Local Oxfordshire restaurants have shared their top recipes in a new cookbook to raise vital funds for Sobell House hospice during the coronavirus pandemic.
The cookbook titled Food & Kindness brings together over 30 stories and recipes from a wide range of local chefs, restaurateurs, food writers and celebrities, many of whom hold Sobell House close to their heart.
In the cookbook, you’ll find a recipe for hummus from Stephen Fry; the perfect vegetable soup handed down to Mel Giedroyc by her mum; a tasty vegan lunch courtesy of Sue Perkins; and Paul Chahidi – the star of BBC 3 mockumentary ‘This Country’ and an ambassador for Sobell House – proudly showcases his Mediterranean pork, lemon and parmesan meatball dish.
Alongside these famous supporters, many Oxfordshire eateries are involved with the book, giving readers the chance to make some of their best-loved dishes at home and discover the stories behind each unique venture. Among these are waterside destination The Cherwell Boathouse with breaded halloumi and sweetcorn fritters; city-centre brasserie No. 1 Ship Street with French onion soup; and South Indian restaurant Bhoomi Kitchen with Keralan fried chicken.
The ‘Food & Kindness’ is all about bringing the local community together – to celebrate the inspiring work and ethos of Sobell House, to raise funds for the hospice, and to recognise some of the local food and drink businesses that have supported Sobell House over the years. The idea of the cookbook came in March just before ‘lockdown’ when Sobell House’s Head of Fundraising, Lorraine Pink, realised that COVID-19 was going to have a detrimental impact on Sobell’s income.
Tim Wraith, who has worked with Sobell House for many years and a great ‘foodie’ was perfectly placed to lead this project and helped to make it a reality.
Tim commented: “I have loved leading the project to publish Food and Kindness. I am a big foodie person and own lots of recipe books so was delighted to get involved. At Sobell House, we receive incredible kindness from the local hospitality businesses, and this is an opportunity for us to support them at this tough time. The whole cost of the book has been sponsored by local businesses which means all the money raised goes to supporting Sobell House.”
The hospice, which is jointly funded by the NHS and Sobell House Hospice Charity, has been providing specialist end-of-life and palliative care to local people with life-limiting illnesses as well as supporting their families since 1976.
The 144-page paperback cookbook will be available to purchase from Amazon and bookshops at £15 from 15 October.
