Hailing from Sri Lanka, Asitha Weerashinga loves infusing traditional flavours into Aussie classics. His love of food started at a young age but truly flourished Down Under.
Today, as Chef Manager he loves bringing his experiences to life through food and surprising and delighting residents at Aveo Springfield, a retirement village in Ipswich, Queensland.
Where were you before you started with Aveo Springfield?
I started life in Australia in 2007 as an international student studying Hospitality Management (Commercial Cookery).
Alongside my studies I worked in a production kitchen that specialised in providing cook-chill Indian cuisine to restaurants across Brisbane. Following that stint I worked for Compass Group and Cater Care for the next eight years, working in schools, colleges, industrial cafeterias, function facilities, cafes, pubs and aged care facilities.
In 2016, I joined Aveo and it was the best decision I ever made.
Where does your passion for food come from?
I love learning about different cuisines and flavours. Born in Sri Lanka and now living in Australia, I love to experiment with using flavours from my heritage in food I cook here.
It brings an extra layer of deliciousness! I’m also a professional cake decorator, which feeds my creativity.
So what do you enjoy most about your role as Chef Manager at Aveo Springfield?
I love that we are doing something meaningful. We’re a part of the lives of our residents and the work we do really matters.
It’s a great feeling being able to ensure they are well looked after and feel at home in our restaurant.
What’s on the menu at Aveo Springfield?
We have a monthly rotating menu for every season with food choices from a variety of different cuisines.
Our residents love to have a mix of old favourites and modern cuisine. We explore everything from traditional Irish Stew to a modern Peach Melba.
Our residents love the choices and sometimes come up with their favourite recipe and ask us to add it. We do!
Could you tell us a memorable story from your time at Aveo Springfield?
One day, my Lamb’s Fry wasn’t well-received by a resident... A former sheep farmer said ‘Asitha this Lamb's Fry is disgusting’.
She then proceeded to instruct me how to cut and cook the lamb. I’ve cooked it that way ever since!
Aside from that, we’ve had many themed events that go down a treat! Chinese Day with a Chinese Mixed Buffet, St Paddy’s Day complete with Irish Stew and Beef & Guinness Casserole, and of course Christmas with traditional Roast, Plum Pudding & Brandy Custard. The list goes on…
Any words of wisdom for aspiring chefs?
Learn the basics and appreciate simplicity. Season your food, always! Lastly, explore different cuisines - there’s a whole world of possibilities out there!
It sounds like it’s impossible for Chef Asitha to serve anything boring – his kitchen is all about innovative, delicious food! The residents at Aveo Springfield get to enjoy his cuisine every day, and we all know that beautiful food makes for wonderful days.
What do you want your retirement to be like? Have a look at our helpful resources to find out if making the move to an Aveo retirement community could be right for you.
You can also find out more about Aveo Springfield here.
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