Top chef for aged care
A chef who has cooked for the Royal family and alongside some of Australia’s best known chefs has been appointed executive chef and food ambassador to a large aged care provider.
Fresh from a five year stint as Head Chef at the Art Gallery of NSW, Peter Morgan-Jones has taken up the new role with HammondCare.
He'll now be managing the menus for over 2000 aged care residents and clients across nearly 20 sites.
Peter’s appointment began with encouragement from
celebrity chef and Senior Australian of the Year 2010, Maggie Beer.
Dr Stephen Judd, chief executive of HammondCare, says Maggie took its food to another level when she presented a Forbidden Fruits reception at the aged care provider's annual conference last year.
“Maggie has said that she’d rather die than eat the food offered in some aged care facilities, but was glad there were exceptions,” says Dr Judd said.
“We have been determined to be one of those exceptions and Peter’s appointment is another step in that process.”
Peter Morgan-Jones’ list of culinary highlights includes catering for Buckingham Palace garden parties with 8000 guests, managing 120 chef’s on-site for the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, and working in some of Sydney’s most iconic restaurants.
His CV includes Gay Bilson’s Berowra Water’s Inn, Bennelong at the Opera House, the three-hat MG Garage with Janni Kyritsis... as well as his own one-hat Clock Hotel Restaurant.
He has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Matt Moran, Neil Perry, Luke Mangan, and Mark Best, and has taught cooking techniques to several Masterchef contestants who spent weekends in the Art Gallery kitchen.
Now Peter Morgan-Jones has embraced the opportunity to bring to the aged care sector his vast restaurant experience along with his love of “unadulterated” food where “the flavours do the talking” and fresh, seasonal and sustainable produce.
“I’ve worked in restaurants and hotels and have been able to share the joy of a pleasurable meal but what sold me on this new role is the care factor,” says Peter.
“To be able to use my food knowledge and love of cooking to improve the quality of life of older people is an amazing opportunity. It will be great to be able to give something back.
“I’m looking forward to working with HammondCare to implement change in the food philosophy of aged care. I’m hoping my work here will be a catalyst for change across the sector.”
Chef Morgan-Jones will be “hands on”, cooking with staff and residents in two central kitchens and up to 29 domestic-sized cottage kitchens.
He brings expertise in sourcing, managing and technique, and is looking forward to “learning as much as I can about the needs of aged care and residents with dementia and how to improve their lives through food.”
HammondCare’s won the 2010 International Dementia Excellence Award for Pleasure in Eating as well Dr Judd’s challenge to the over-regulation of food delivery in aged care.
He famously publicised the official, palette-numbing food safety requirement that in aged care facilities, eggs should be poached for 17 minutes at 62 degrees.
“That’s not a poached egg; that’s kiln-fired organic pottery," he said.
As for Peter Morgan-Jones, when not cooking in an award-winning restaurant or being an aged care food ambassador, he’s just as likely to be at home with family, cracking a few free range eggs, adding tomato and ham, and whipping up a Sunday night omelette.
Established in the 1930s, HammondCare today is an independent Christian charity specialising in dementia care, palliative care, rehabilitation, older persons' mental health and other health and aged services.
HammondCare has a particular commitment to dementia care and research as well as to people who are financially disadvantaged. |