Fine result for rest-home chef

Hawke's Bay's Deborah Dillon on her way to second place in a national cuisine competition. Photo / Supplied

When it comes to dining, the residents at the Atawhai Village and Rest Home in Taradale are in very good hands.

Deborah Dillon, the executive chef at the Oceania Healthcare-operated centre, this month walked away with second place at the inaugural Senior Lifestyle Cuisines Competition staged in Auckland.

The competition brought together 16 chefs who work in aged care from around the country to compete at the event, which was staged at the ASB Showgrounds during the New Zealand Chefs National Salon.

It was a fine win for Ms Dillon considering she had never cooked in a competition environment before and she was thrilled to take the runner-up spot.

She said her success was based on both the importance of good food and the social interaction that flourished from it.

This year she began staging "fine-dining nights" at Atawhai, which featured gourmet entrees such as blue vein cheesecake with beetroot chutney and walnut and tempting mains such as crispy confit of pork belly with pinot noir and chorizo sausage.

"Fine-dining nights are a real highlight for our residents and it's so satisfying to see them enjoying each others' company over a special meal", Ms Dillon said.

The competitors had 75 minutes to prepare and serve six covers of a main dish to the judges.

The dishes were judged based on presentation, taste and texture, control of the cooking process, professional practice and preparation. At the end the overall scores were all close. Atawhai has also been named as one of three finalists in the Bidvest Excellence in Food Award for Care Homes and Hospitals.

The winners will be announced at the New Zealand Aged Care Association Conference Gala Dinner on September 9.