The glorious backdrop of Admiralty House in Sydney’s Kirribilli last month played host to an event celebrating aged care cooks and chefs.

The November 18 proceedings opened with speeches from Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General for Australia and Patron of the Maggie Beer Foundation, and Maggie Beer herself.

These were followed by a panel of aged care chefs Sue Beeforth (Cooinda, Coonabarabran), Achmed Abdullah (Charles Chambers Court, Sydney) and Rachel Knight (Maggie Beer Foundation Trainer Mentor Chef), who described the difference they make to the lives of older people through food.

Refreshments were prepared by the Governor General’s Executive Chef Jane Booth, who worked with guest chefs Rachel Knight, Skye Huong (Howard Solomon, WA) and Brad Forbes (Heywood Health, Victoria). They put on a spread using the Maggie Beer Foundation’s aged care recipe library, demonstrating that what is fit for an aged care home is also perfect for Admiralty House.

Guests were welcomed with either a Lemon Myrtle Spritz or a Sticky Date Pudding Smoothie, and afternoon tea including Chocolate Buttermilk Muffins, Mushroom and Lentil Sausage Rolls and Ham and Caramelised Onion Swirls.

Attendees were drawn from aged care leaders, consumer groups, government, clinicians, regulators, skills councils, donors and peak bodies. Guests also included chefs from aged care homes across Australia.

Hospitality in Healthcare was represented by Paul Constable, Food Services Manager at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney, who told us “The food was amazing and the session with chefs sharing their learnings of the program was also very good.”

Paul added, “The Governor General’s speech touched on the personal experiences of herself and her husband – both have a parent in aged care at the moment – as well as the Maggie Beer Foundation’s education programs, online leaning modules and resources and recipes they have developed.”

Established in 2014 as a not-for-profit working to support access to good food for all older Australians, the Maggie Beer Foundation provides training to aged care homes and engages in advocacy and policy contributions to create specialist accredited training for chefs working in aged care, along with a recent focus on older people living in the community through the HomePlate Project.

“Delivering great food to every single resident every single day in every single aged care home is not achieved by a single strategy or a single group or organisation,” said Maggie Beer Foundation CEO Jane Mussared.

“We were thrilled to be able to pay tribute to many of the people who have walked with us for more than 10 years. Their leadership will be so important if food in aged care is able to deliver on its potential for purpose, value, worth, excitement, nutrition, companionship and joy for every single older Australian.”