Sam Bridgewater and Maia Royal, founders of The Pure Food Co, have been awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year – Services category in New Zealand for their pioneering work in transforming aged care nutrition. Their innovative approach addresses one of the most pressing issues in society: providing safe, nutritious food for the elderly.
By using food science and innovation, The Pure Food Co delivers nutritionally tailored meals to aged care facilities, ensuring residents receive adequate nourishment, especially those with complex dietary needs.
“This is not just a healthcare issue but a social responsibility we can no longer overlook.”
Sam Bridgewater, Founder, The Pure Food Co
With older adults requiring almost twice the protein of elite athletes, the company’s focus on high-protein, textured-modified foods has been instrumental in reducing malnutrition and improving health outcomes in aged care facilities across Australia, New Zealand, and France.
The Pure Food Co was a finalist in this year’s Future of Ageing Awards for a food and nutrition trial they did with Uniting NSW.ACT and their Sydney Central facility. The program showed positive results in addressing weight loss…Read more.
Their success has been driven by the ability to make fortified pureed foods not only nutritious but also visually appealing. This innovation helps tackle a key challenge in aged care: residents’ reluctance to eat meals that appear unappetising.
The company’s solution has also positively impacted aged care quality indicators, reducing incidents of unplanned weight loss, falls, and pressure injuries. As a result, The Pure Food Co is setting new benchmarks for aged care nutrition, revolutionising meal services and supporting facilities in meeting complex dietary guidelines.
