Geoff is sitting in the corner of the Mytton Restaurant at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, in his green jumper. The retired Shrewsbury man is feasting on a warm plate of today’s special, a hearty cheese-and-potato pie with baked beans.

“He’s here every day,” says Shelley Gooding, the hospital’s monitoring and compliance officer. “There are a few like him, who come in for their dinners. Sunday lunches are particularly popular. The restaurant tends to fill up then.”

Geoff is part of an increasing band of discerning Salopians taking advantage of hospital food. And who can blame them? With prices around £3 for a generous dinner, Shropshire’s two hospitals boast the best value restaurants in the county.

But let’s go back to the start. Hospital food, like school dinners, has an appalling reputation. It’s perceived as bland, poorly cooked mush that lacks the basic requirements of texture, taste and flavour.

But a team of chefs, dieticians and directors at Shropshire’s two principal hospitals are keen to shed that image. They’ve invested 18 months in a project to revamp their menus. Led by team leader Gooding, they’ve come up with 150 standard recipes that will be served to patients. Each day, around 2,800 dinners are cooked, and a further 600 sandwiches made.

Julia Buckley, the hospital’s director of corporate affairs, says: “Our catering operation is huge. The hospitals have 800 patients, 5,000 staff and a budget of £220 million.”

The Royal Shrewsbury and Telford’s Princess Royal hospitals decided to revamp their menus in 2007, embarking on a lengthy project to test, taste and come up with new dishes. The new menus were introduced on January 12 and all has gone well.

Mrs Buckley says: “We wanted to ensure healthier eating for patients and staff; that was crucial. Then, we wanted to make sure we were sourcing our ingredients from as close to the hospitals as possible. And, finally, we wanted to make sure we were sourcing ethically produced ingredients. So, for instance, we agreed to provide coffee from the Rainforest Alliance.”

Those three criteria weren’t, however, the only concerns. Catering managers wanted to make sure patients were able to eat food that was packed full of flavour and that they enjoyed.

Chris Fisher, facilities manager for catering at both hospitals, says: “Patients’ favourites were kept on the menu.” Ian Stuart, site catering manager at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, adds: “We tasted and tasted and tasted again until we were happy with the end result.”

On the wall of the catering managers’ offices at the two hospitals are colour-coded charts from suppliers. They list the vegetables that are in season throughout the year. So, for instance, patients can expect leeks between September and May, potatoes all year round, strawberries between May and November, peas between May and September, and beetroot between June and October. Asparagus is available from March to June. “But we tend not to have that on patient menus,” says Mrs Gooding, “It’s quite expensive.”

Each day, patients on wards are given menus listing their daily choices. Each dish has been carefully analysed by Paula Neary, a dietician. She has worked out the proportion of fat, carbohydrate, protein and salt in every dish.

Andy Rogers, spokesman for the two hospitals, says: “The menu includes choices tailored to vegetarians, people who need to look after their heart, those with diabetes, and those needing a high-energy diet.”

There are other menus available. An ethnic menu includes a wide range of curries and halal food and comes with translations, so that patients can easily pick out their favourites. There are also special foods for people who need diets that are low-fat, reduced-salt or gluten-free, as well as foods geared to people with renal problems. Finally, there are menus of soft purŽed foods for people who find it difficult to swallow or feed themselves. On the reverse of each menu is a patient satisfaction survey, asking clients whether they are pleased with the food choice, temperature, quality and presentation.

Mrs Buckley adds: “We are always listening to the patients. We want to know that they are pleased with the food they receive and we change the menu if they are not.”

But, of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and I am led to the Mytton Restaurant by a delegation of hospital staff. There, I’m served a generous helping of cheese-and-potato pie. I’m surprised by its taste and texture. It’s not at all bad.

Next up is a plate of vegetarian pie. Again, it’s more than reasonable. The sweet flavours of pepper and tomato shine through.

There’s debate among those present. Mr Stuart says: “You can’t beat the sticky toffee pudding.” Others favour the fish pie while the sausage casserole, lamb curry and sponge pudding with custard are all given rave reviews.

The final word falls to Julia Buckley: “The food we serve is actually very good. I think the reality of what we serve is very different from people’s perceptions. We’re ahead of the game in terms of hospital food.” As I leave the hospital, I spy the empty plates being returned from wards. It seems the patients are in agreement.

By Andy Richardson