Vegan shepherd’s pie, edamame risotto and pineapple sponge with custard – delicious dishes that could be mistaken for being on the menu at your favourite restaurant.

In fact, these are just a sample of some of the mouth-watering meals being served up on a daily basis to North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust patients.

These lovely lunches, along with fresh sandwiches and salads, were presented to members of the Trust board as part of tasting experience at a recent meeting at Peterborough City Hospital – giving them an insight into patient service and delivery.

David Moss, Trust director of estates and facilities, said: “It is good practice for Board members to taste the food that patients are served so that they can understand patient experience in relation to food.

“Food is an essential part of the patient journey and is needed to ensure recovery and, ultimately, leaving hospital.

“The Trust has done this previously - it is something I have implemented at other Trusts and wanted introduce here.

“The Board will be tasting food at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon at its October meeting.”

The dishes served to approximately 700 inpatients at Peterborough City Hospital are prepared off site and served by ward hostesses, while Hinchingbrooke Hospital has the capability to prepare fresh meals for approximately 300 patients per day on site.

The Trust hopes to offer more frequent tasting sessions to the Board – which is made up of executive and non-executive directors – which are aligned to seasonal menu changes.