New children’s menu launched at Southend Hospital
25 February 2017
Health Care
A new child-friendly menu is proving to be a big hit with young patients and their families after being introduced at Neptune Children’s Ward.
The Greenacre Garden Menu has been launched by Medirest, the
leading provider of catering and soft services to the NHS, to meet
the specific requirements of young patients and their families to
make meal-times more fun!
The menu offers a diverse range of child-friendly food alongside
educational tray puzzles to entertain and educate young patients.
Menu options include popular meals alongside snacks, sandwiches,
soups and drinks. Options range from jacket potatoes with fillings
to minced lamb hotpot, beef lasagne and tomato and cheese pasta.
Additional items include salad snack pots, garlic bread and a
vegetable medley.
One patient who has already given the new menu the thumbs up is
Ellise Warner, 14, from Benfleet. She said: "The food is really
tasty, there is a nice variety."
A new interactive tray-mat also provides a range of great
activities for varying age groups. This includes Sudoku puzzles,
anagrams, a healthy eating crossword as well as word search, join
the dots and spot the difference.
Ramune Jackauskiene, Patient Dining Manager from Medirest, the
catering firm at the hospital, said: "Choice and flexibility is key
and this menu is about providing fun and healthy food that children
like and enjoy. With a wide choice of hot and cold offers we've got
something for everyone.
Sophie Dudley, Paediatric Assessment Unit Manager, added: "We
are thrilled that the new Greenacre Garden Menu has been launched
in our Neptune Ward. There is a wide variety of healthy choices
that young patients find appealing. The feedback has already been
very positive."
Maxine Cartz, Dietitian for Medirest, said, "Our Greenacre
Garden brand is tailored to young children and teenagers meaning
that patients of all ages can look forward to mealtimes - choosing
their favourite homely, nutritious meals from a large menu."
The Greenacre Garden offer focuses on the needs of children some
of which is cooked using Medirest's Steamplicity technology, an
exclusive and unique cooking system which steam cooks fresh food,
ensuring all the taste and vitality is maximised to deliver high
quality, nutritious meals.