Serving up a festive treat for Canterbury patients

If you thought planning and cooking a Christmas meal for the whānau was a big undertaking, spare a thought for Te Whatu Ora’s Canterbury WellFood team who are busy prepping for the more than 1000 Christmas meals they’ll be plating up for patients who find themselves in one of Canterbury’s hospitals on Christmas Day.

WellFood staff are also busy preparing ‘meals on wheels’ that will be served throughout the community on Christmas Day.

The Christmas menu across our hospitals is going to be a cracker.

For lunch at Christchurch Hospital, patients can choose from manuka smoked ham or a vegetable frittata, served with both potato and Greek salads with a dessert option of our classic pavlova with passionfruit and strawberry.

For dinner at Christchurch Hospital, patients can enjoy succulent roast chicken with stuffing and cranberry sauce served with new potatoes and steamed vegetables accompanied by steamed pudding with custard.

The Hillmorton campus Christmas lunch menu includes the options of glazed ham with mustard, roast chicken, or vegetarian strudel with baby carrots and peas and buttered potatoes and pavlova or fresh fruits for dessert. For dinner, patients can choose their own Christmas rolls with various filling options of assorted meats, falafel, and more.

“The festive season is a special time for many and it can be hard for patients and their families being in hospital and away from home on Christmas,” says Rachel Cadle, General Manager, Commercial Services.

“That’s why our teams across Canterbury work hard every year to create a very special menu for patients that will taste and feel just a little bit like home.”

Rachel Cadle says there will be around 70 staff working in the kitchens, as well as the catering assistants who take orders and serve the food in the hospital wards.

“The service we provide continues 365 days per year, without any let up in demand.”

“We haven’t forgotten the teams who will be working on Christmas Day either. Many of our hospital staff will be at work while their families are celebrating Christmas, so we have some special treats planned for them as well,” says Rachel Cadle.

ENDS