![\"Almost](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788606859_822_Heritage-Culinary-2.jpg\")
Almost everything at The Heritage of Green Hills is prepared from scratch using fresh, high-quality ingredients, including produce from Lancaster County. (Courtesy of The Heritage of Green Hills)<\/p>\nWhen The Heritage of Green Hills in Cumru Township, Berks County, was recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation\u2019s Best Senior Living Communities, it also earned top honors for its food and dining specifically.<\/p>\n
So, what does national-award-winning dining look like? At The Heritage of Green Hills, it looks a lot like roast beef. Or roast turkey with homemade stuffing. Or spaghetti and meatballs. All made from scratch.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are communities that go above and beyond trying to get that award,\u201d\u00a0 said Food and Beverage Director Dan Hildebrandt. \u201cWe didn\u2019t do anything different than we normally do. We just do our job and we do it well. It\u2019s who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unlike many awards, the U.S. News Best Senior Living ratings aren\u2019t based on nominations or applications. Instead, they\u2019re driven entirely by the voices of residents and their family members.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe recognition didn\u2019t come from introducing trendy dishes or making temporary changes, hoping to impress judges,\u201d Hildebrandt said. \u201cIt came from doing the same thing, day after day: serving fresh meals, listening to residents, and creating a warm and friendly dining experience that feels like home. Getting that award is awesome. But we didn\u2019t do anything different. We do what we do every single day of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n
That philosophy has made dining one of the defining experiences at The Heritage of Green Hills.<\/p>\n
Comfort food, crafted exceptionally well<\/p>\n
While many people imagine award-winning dining as elaborate gourmet cuisine, Hildebrandt said today\u2019s residents are often looking for something much more personal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe residents here want Berks County comfort food,\u201d he said. \u201cThey want the pork and sauerkraut and the turkey and stuffing. They want their favorite comfort food made well.\u201d<\/p>\n
A well-seasoned team bringing decades of experience to every meal helps The Heritage stand apart. Executive Chef Brad Wielacher is French-trained, and his kitchen includes several chefs who worked at Mimmo\u2019s in Reading and the Berkshire Country Club.<\/p>\n
Almost everything at The Heritage of Green Hills is prepared from scratch using fresh, high-quality ingredients, including produce from Lancaster County. (Courtesy of The Heritage of Green Hills)<\/p>\n
Almost everything is prepared from scratch using fresh, high-quality ingredients, including produce from Lancaster County and fresh seafood delivered several times each week.<\/p>\n
Familiar favorites all receive extraordinary attention. For instance, whole turkeys are roasted in-house before being carved for dinner.\u2019<\/p>\n
Even the seemingly humblest entrees have become crowd-pleasers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have 311 residents, and somehow whenever we offer spaghetti and meatballs, all 320 of them show up for dinner,\u201d Hildebrandt joked.<\/p>\n
Residents help shape the menu<\/p>\n
One reason the dining program continues to earn such high praise is that residents themselves help guide it.<\/p>\n
![\"Residents](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788606860_16_Heritage-Culinary-1.jpg\")
Residents of The Heritage of Green Hills suggest favorite dishes for the culinary staff to prepare. (Courtesy of The Heritage of Green Hills)<\/p>\n
Regular food committee meetings give residents opportunities to share ideas, suggest favorite dishes, and provide honest feedback.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they don\u2019t like something, they\u2019ll tell us,\u201d Hildebrandt said. \u201cWe\u2019ll make the adjustment. It\u2019s all about giving them what they want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hospitality you won\u2019t find in a restaurant<\/p>\n
Dining at The Heritage is about much more than the food on the plate.<\/p>\n
Chefs regularly leave the kitchen to greet residents, answer questions, and build relationships. Hildebrandt even hosts monthly behind-the-scenes kitchen tours, giving residents an inside look at how hundreds of meals are prepared to order each day.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink about it,\u201d he said. \u201cIn your favorite restaurant, how often does somebody come out of the kitchen and say hello? Hardly ever. Here, it\u2019s a little different. We are part of their family, we are part of the culture, we know them, and we\u2019re cooking just for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sense of connection extends throughout the dining room, where friendly servers create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Celebrating life together<\/p>\n
Exceptional dining also means celebrating together.<\/p>\n
Throughout the year, The Heritage hosts themed culinary events including clam bakes, an annual pig roast, and holiday celebrations (for just about every holiday!). One recent favorite was the community\u2019s America 250 picnic, complete with barbecue favorites, live music, a Mr. Softee ice cream truck, and patriotic costumes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of work,\u201d Hildebrandt said. \u201cBut to see the smiles on their faces says it all. We know we did a good job making the day special for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The same quality in the Care Center<\/p>\n
The Heritage\u2019s commitment to exceptional dining extends throughout the entire community, including the Personal Care and Memory Care neighborhoods in the Care Center.<\/p>\n
When planning the dining program, Hildebrandt and Heritage of Green Hills Executive Director Doug Walther were determined to avoid the institutional feel often associated with higher levels of care. Instead, Care Center residents enjoy the same thoughtfully prepared meals and familiar recipes served in independent living.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you go to the Care Center, usually you\u2019re a resident of independent living first,\u201d Hildebrandt explained. \u201cYou want to have the same food you enjoyed in The Tavern. It\u2019s the same menu \u2014 though we make occasional small changes to accommodate changing abilities, like serving boneless chicken thighs instead of bone-in.\u201d<\/p>\n
By serving the same favorites, the culinary team provides not only consistency across the campus, but also a reassuring sense of familiarity during times of transition.<\/p>\n
More than an award<\/p>\n
Awards are gratifying, but for Hildebrandt they\u2019re simply confirmation of something residents already know.<\/p>\n
Outstanding dining isn\u2019t created by chasing accolades. It\u2019s built through fresh ingredients, scratch cooking, consistency, listening to residents, and treating every meal as an opportunity for joy and bringing people together. There\u2019s no need to reinvent comfort food in order to create an exceptional dining experience. Simply honor it and serve it with love and care.<\/p>\n
To learn more about the vibrant Heritage of Green Hills lifestyle, and their award-winning dining program, visit heritageofgreenhills.com<\/a> or call 484-269-5100 and schedule a tour.<\/p>\n About The Heritage of Green Hills:\u00a0The Heritage is a vibrant, full-service retirement community set on a beautiful 78-acre campus. Independent living residents enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that they have access to additional levels of care, should they be needed, in the community\u2019s state-of-the-art Care Center. The Care Center features 70 spacious personal and memory care one-bedroom and studio suites. To learn more, visit\u00a0https:\/\/heritageofgreenhills.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When The Heritage of Green Hills in Cumru Township, Berks County, was recently recognized by U.S. News &…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":279647,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[128,130,129,1291],"class_list":["post-279646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news","tag-senior-life"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/279647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}