FINE DINING CHEF NOW COOKS HEARTWARMING MEALS AT HOSPICE RESTAURANT AFTER HIS OWN SON PASSED
British chef Jon Smith decided to quit his job in upscale restaurants after the death of his 17-year-old son, Seb. Rather, he focused on cooking for the hospice that had cared for and consoled Seb in his last days following his leukaemia diagnosis. During his thirty-year career, Smith owned multiple restaurants, travelled the world, and even had the privilege of cooking for Queen Elizabeth II. But after his son passed away in 2022 at St. Catherine's Hospice in Scarborough, he decided to use his culinary expertise to aid the underprivileged. He currently works at the hospice's Flavours Bistro restaurant.
Smith explains that his loss led to a change in his work, saying, "You learn to live with it, but it alters your viewpoint, without a doubt." "I needed a reset, and this was it," he continues. It's really fulfilling since you don't typically get to do positive things. Additionally, Smith says he wants to "use food to give that aspect of warmth and comfort when people need it most." He now provides hospice patients, their loved ones, and guests with delectable international cuisine.
Jimmy Hill, a client of Smith's, died in August 2024 at the hospice from colon cancer. Lynsey Marsden, his daughter, remembers how Smith used to make Hill iced caramel frappes to sate his sweet taste when he was unable to eat much. He was unable to eat large servings because his taste had changed, but he was still able to appreciate it, she says. It had a profound impact on him, and I will always remember it.
Flavours Bistro also offered Marsden and her mother a reassuring environment during a trying period. "We were very depressed," she recalls. "It is truly fantastic to be able to go somewhere where you can be with others and feel 'normal.'"
To provide end-of-life care to individuals in North and East Yorkshire, both at the hospice and in the community, St. Catherine's depends on raising about £6.1 million (about $7.75 million) annually. Anyone can enjoy Smith's food at Flavours Bistro while also directly contributing to the hospice's fundraising efforts.