Member portrait: Villa Skaar
Participation and food enjoyment
For four generations, Villa Skaar has operated a nursing home where the focus is on taking good care of the residents and creating a workplace where the employees thrive. A home where meals are a natural focus, and the food served is made from scratch.
Photo: Villa Skaar
At the top of a hillside, with a great view of Jevnaker and the Randsfjord, we find Villa Skaar Jevnaker. Here, Lars Erik Skjellerud is a chef and head chef for the seventh year – or head chef as he prefers to call it, and boasts of his skilled colleagues, who mean he has little need to “manage”.
– We like to do good to each other here! We call our colleagues team players and the people who live here are not patients, but residents. We focus on participation, and that means, among other things, that those who call this home should be able to make their own wishes in terms of food. On their birthday, they get to decide the day's menu and of course also cake, if they feel like it.
Chat over a cup of coffee
He is clearly proud of his workplace and highlights the opportunity to influence his own workday. This means being able to "play" with food a bit, and conjuring up typical Norwegian home cooking, as well as more exciting, international dishes, where inspiration is drawn from other parts of the world.
– Basically, we have a rotating menu that runs over four weeks, and which is a bit seasonal in terms of ingredients. But, it happens that a resident has a strong desire for, for example, steak or taco stew, and then we are happy to adapt it, says Lars Erik with a smile, and adds:
– After all, they are the ones who will be eating the food, and it is so important that they have an influence. And when we are in the kitchen preparing the food, the delicious smell seeps into the rooms. They can sit and talk about and look forward to the food that is coming to the table. This in turn increases their appetite and makes them eat well, and it is good medicine.
The cheerful chef is keen to be present and to strike up a conversation with the residents himself. If he sees that someone has a lack of appetite, he tries to ask what those in the kitchen can do to stimulate their appetite or adjust their diet.
– Sometimes it comes out that they have fond memories of food they ate when they were younger. Other times that it might be easier to eat a bit of puree-like food rather than whole meat. Or that some prefer medister cakes instead of boiled cod.
He often takes a tour of the house, sits down and chats over a cup of coffee. Food is something everyone is interested in, so it is rarely difficult to start a conversation. When asked if the residents have any favorite dishes, Lars Erik answers in the affirmative:
– The taco stew, which is full of great flavors, is very popular. The homemade lasagna is also very popular. The same goes for the whole roasted trout. And the pancakes and pea soup cooked with knuckles are a hit.
Photo: Villa Skaar
– Otherwise, we are interested in trying out new dishes, and it could be, for example, after we have received an email from Systemkjøp or Servicegrossistene with inspiration. We chefs and managers meet with them once a year, and then we get a good opportunity to ask any questions we may have. I think that the fact that we get to greet each other is positive for the collaboration. And they are always quick to respond if we send an email.
Many residents have probably also been surprised by how good vegetarian food can be after having eaten it a few times, the experienced chef experiences.
– Like vegetarian lasagna with lots of good lentils, vegetables and beans – pizza, or “meatballs” without meat.
Don't touch the waffle!
Towards the end of the week, there is also always "waffle Friday." The chef says that he has periodically tried to vary it with something different, but that the residents clearly disagree.
– So the waffle is served at about 1 pm on Fridays, and I can't do anything about that. They're going to have it, laughs Lars Erik, and says that on nice days they like to move the kitchen outside.
– We keep up with the times, and I feel we are quite forward-thinking and ahead of the curve. The freedom we get means a lot. I probably work 100 percent and that's okay, but it just shows how much I enjoy the people I surround myself with here. There's a lot of laughter, high spirits and we play nice with each other!
– We work hard and focus on good routines. The gratitude that both residents and their relatives show us makes it easy to go the extra mile!