Compass Group New Zealand Operations Director Sean Conroy said the Christmas Day menu features a festive theme designed to provide anyone in hospital over this time with a sense of being at home.
“The festive season is a special time and we know it must be difficult for people staying in hospital to be away from their home, whānau and friends at this time of year,” he said.
“That’s why our team has put a great deal of thought into creating a menu for patients that will taste and feel like what they might expect to get at home.”
For Christmas Day lunch, patients will have the choice of cooked ham with cranberry sauce and gravy, roast chicken breast with stuffing and gravy, or a spinach and feta filo parcel. These will all be served with roast or mashed potato, roast pumpkin and garden peas.
For pudding, the choices are plum pudding with custard, chocolate mint mousse with cream, or fruit salad and ice cream.
The evening meal will be either a chicken salad plate, ham and mustard sandwich, or vegetable cannelloni with a side salad. Breads and spreads will also be served. Dessert will be a tropical coconut mango cream creation.
Depending on patient numbers, Compass are likely to serve at each mealtime around 100 meals at Whanganui Hospital, 200 at Palmerston North Hospital and 20 at Horowhenua Health Centre.
In addition to the meals provided at the local hospitals, Compass will also prepare the same Christmas lunch for the Meals on Wheels receipients. This includes approximately 120 residents from Palmerston North, 30 from Whanganui and 50 from within the rural community.