Chef tucks in to hospital’s menu

COOKING up a treat: (from left) healthcare assistant Emily Johnson, ward manager Ann Sutherland, James Martin, chef Christian Bull, catering services manager Stephen Lowe and healthcare assistant Sarah Winstanley

Praise for food on offer to young patients
CELEBRITY chef James Martin has praised an exciting new menu for children and young people receiving care and treatment at The Royal Oldham Hospital.

The chef, who presents BBC1 favourite “Saturday Kitchen”, is passionate about the quality and variety of food served to hospital patients - and works with hospitals to deliver nutritious food as part of TV show Operation Hospital Food.

The Royal Oldham Hospital’s catering staff was invited to take part in the show for the new series starting on Monday, and received a glowing report from the chef.

Hospital’s catering services manager Stephen Lowe said: “James spent time looking at our present catering service, met our chefs and visited our new children’s ward to see the changes we had already implemented.”

With James’s help, new menus were designed incorporating the foods children asked for.

Mr Lowe explained: “There are lots of interchangeable dishes which allow the children and their parents to make up their own meal. We basically want to give the children what they want.”

James Martin said: “I believe patients deserve healthy, nutritious meals while they’re at their most vulnerable. My dream is that eventually poor hospital food will be a thing of the past.”

“Operation Hospital Food” will be shown on BBC One at 9.15am for five days starting on Monday.