Our team

Darren started his journey in aged care with a vision – to bring dignity back to people’s dining experience. He wanted to transform food quality for people living with dysphagia.

TCF has come a long way, realising that vision through hard work, determination and a relentless pursuit to see standards change in the aged care industry and beyond. His tenacity and innovative approach help deliver customer-focussed solutions.

Out of work mode, Darren enjoys growing roses and gardening and demonstrates he’s a true boy scout by exploring the great outdoors.

Committed to improving nutrition in the industry, Lisa enrolled in a PhD exploring aged care food-first approaches. Her paper Does a high energy high protein diet reduce unintentional weight loss in residential aged care residents? was published in the Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics in 2019, and subsequent publication An investigation of recommended serve food portions and attaining energy and protein requirements in older adults living in residential care was published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics in 2020 and Can fortified, nutrient-dense and enriched foods and drink-based nutrition interventions increase energy and protein intake in residential aged care residents?

A systematic review with meta-analyses was published in 2021 in the International Journal of Nursing Studies. Her Thesis offers recommendations to improve the aged care industry on all levels.

As a thought leader, Lisa’s comprehensive understanding of texture modified foods, diets and nutrition has seen her sit on the Menu Audit Tool Steering Committee in 2016 and 2020, the Victorian Nutrition Standards for Public Hospitals and Residential Age Care Homes 2021 as well as presenting on menus at a DAA workshop.

Outside of her work, Lisa enjoys being with her three children and husband and looking after their very cute dog.

Beyond his professional pursuits, he finds solace and inspiration in Australia’s breathtaking landscapes, often immersing himself in outdoor explorations to revel in its natural beauty and tranquillity.

Now at TCF, Lyn aims to leverage her diverse skills as a client relationship manager while focusing on helping the elderly and individuals living with dysphagia.

Outside of work, Lyn enjoys entertaining family and friends with delicious meals and indulging in leisure activities like jet skiing, travel, fitness, live entertainment, reading, movies, and adventurous pursuits. 

Driven by a genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of individuals with limited food choices, Mikayla combines her culinary background with a commitment to improving dining experiences. She thrives on creating solutions that bring joy to those who don’t often have the luxury of choice in their meals.

Mikayla stays active with CrossFit, running, hiking, or chasing after her three children. Time away from TCF is a mix of adventure and family time, reflecting her energetic and balanced approach to life.

Appointed as TCF Director in 2019, Les’ mandate is to transition the business into a corporate model, streamlining structures, processes and procedures, at the same time guaranteeing compliance with general director responsibilities, and ensuring executive and leading hand staff receive training and mentoring and live our core values.

Les’ family of three daughters, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild – keep him and partner Jenny contentedly entertained alongside his desire to improve his golf game and continue singing and conducting the traditional Welsh Tarrengower Men’s Choir in the Central Goldfields region of Victoria, that he is helping to build.

When Michelle started at TCF, she assisted with packing food bags but as time progressed, she discovered her natural talents were in the logistics side of our growing business. Michelle’s role is an important cog in the day-to-day activities from overseeing shipping and warehousing operations, ensuring processes run smoothly and deliveries are made on time. As the glue that binds our business together, Michelle manages our busy warehouse and logistics team while liaising with suppliers, distributors and customers.

Away from logistics, Michelle spends her time cooking traditional Italian recipes and quality time with her daughters at the beach.

Anne has accumulated a wealth of financial expertise and is grateful for the many talented people and teams she’s had the opportunity of working alongside that has contributed to achieving business goals and success.

Away from the numbers, Anne is interested in history and architecture – touring museums and European Castles online. She enjoys attending events such as open Melbourne, Ballarat, Bendigo and Hobart and whenever possible is in the front rows of an Elton John concert. She enjoys walking and listening to podcasts while appreciating her local neighbourhood’s architecture.

Working with our team in a dynamic food environment, Estee has a strong sense of personal ownership evaluating information quickly, identifying any issues and formulating conclusions based on sound, practical judgement.

Using her marketing experience and expertise, Lisa employs her copywriting, communications and coaching skills in business environments to create, implement and deliver marketing and communications strategies to achieve business objectives.

In her spare time, Lisa loves being in the wilderness – trekking, camping, exploring the unknown and enjoys the benefits of yoga and meditation.

Since 2012, Liz has performed diverse roles at TCF from moulding food in the kitchen, packing boxes for delivery to helping grow the business to where it is today. She’s adaptable in her approach and brings calm to a high-energy team.

Wearing many hats outside of work, Liz is a mum to two children – her youngest with special needs. In her spare time, she can be found on the yoga mat, riding a bike or travelling around Australia.

John is an experienced management consultant and has led management consulting divisions in mid-tier chartered accounting firms including Touche Ross and KPMG Management Consultants and most recently a ten-year period at HLB Mann Judd.

John is drawn to business improvement projects for both private and public sector organisations that focus on manufacturing, food, IT and professional services. He is a dynamic strategic planner and thinker assisting many businesses to access Federal and State Government grants.

John has a keen interest in films, exercise playing tennis regularly and walking daily walker and passionately and is a devoted supporter of the Melbourne Demons.

Driven by a shared passion for restoring the pleasure of dining to thousands of individuals with dysphagia, the co-founders of Textured Concept Foods (TCF), Darren Benfell and Dr Lisa Sossen, have diligently crafted value-added textured modified food products that align with the IDDSI standards for Pureed Level 4 and Minced & Moist Level 5 since 2012, proudly originating in Australia.

We are delighted to announce that Textured Food Innovations has received official approval from both the USDA and the NYS Department of Agriculture to introduce our comprehensive product line, which encompasses IDDSI Level 4 Smooth Puree products. Our menu will encompass a diverse selection of meats, poultry, vegetables, pasta, and our delectable French Toast. Initially, these products will be available to residents of Long Island and the boroughs of New York City, with convenient delivery options to hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and private residences.

We will soon be accepting orders through Textured Food Innovations, either by contacting us at 516-731-3663 or by sending an email via our website at www.texturedfood.com. Your satisfaction and wellbeing remain our top priorities, and we look forward to serving you soon.