Celebrity chef Simon Rimmer revamps hospital menus

The 'Something for the Weekend' regular has created a new range of appetising and nutritious recipes for patients. Simon worked with the hospital team including catering staff and nutritionists to devise the new dishes with the aim of enhancing meal times for all women staying at the hospital including new and expectant mums. Simon, said: "The importance has long been placed on trying to raise standards in schools and improve people's diets in general but hospital food is something which often gets overlooked. "When I was approached by Liverpool Women's, I was only too happy to seize the opportunity to help them introduce fresh, tasty meals prepared and cooked on-site while keeping the menu stimulating for patients. "These recipes will serve their nutritional needs and make meal times even more enjoyable while being suitable to reproduce in the hospital kitchens for the 200 patients per day." Simon was involved in every step of the process including training the existing chefs to prepare the dishes to a high standard. His meals include a range of dishes based around the theme of 'comfort food' such as Scouse, beef bourguignon and veggie kedgeree and will be provided each day for all patients alongside the hospital's current menu provided by caterers Sodexo. Kathryn Thomson, chief executive at the Trust, stressed the importance of providing patients with better choice: "At Liverpool Women's we provide excellent health care for women and babies and of course this includes nutritious food. Our aim was to enhance meal times for our patients and we were keen to work with Simon as a 'local lad' who has an excellent reputation. This has been an exciting and enlightening project for the Trust and will be carried into the future to give patients a better experience during their stay."