At Sobell House Hospice in Oxfordshire, chef Spencer Richards sees his work as more than preparing food — it’s a calling. Serving terminally ill patients, he says, is one of life’s greatest honors.

“There can be no greater privilege as a chef than serving someone their final meal,” Richards told The Mirror. One 21-year-old patient didn’t enjoy the standard menu, so Richards created custom street food-style meals to bring him comfort.

He also recalls baking a birthday cake for a 93-year-old woman who had never celebrated her birthday. “She was in tears,” he said. “Absolutely over the moon.” Birthday cakes, he adds, are the most requested item at the hospice.

“These gestures may seem small, but for those who feel isolated or lonely, they mean everything,” Richards explained.

Many patients experience changes in taste, difficulty swallowing, or develop a sweet tooth, especially those undergoing cancer treatment. Richards adapts each meal to meet their physical and emotional needs.

For him, food is more than nourishment — it’s comfort, memory, and connection. “It can summon childhood memories or create new, lasting ones.”

In every dish, Richards offers not just sustenance, but dignity and love in life’s final chapter.