Food and meal services

The Monash Health Central Production Kitchen (MHCPK) embraces the Monash Health vision of exceptional care and outstanding outcomes in everything we do.

We specialise in preparing meals for people in a healthcare setting – whether they are recovering from illness or an operation, are a resident in a care-based facility, or even if they suffer from food allergies. Over more than 30 years, we have developed and fine-tuned a deep understanding of patient tastes, nutritional needs and more recently, cultural, religious and clinical requirements in their meals.

We understand the need for variety, for excellence in delivery and presentation of restaurant-style meals, and for systems that can respond to changing demands. We are Australia’s most experienced and awarded producer of specialty meals providing more than 1.5 million meals per year to 20 separate facilities in Victoria.

Our Meals

MHCPK achieves superior freshness and taste in all our meals by combining the best available ingredients with our state-of-the-art cooking, chilling and packaging methods.

All meals can be heated in either conventional or microwave ovens.

Our “taste as you go team” tests every new recipe on our menu before they are made available and we update our menu every year to take advantage of changing taste and to promote the best possible variety and choice in our dishes.

All our meals are developed in consultation with the CPK’s client services dietitian and Monash Health dietitians, following the Department of Health’s Victorian Nutrition Guidelines to ensure appropriate levels of nutrition and correct portion size.

Choice and variety are central elements of MHCPK’s menu. Our 28 day menu has over 112 main meals and 56 desserts.

Our specialist menu range includes Halal certified meals, a diverse range of cultural meal choices and diabetic, paediatric, low fat, gluten free, vegetarian, energy dense and allergen free meals.

We produce 150 main meal choices plus a selection of desserts using ‘cook chill’ and ‘cook freeze’ methods and advanced packing technology to guarantee freshness.

Meal Times

Monash Health provides meals between the following times:

  • Breakfast – 6.45am to 8.00am
  • Morning tea – 9.30am to 10.15am
  • Lunch – 11.40am to 1.00pm
  • Afternoon tea – 2.45pm to 3.30pm
  • Dinner – 4.40pm to 6.00pm
  • Supper – 7.00pm to 7.45pm (Kingston Centre and Victorian Heart Hospital only)

Please note that food and drinks are not offered before surgery and some procedures.

Meal Selection and Ordering

Meal selections are taken daily by our menu monitors using an electronic meal ordering system (Delegate). If you are not available when the menu monitor visits, our menu monitor will make a suitable menu choice for you. If you have clinical needs, dietary requirements or food allergies, these will be taken into consideration. You can also make a meal selection for yourself or on behalf of a family member using your own electronic device by visiting: https://mealordering.monashhealth.org/MMO.

Special diet requirements and nutrition information are available on request.

It is also important to note that for safety reasons your food and drink choices may adjust in line with any changes to your clinical or dietary requirements.

If you need help on how to order using the Mobile Meal Ordering, our pamphlet can be downloaded or you can refer to the Mobile Meal Ordering video to assist and step you through the process.

Mobile Meal Ordering – Frequently Asked Questions

Please view this information sheet for Frequently Asked Questions about Mobile Meal Ordering.

Bringing food in from home for patients

We understand some patients prefer their own food. It is important that any food which has been brought in for patients has been prepared, transported, stored and reheated safely to prevent food poisoning.

Prior to bringing in food, it is important that you speak to the nurse/midwife, dietitian or speech pathologist. Food from home may not always be suitable due to a person’s medical condition or swallowing concerns.

To find out more information, download the Bringing food from home brochure.

Please note we do not take responsibility for food that is brought in from outside the hospital.

Nutritional information

All our meals are developed in consultation with dieticians and comply with the Department of Health Victorian Nutrition Guidelines to ensure optimum levels of nutrition and portion size.

We recognise the direct correlation between nutritional food and patient recovery and present our meals to look, smell and taste truly appealing.

We create complete meals which contain both protein i.e. meat, chicken or fish and carbohydrate components e.g. rice, pasta and vegetables.

Our menus provide clear nutritional information detailing all ingredients plus amounts of energy, protein, sodium and fat.

We also offer a dedicated phone line where patients, families or staff can obtain more detailed nutritional information on our menu items.

Locations

The Monash Health Central Production Kitchen provides meals to the following Monash Health Locations:

Our Hospitals

  • Casey Hospital
  • Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre
  • Dandenong Hospital
  • Jessie McPherson Private Hospital
  • Kingston Centre
  • Monash Children’s Hospital
  • Monash Medical Centre Clayton
  • McCulloch House
  • Moorabbin Hospital
  • Victorian Heart Hospital

Our Aged Care Homes

  • Biala Assessment Unit
  • Allambee Nursing Home
  • Chestnut Gardens Aged Care
  • Mooraleigh Hostel
  • Yarraman Nursing Home

We also provide meals to some sites of Peninsula and Eastern Health.

Performance and quality

MHCPK’s comprehensive Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Quality Assurance system covers every aspect of our production from raw material inspection through storage, production and distribution.

Our state-of-the-art production facilities were purpose-built in 2009 and are classified as Class 1/Vulnerable Persons food premises. They are externally audited twice a year and all our staff are trained and certified in HACCP.

We insist on the same HACCP certification from all our suppliers.

We are dedicated to quality, innovation and excellent service delivery and have been recognised with the following awards:

  • Australian Council on Healthcare Standards Quality Improvement Award 2013
  • Finalist of the 20th HACCP Awards- 2013
  • Aged Care Hospitality Award 2012-Oscar Hospitality
  • Southern Health Innovation Award 2012
  • Inaugural Southern Health Excellence Award-2011
  • Triple Care Award for OHS Improvements & Innovation-2010