New source for Meals on Wheels

A selection of Compass’  meals on wheels food was tasted by The Star in February.  Since then...
A selection of Compass’ meals on wheels food was tasted by The Star in February. Since then five dishes have been removed and changes have been made to some vegetables.
Sausages and scalloped potatoes will be off the menu when the Compass Group overhauls the  Meals on Wheels service next month.

Compass has got a new provider to replace airline food company LSG Sky Chefs, of Auckland.

The meals, trucked to the South since January, were unpopular and caused a public outcry.

The new provider has not been named.

There are now 69 Dunedin recipients, compared with 210 when the frozen meals were introduced.

The new menu starts in Dunedin and in Invercargill on November 28.

The food will still be reheated frozen meals.

The menu will feature more seasonal vegetables and traditional choices such as cottage pie, savoury mince, and beef casserole, Compass said in a statement.

There would be more roast and mashed potatoes and these would be "prepared according to a new and improved recipe".

Roast chicken, beef, and pork  would be kept, alongside a new roast lamb meal.

"Sausages and scalloped potato ... are less popular. Sausages will no longer feature on the menu and scalloped potato will be replaced with mashed or roast potato.

"A key improvement of the new meals is serving them in sealed plastic containers. These ... hold the temperature of the meal well, while being cooler to handle on the outside."

Compass did not respond to a question about why it had changed its provider.

When contacted about the overhaul, Compass asked the Otago Daily Times not to publish a story until next week, when a tasting session would be held with interested parties.

When this was declined, Compass said it was disappointed, but would provide some comment "in the interests of getting accurate information across to your readers".

"The new menu has been developed based on popular meal choices and feedback from recipients. We are confident the menu will offer enhanced quality and taste, and will be enjoyed by our recipients," the company said.

Last month, Grey Power Otago president Jo Millar told the Southern District Health Board commissioner team that many older people bought frozen meals at the supermarket and could not afford a more expensive hot meal option like the Home of St Barnabas service.

Hospital meals are unaffected.

They are not sourced from a single provider like LSG Sky Chefs, and are a mix of frozen, chilled, pre-packaged and fresh food.

The Government initiated the outsourcing deal as a cost-saving move for the entire sector, but it did not go to plan and only six DHBs agreed to the deal. 

The ODT revealed last month that estimated savings from the deal had been slashed. It is unclear what the cost savings will be for the SDHB.

eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz

Comments

1. If I lost 2/3rds of a customer base my contract would be canceled
2. "A key improvement of the new meals is serving them in sealed plastic containers. These ... hold the temperature of the meal well, while being cooler to handle on the outside." - That half the problem right there , cooked , frozen then heated means people can't store, heat and eat later. It means they have to eat when delivered not when they want to eat , eat it cold (which defeats the purpose) or risk reheating again. Not to mention some like to split the meal over multiple sittings.

3. ""The new menu has been developed based on popular meal choices and feedback from recipients. We are confident the menu will offer enhanced quality and taste, and will be enjoyed by our recipients," the company said." - Same tripe they have spouted from day 1 and we are still waiting. We were promised equal or better to what we had , still not even close.

We slowly get informed of the facts.
SDHB will get a minuscule cost saving over the years of this deal.
Compass are making money from the meals.
Their subcontractor will make money.
All this profit and "savings" has to come from the cost to make the meals.
The only losers are the poor saps who have to eat the meals.

The fly-in spongers running the SDHB could do one positive thing while lining their own pockets. Get rid of this contract.

 

Advertisement