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Topics: Community, Food And Drink, Health, UK News
Joshua Nair
A chef who is responsible for preparing food at a hospice has revealed what most of the patients request from him.
Spencer Richards is the man who whips up a storm for those at Sobell House Hospice in Oxfordshire, ensuring that their final meals are perfect, delicious, and full of love.
The British chef takes pride in his work, stating: “My own philosophy is that there can be no greater privilege as a chef than serving someone their final meal.”
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He noted that a 21-year-old patient recently didn't like anything on the menu, and upon learning that he liked street food, he made sure he got it.
From this, to birthday cake for someone who had never tried it, or to a scrumptious crème brûlée, it's Spencer's job to ensure that patients get exactly what cuisine they want in their final days.
When making a birthday cake for a 93-year-old woman who had never had one for herself, Spencer recalled that 'she was in tears' and 'over the moon'.
It's for reasons like this that the chef admitted that birthday cakes are the most common request for patients, especially those in later-life care.
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He highlighted: “They’re small things, but especially for people who’ve been isolated or are feeling lonely, they mean a lot.”
Spencer explained that 'adapting' is as crucial as cooking when it comes to food at the end of life due to health, explaining: "Patients often lose the ability to swallow or taste buds change due to medicines and treatment such as chemotherapy."
The chef noted that many people in the hospice are sensitive to salt, so they work with it, while he noticed that 'people with cancer get a sweet tooth'.
He goes worldwide with his food selection, concocting the likes of crème caramel and panna cotta among other French desserts for patients.
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But what if people aren't able to eat solids?
Well, Spencer presents dishes just as well when it comes to jelly or ice cream, noting: “We don’t always know at the time what it means.
“But we hear back later - families come back months afterward, just to say thank you.”
One family who had lost a loved one in 2024 made a return on Christmas Day with their own food for the hospice staff to extend their thanks and gratitude, a gesture that Spencer said reminded him why he does, what he does.
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Highlighting that all he wants to do now is 'give back', the chef explained: “Food is a powerfully emotive medium - it can summon childhood memories and create new lasting ones. That’s what we do here.”
Sobell House is funded by both the NHS and the Sobell House Hospice Charity, raising around £4 million per year.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.