In his role as Corporate Chef for Leisure Care, Darin brings his expertise and passion for food to satisfying the taste buds of nearly 4,000 seniors across the United States and Canada, including three Tapestry locations in Vancouver, B.C., and Toronto, Ontario.
(www.leisurecare.com)
What are the key aspects of food service at The Bellettini and Tapestry UBC, and how do they fit with what you have called Leisure Care’s “unconventional” approach to retirement living?
We attract chefs from five-star restaurants because our communities don’t look or feel like your conventional retirement communities. They look more like upscale boutique hotels that offer a glimpse into the future. Tapestry has a unique way of bringing to life the dreams of what retirement living is supposed to be. Our restaurants offer full-scale seasonal menus during each meal period, so that residents can choose between 30 to 50 menu items at any given time. The Bellettini’s open kitchen is amazing because our residents get to come down and chat one-on-one with our chefs. They get to see the action and feel the anticipation as our chefs make dishes like steak au poivre with peppercorn demi-glace, or simple pan-seared chicken breasts with baby rosemary potatoes. We hire chefs who understand good food starts with local farm-to-fork relationships. These relationships are key when our chefs help design and grow food in our raised beds or terraced rooftop gardens, which are used to highlight cooking classes or teach educational classes.
How have residents responded to the various food and dining initiatives at The Bellettini, and how has this improved their quality of life?
The Bellettini has two restaurants open to the public—a first in the industry. We’ve learned that the best food comes from local farmers, ranchers, fisherman and artisans, but it’s keeping things simple that really turns the most heads. Our residents love it when they can order menu items like cedar-planked salmon with smoked tomato pesto, or grilled lamb chops with pinot noir reduction sauce, but they also adore it when they can decide to eat more comfort-style cuisine like meatloaf, gravy and mashed potatoes, or spaghetti and home made meatballs. It’s our diversity and flexibility in menu autonomy that our residents keep falling in love with. Cooking classes improve quality of life because we do them with “Five-Star Fun.” This is our opportunity to engage with our residents, get them to smile bigger, hug harder and meet new residents that love to talk about food. Let’s face it: we all love to talk about food. These classes are also a great opportunity to educate our residents about new healthier items on the menus that maybe they have never tried. When people are connected over food and fun, it’s hard not to improve someone’s life.
How could The Bellettini and Tapestry UBC’s food services model be adapted for use in other retirement residences?
I think that the models need to start with the staff. We have a philosophy of balanced lifestyle in our workplace, where you put family first, community second and work third. That doesn’t mean you stop doing your job, it means people come first—your family, our residents—and if you can improve their lives in a positive way, you too will be impacted in a very positive way yourself, and guess what? You’ll be happier, more energized, more creative, more caring, more passionate and more commited to work harder in being successful with your balanced lifestyle. You can always change a bad or mediocre food service program on the very next meal. You don’t need all the bells and whistles to develop spectacular food programs. You need committed people with passion and excitement who are paying attention to the details in every aspect.
What is the most important thing that retirement residences can do to improve the dining experience for their residents?
Listen, listen and listen just one more time. Then anticipate your residents’ needs moving forward and offer menu variety that keeps them craving more. Highlight the seasons with your menus by featuring local farmers, and continue to both communicate with and educate your residents on any changes moving forward. Tell them why you are reducing salt or buying strawberries from an organic farmer just down the street. Get your staff excited about offering healthy foods and get rid of those salad bars.
What advice do you have for retirement residence executives as they plan their food service operations for the next five years?
Never underestimate or underbudget your food programs. It’s food that will drive consensus in your buildings, it’s food that will keep them there, and it’s healthy nutrition that will keep your residents from having to move out. The senior housing resident of the future will need a chef and restaurant program that has the autonomy to anticipate their needs. They need an experienced chef capable of delivering five-star quality with understanding and simplicity.
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