mecwacare
Industry:
Aged Care / Healthcare Hospitality
Sites:
22 RAC facilities & 6 retirement villages
Dinesh Kumar Subramani
Head of Hotel Services
For more than two decades, Dinesh Kumar Subramani, Head of Hotel Services at mecwacare, has been reshaping how food brings dignity, comfort and connection to older Australians. Today he oversees kitchen, cleaning and laundry teams across 22 residential facilities and six retirement villages — all united by a simple mission: create meals that feel like home.
But with rapid organisational growth came a new challenge: how to manage suppliers, pricing and compliance at scale without losing visibility or consistency.
This is where FoodByUs stepped in.
The Challenge: Too Many Suppliers, Too Little Visibility
“We had chefs using seven different platforms to order from seven suppliers. We didn’t always have a view on who was offering the best value.”
For years, each mecwacare facility managed its own ordering — often across six or seven different platforms.
This created:
• Duplication
• Pricing inconsistency
• Limited oversight
• Manual reporting burdens
• Reduced time for foodservice innovation
As the organisation expanded, Dinesh knew sustainability depended on digitising procurement and giving chefs a single, efficient way to order.
The Solution: One Login, Total Control
“Sometimes one supplier sells lemons for 60 cents and another for a dollar — now we can see that straight away.”
FoodByUs worked with mecwacare to bring all existing suppliers into a single purchasing platform — alongside new optional vendors for price comparison.
The result was a single source of truth for ordering, spend and approvals.
With FoodByUs, mecwacare now enjoys:
- Centralised purchasing across 22 sites
- Instant price comparisons
- Full spend visibility
- User permissions for chefs & managers
- Seamless integration with SafeFood Pro & SoupedUp
This shift gave chefs simple workflows and leaders real-time oversight.
Unlocking Time for What Matters Most: Residents
“Foodservice is about dignity and delight — not just nutrition.”
With procurement streamlined, mecwacare’s team could shift focus back to quality, choice and presentation.
One of the biggest improvements? The ability to reinvest savings into resident-facing initiatives.
⭐ Fine-Dining Nights
Every mecwacare facility now hosts monthly fine-dining evenings. One resident shared that her last experience like this was 54 years ago.
⭐ Visual Menus
Food photography captured via SafeFood Pro is used to create visual menus, helping residents with limited English confidently choose their meals.
⭐ Cultural Menu Tailoring
Price transparency allowed chefs to invest in ingredients and menu diversity across facilities with different cultural profiles.
A Connected Digital Ecosystem
“Ordering, compliance and menu planning will soon work in sync. Chefs should focus on cooking and connection — not paperwork.”
FoodByUs integrates seamlessly with mecwacare’s broader technology stack:
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SafeFood Pro → compliance, reporting, food safety, daily meal photos
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SoupedUp → menu management and forecasting
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FoodByUs → procurement, pricing, supplier management
Together, these systems create a modern, data-driven kitchen operation.
Take-Aways for Aged-Care Leaders
1. Centralised purchasing = time back for your chefs
One login removes clutter, manual work and duplicated effort.
2. Cost savings enable better resident experiences
Aged care is shifting toward quality and dignity — procurement should support that.
3. Technology should empower people, not replace them
Digital tools reduce admin so chefs can focus on service, culture and care.
The Bottom Line
With FoodByUs, mecwacare turned a fragmented ordering environment into a connected, efficient procurement system — unlocking visibility, cost control and improved resident dining.
The transformation proves that good procurement doesn’t just save money — it elevates care.
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