Find out more about our Catering Team

Our Catering Team, made up of staff and volunteers, works 365 days a year to ensure that those being cared for on our Sylvan Ward, as well as families, visitors, fellow staff and volunteers, can enjoy delicious, fresh and nutritious food.

Over the years, the team have also supported many fundraising events. They are the force behind the welcome treat waiting for walkers finishing the Hospice’s biggest annual fundraiser Girls Night Out. They have created many memorable moments for those supported by the Hospice and their loved ones. Special meals are routine prepared, and they help support events and celebrations families arrange at the Hospice.

The Coronavirus pandemic has meant many changes for the team. They have had to adapt how they work to ensure everything is done as safely as possible, but although a lot has been different, the team has ensured meals have continued to be served to patients.

“What we do hasn’t changed. We’re still here to provide personalised support and the same services. We’ve just had to change the way we do it,” says Catering Manager Debbie Hurren.

“At the start, we had to quickly get used to serving the patients on the ward differently. Every time we went on to the ward, we had to wear PPE, and because of all of the PPE, two staff members needed to work together to serve those on the ward, one cooking the food and dishing up and then another running the trays to the patients.

“We could’nt have as much interaction with the patients as we would have liked, and that was quite hard. We also didn’t get to interact with family members, which we missed. We missed getting to know them, but it was so much harder on the patients because they were on their own more and could not see their families.

 “As a team, we have always been focused on speaking with patients and families to find out more about what they would and wouldn’t like, and it was hard not to be able to do that in the same way. The PPE made it challenging to talk to people and have conversations, but we never stopped providing that personalised service.

“If someone wants a particular meal or has a request, we will always try to do it, as we know how much of a difference it can make.”