After two decades in airline catering – overseeing the production of tens of thousands of meals a day – chef and food services expert Binu Krishnan could have taken his career in any direction.
But it was aged care where he found his greatest calling.
“Aged care isn’t just another job. These are people who built our communities, now it’s our turn to serve them with respect,” Binu said.
“When I walk through the kitchen and I always think this could be someone’s last meal. Did we do it justice?”
Six months into his role as food services manager at Kilsyth aged care provider MiCare, Binu has led a complete overhaul of how food is imagined, prepared and served across the organisation’s residential homes.
The transformation has earned Binu and the catering team at MiCare a national nomination for Ageing Australia’s You Are ACE! Award, which recognises individuals and teams going above and beyond in aged care.
Binu began by changing suppliers and introducing higher-quality ingredients – swapping offcuts for premium cuts like beef cheek and short rib, replacing frozen vegetables with fresh produce and locking in pricing to make these changes sustainable.
He restructured kitchen teams, hired skilled chefs and introduced standardised recipes that allowed for consistency, scale and flavour.
“There’s a perception that aged care needs home cooks but scaling home cooking to 200 meals a day doesn’t work. We needed chefs with real skill sets and systems behind them,” he said.
“We restructured the kitchens, introduced head chefs, sous chefs and demi chefs, and built accountability into every part of the process.”
Texture-modified meals, often overlooked, became a priority.
Binu even enrolled his chefs in a Harvard food science course to learn techniques like gelling and aerating purees, enhancing both texture and taste for residents with dysphagia.
“We trained chefs to use techniques like aeration and agar agar to create different textures for people with swallowing difficulties – mousse-like, gelled, light, airy. It changed the game.”
“Since the new chef started, the food has improved greatly and it’s been a very welcome change,” says Jan Tampion, resident and chair of MiCare’s Overbeek Lodge Food Focus Group.
“Binu is so approachable and always takes our feedback on board. It really shows in the quality of the meals we now enjoy.”
Ageing Australia chief executive officer Tom Symondson says Binu and the MiCare catering team represent a growing movement of aged care providers who are reimagining care as a holistic experience where innovation and dignity go hand in hand.
“Food is one of the most important experiences we share as people,” Tom Symondson said.
“It speaks to comfort, culture and care. When it’s done well, it restores dignity, especially for those in the later stages of life.”
According to MiCare chief executive officer Penni Michael, the transformation has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response from elders, their families, and staff alike.
“The food, presentation, and atmosphere in our dining rooms are exceptional – every meal feels like a special occasion,” she said.
“What truly makes it work is the trust Binu and his team have built by sharing meals with elders, serving them directly, and genuinely listening.”
