The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo tucked into a plate of Shepherd’s Pie prepared at the GHA’s new catering facility - built to provide fresh hot meals to hospital patients.

Earlier today, at the official opening for the catering facility, Mr Picardo proclaimed the food to be excellent.

Together with the Minister for Health Dr John Cortes, Mr Picardo was given a tour of the kitchen facility by Associate Catering Director Duncan Cerisola. They were also able to see how the meals are prepared, plated and served to patients in the hospital wards, and given the opportunity to taste the food themselves.

While unveiling the plaque, Mr Picardo said this facility has been four years in the making, with the former site at North Mole now otherwise being used.

Mr Picardo said: “We have done it, it’s here, it’s closer to the patients, it’s where it needs to be, and so it gives me great pleasure to open up this facility.

The previous catering facility at North Mole provided patients with meals already served in trays, but this newly-installed kitchen gives patients a choice of foods to select from, as well as warm food served on the premises.

It’s been less than two weeks since the facility first started providing meals for patients, and already the feedback has been positive from nursing and kitchen staff, and patients alike.

Senior Cook Eddie Yome and Deputy Director For Corporate Services Evelyn Cervan say the hospital has gone back to serving meals the way they were served at the old St Bernard’s Hospital. They said patients are really enjoying their meals, served on plates and with proper cutlery, and some have even been asking for seconds.

With the more popular dishes such as fresh tuna, paella, and rollitos, they have been touched to see the food being so well-received. Patients are also given the option to ask for sandwiches or omelettes which can be easily prepared and served to them within minutes. 

Mr Yome adds: “We had patients who were not eating before, sometimes for weeks on end, and they are now eating and asking for more. We suffered the consequences of a system that was imposed on us. People didn’t like the smell of the food when it was delivered via the trolley system, and because they were in hospital they were less likely to want to eat.

“I can’t describe what it’s been like since this system started. It’s incredible to see how much patients are enjoying this, especially after the amount of effort you put into the meals.”

Ms Cervan adds that it is fantastic to see a situation where patients who were previously not eating catering meals now eating fresh food. She said it gave the staff goose bumps to see how much patients were actually enjoying their meals.

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