KELASTON chef Lee Littlepage wants to ensure the aged care residents she cooks for have a dining experience each meal. So she is going to learn from one of Australia’s best.
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Ms Littlepage has been accepted into Maggie Beer’s Creating an Appetite for Life education program, which teaches and inspires aged care cooks with new methods for delivering healthy and tasty meals to residents. This includes the importance of presentation and aroma.
Maggie Beer is a strong campaigner for good food for enhanced well-being in aged care. Under the Maggie Beer Foundation, she has been working with passionate aged care cooks the past two years to challenge their limitations and share positive ideas to improve food flavour, nutrition and experience in Australian aged care.
Ms Littlepage has already been gradually implementing changes in presentation and taste at Kelaston Residential Care in Wendouree. In her two months at Kelaston, Ms Littlepage’s food has been well-received.
She could hardly wait to learn more.
“I’m new to aged care cooking, my backgrounds is in restaurants, but I like Maggie Beer and what she does,” Ms Littlepage said.
“Cooking specifically for aged care is really different...it’s about this generation and the style of food they like to eat and moving forward, the next generation will be different again. It’s about knowing who your audience is and how to make it special for them.”
Inspired by her father, a cook on a cattle station, Ms Littlepage has been in the restaurant industry for more than 30 years. She loved growing up and seeing the passion and creativity her father put into each meal.
Kelaston facility manager Kristine Gerdtz said so much revolved around meals for residents – breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper – and Ms Littlepage had already made a great impression.
“Lee’s been so fantastic in her passion and pride in her meals. Everything she makes is appealing,” Ms Gerdtz said. “Cooking for aged care is about understanding taste buds aren’t usually as strong for the elderly and sometimes food needs a little spicing up. Lee has to cater to all different textures and diets but seems to make them all look amazing.”
Ms Littlepage plans to use her learnings from the program and Kelaston to help other facilities in Aged Care Services Australia Group.
