the foundation, Abbeyfield Nursing Home, Mount Pleasant Aged Care Home and Allity Ridgehaven Residential Care Centre

To realise her mission, Beer has summoned a board of key exponents with expertise in a range of areas, from nutrition and dietetics to retail and consumer goods.

Currently in the collaborative phase, Beer will meet with her board on June 23 to devise an appropriate plan of action.

The facilities will then make changes to their food service in line with the recommendations set out by the board.

Allity Manager of Food Services Trevor Cook said it is going to be exciting to see the approach they select to improve food production in a high capacity facility like Ridgehaven.

“Ridgehaven is supplied by the Allity Central Production Kitchen in South Australia,” Mr Cook said.

“Maggie wanted a mixture of onsite and central production kitchens to undertake the trial.”

Mr Cook said Beer does not just want to improve the quality of food in aged care, but the enjoyment of meals overall.

“Things like the ambience of the restaurant and the presentation of the food are important too.

“Maggie is looking at the whole dining experience and what can be done to improve that.”

According to her mission statement, the ultimate aim of the foundation is to influence government policy on the improved delivery of food services.

The initial stages of research will be funded by donations, which can made online via The Maggie Beer Foundation (A Good Food Life for All) website.

Research collected by the South Australia projects will be used to inform practical guides, principles and procedures to be published and distributed on a national scale.

 “With help from so many committed people we can bring life-altering change to the well-being of the elderly by having access to food full of flavour and nutrients,” Beer writes.

“It should be everyone’s right to have good food and I believe that no one group of people need it more.”