LIVERPOOL HOSPITAL CHEFS COOK UP TASTE TEST CHALLENGE WITH THE UK’S “BEST VEGGIE CURRY”
Liverpool hospital chefs who have scooped an ‘excellent’ rating for their food for five years in a row are challenging cooks across the country: “Try to beat our new veggie curry”.
The catering team at University Hospital Aintree came up with their new dish after staff attended courses run by The Vegetarian Society.
The new curry was tested at a special thank-you event for hospital volunteers before Christmas and was an instant hit. Now it’s been added to the menus for both patients and visitors.
Sandra Higgins, catering manager, said: “It’s unbelievable how many rave reviews we’ve had for the curry already. Patients and people who have helped the hospital through the year got sneak previews, but now we’ve added it to our main restaurant menu because of the feedback.
“We actually believe that it’s the best veggie curry in the country, and we’re happy to put that to the test. We’re confident that it can beat any other contenders in a taste test, and if anyone wants to try then we’d invite them to get in touch.”
The curry contains:
* Sweet potato
* Baby corn
* Mange tout
* Mushrooms
* Red peppers
Sandra added: “We’re keeping the ingredients of the sauce a closely guarded secret – only a handful of my staff know the actual recipe. It’s a very healthy dish, packed full of vitamins and we’re really grateful to the Vegetarian Society for helping us to develop such a great meal. This helps ensure that patients get tasty, nourishing food to keep their strength up and aid in their recovery from treatment.
“Our catering services have been given a rating of ‘excellent’ for the last five years running in independent assessments, and we’re confident that the new curry will help us keep up this great record.”
University Hospital Aintree is the first hospital in Merseyside to work with The Vegetarian Society in developing food for hospital menus.
Alex Connell, Principal Tutor for The Vegetarian Society, said: “It was a pleasure to work with University Hospital Aintree as part of the Vegetarian Society’s Food for All Hospital Catering Project. Providing quality, nutritionally balanced and delicious food at a vulnerable time can only help with the healing process.
“Aintree is the first hospital in Merseyside to take advantage of the training course offered by the Vegetarian Society’s Cordon Vert Cookery School. Sandra and her team at Aintree have been a delight to work with and we hope that other NHS trusts will follow the standard set by them. “
Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has received an ‘excellent’ rating for food quality in the last five Patient Environment Action Team ratings, which are published by the National Patient Safety Agency.
For more information about the award-winning catering team at University Hospital Aintree please contact Fin McNicol, Director of Communications, by email or on 07817 835138.
For more information about The Vegetarian Society please contact Su Taylor, Press Officer, by email or 0161 925 2012.
University Hospital Aintree serves a population of around 330,000 residents in the North Liverpool. South Sefton and Kirkby areas.
As a large teaching hospital, it provides a wide range of acute and non-acute specialties, and offers specialist services for a population of 1.5 million residents across the North West.