Tell us about your love of cooking?
Meals aren’t just about the food. They’re about creating special times, people coming together, family time, talking about your day. It’s also fun and exciting to create dishes that are bursting with flavours, textures, and freshness when you eat them.
Why did you join Hospiscare?
I felt I could make a difference. People at this stage in their lives deserve the best food, and the type of food they fancy at any time.
One day, a very poorly patient smiled and talked about the meal I had made her. It was simple, good quality food, made with love just for her. That means a lot. Nutritious food is obviously vital for patients’ wellbeing.
Can you tell us about that?
There’s a saying “a healthy plate is a colourful plate”. We offer vegetables, salads, and fresh fruit in all our menus, along with a selection of proteins, fibres, and carbohydrates. To help our patients retain weight we cook with full fat foods, although we can use low fat products when patients are on special diets, or to give patients their preferred choice.
How much choice is on offer for patients?
An endless choice! If we haven’t got what they fancy, I’ll go shopping on my way home so we can offer it the next day.
Often, our patients ask us for what they feel like eating on the day – anything from scrambled eggs to KFC!
We also cater for some diets where it’s more difficult to offer a wide variety… we always try to give options because it’s important to have choice.
Tell us about any more unusual requests you may have had?
I’ve had requests for T-Bone steak, crayfish, chocolate, and soda pop for lunch, and for a bacon butty from a lifetime vegetarian!
Do you find your role rewarding?
Oh yes. What I find the most rewarding is encouraging a patient to eat when they find it difficult yet really want to. Eating is an important part of end-of-life care. It’s important that patients can have what they want, and that it not only tastes good but looks appetising as well. I always say we eat with our eyes first!
