Calling All Chefs!

As part of Cater Care’s response to the COVID-19 situation, several office employees were given the opportunity to redeploy into the operational side of the business.

Julian Tregellis, our Senior Training Coordinator, gladly took this opportunity and redeployed as a Chef at two of our urban NSW Aged Care sites: Uniting Edinglassie Village in Emu Plains, and CBCS Carinya House in Glenhaven. We asked Julian what it was like to get back ‘on the tools’.

What was it like going back to being a Chef on site?

I really enjoyed it, but it’s easy to forget how physical it can be. For
the first few days I was exhausted after my shifts, but that got better as
the week progressed. It served as a reminder that we are a 24/7 and 365
days a year operation, and that so many vulnerable people rely on us for every meal.

What did you enjoy most about going back to site as a Chef?

Firstly, it is always rewarding to provide meals that residents enjoy. It is one of the biggest highlights of their day, especially when they aren’t allowed to have any visitors due to the current isolation. Secondly, I liked being a part of the team at site and getting to know some of our site employees better. It reminds me just how much of a great team we have at Cater Care.

Were there any challenges you faced during this time?

Definitely! I think the most challenging thing is getting meal after meal prepared on time. As soon as breakfast is served, it’s not long until morning tea, then lunch and so on. I found it useful to take a few minutes at the end of each day to look at the next day’s menu and write a to-do list. This allowed me to then set some goals – not just for cooking but also for ordering, cleaning and packing deliveries away. It helped me with my prioritisation and time management.

Julian would like to thank all of the Cater Care employees at both Edinglassie Village and Carinya House for their support and assistance in showing him ‘the ropes’ at site and ensuring that all residents’ needs were met.