Meal service key part to supporting Southland kaumatua

Hearty and affordable take-home meals will soon be on the menu again for vulnerable members of the community courtesy of Enliven Southland.

Enliven Southland is reestablishing its frozen meal service halted during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to a Stewart Family Charitable Trust grant towards the purchase of a blast chiller.  The chiller, which can hold 50-60 meals at a time, cools product down faster than a normal fridge and freezes food without the risk of contamination.

“It is a real asset, and we wouldn’t have it without our funders,” Enliven Southland food services manager Rochelle Copeland said.

As part of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) regulations around safe food handling practices, businesses are required to cool certain foods rapidly to prevent contamination.  A blast chiller is one method recommended.

“The people we are hoping to help within the community are vulnerable so we need to ensure our food is as safe as possible, and using this piece of equipment gives me the confidence we can provide not only delicious and nutritious meals, but also safe meals,” Rochelle said.

The general public will be able to purchase the frozen meals from Peacehaven Village’s Elms Café.  The range of hearty, home-cooked favourites will include roasts, casseroles, stews and soups.  Depending on demand and feedback, this could be tailored in the future and the offering extended.  The meals are expected to cost around $6 for soups and $9 for main meals.

“We know there is demand for affordable, nutritious and delicious meals, not just for kaumatua, but for people from all walks of life.

“Enliven Southland has always had a really good reputation for good quality, home-cooked meals, so I’m very confident people will really enjoy them.”

Enliven Southland supported living and community services manager Juliana Baxter said as a charitable trust Enliven Southland was actively looking for ways to provide support services and enhance the quality of life for others in the community.

“In particular, we are working towards being able to provide a holistic model of support around the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of our kaumatua.

“We see providing affordable, nutritious meals is a key part of supporting the physical well-being of our kaumatua and our wider community as a whole.”

It was anticipated the frozen meal service would be up and running within the next two to three months.

If there was sufficient demand, Enliven Southland would consider making the meals available for purchase at its other facilities in the future.