At an Oxfordshire hospice, chef Spencer Richards makes sure those nearing the end of their life are served meals prepared with much love.
For this man, cooking for terminally ill patients isn’t just a job, but a calling.
Speaking to the Mirror, chef Richards revealed there is no greater privilege than making the last days of the patients a little bit better with his comforting food.
“My own philosophy is that there can be no greater privilege as a chef than serving someone their final meal. Recently a 21-year-old patient didn’t connect with anything on the standard menu. He was young and didn’t like the usual options, so we talked and he liked street food, so we made that happen,” he shared with the publication.
He recalled making a birthday cake for a 93-year-old patient who spent her entire life in a traditional home where birthday celebrations weren’t common.
“When we surprised her with one, she was in tears. She was absolutely over the moon.”
Actually, a birthday cake is the most common thing the patients at Sobell House Hospice ask for as their days on earth are slowly coming to an end.
“They’re small things, but especially for people who’ve been isolated or are feeling lonely, they mean a lot,” chef Richards said.
Further, he explained that adapting the dishes he prepares is of great importance since most of the patients who are at palliative care lose the ability to swallow. Their taste buds also change, and due to the medications and the treatments they receive.
One thing this hospice chef has noticed, however, is that patients with cancer “get a sweet tooth.”
Also, most of the patients are sensitive to salt.
“Food is a powerfully emotive medium – it can summon childhood memories and create new lasting ones. That’s what we do here.”
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