The highlights of a kiwi Christmas can range from backyard cricket to a trip to the beach. But one thing that connects most kiwis is sharing delicious Christmas kai with friends and whānau.

Canterbury DHB’s WellFood team are well aware of the tradition of enjoying a great Christmas meal and that’s why they go the extra mile to serve up a mouth-watering Christmas feast to patients each year.

The team are busy preparing the almost 1100 Christmas meals they’ll be plating up for patients who find themselves in one of Canterbury’s hospitals on Christmas Day.

Some of the delicious options across our five hospitals will include roast turkey, chicken, lamb and baked ham with all of the traditional condiments – cranberry, pineapple, gravy and mint sauce.

The Christmas treats don’t end there with a range of tempting desserts to round off the merry menu including trifle, pavlova, fruit salad, mousses and Christmas pudding.

WellFood Service Manager Neville Patrick says this year has been hard for many and being in hospital over the festive season is never easy.

“If we can give our patients an extra dose of Christmas cheer, it makes all the extra work worth it,” says Neville.

Around 130 staff working in the kitchens will also prepare over 50 “meals on wheels” to spread the Christmas spirit through the local community as well.

“It’s a real highlight each year for our teams across Canterbury, knowing that we’re able to brighten up Christmas Day for our patients.

“We’re also pleased we can give our hard-working staff a Christmas meal while they are working and missing out time with family”, Neville says.

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