Hospice chef reveals the one comfort food
A Chef’s Calling at Sobell House Hospice
At Sobell House Hospice in Oxfordshire, chef Spencer Richards sees his work as more than cooking — it’s a “calling.”
Preparing meals for terminally ill patients, he says, is “one of life’s greatest privileges.”
Personalized Meals with Heart
Richards customizes meals to patients’ tastes, like making street food for a young man who disliked the standard menu.
He also baked a birthday cake for a 93-year-old woman who “was absolutely over the moon.”
Birthday cakes are the most common request, showing how “small things” can mean a lot to those feeling lonely.
Adapting to Patients’ Needs
Many patients face challenges like difficulty swallowing or changed taste buds.
Richards notes cancer patients often “develop a sweet tooth and become sensitive to salt.”
He adapts meals to bring both nutrition and comfort.
Food as Emotional Connection
Richards believes “food is a powerfully emotive medium” that can evoke memories and create new ones.
For him, every meal is “an act of love in a patient’s final days.”
