From hospital kitchen garden to our patients’ plates
Come rain or shine, our Head Chef at Hawkhurst Community Hospital, Sarah Agyemang, makes the most of every homegrown ingredient, and culinary opportunity, in the rehabilitation unit’s very own kitchen garden.
“Our temperamental weather this year has certainly spurred us on to challenge our ‘love food, hate waste’ kitchen catchphrase”, keen gardener Sarah told us while freeze drying carrot peelings to make powdered soup seasoning later.
“What to do when the sun hasn’t quite managed to ripen a salad favourite? Add green tomato and apple chutney to our portfolio of pickles of course!”, added Sarah, mid-making a batch of spiced pear and apple chutney for patients who will be staying on the wards over the festive period.
Sarah has worked in NHS catering teams for 36 years and in the specialist 22-bed in-patient hospital kitchen, where she prepares patient and staff meals, for the last five.
Together, the Hawkhurst catering colleagues use almost all of the award-winning garden’s fresh produce in their seasonal menus. Today’s menu features leeks, Rainbow Chard, beetroot and dill.
“This year’s most plentiful plant is beans by far; green beans, runner beans, broad beans, you name it, we grow it!”, continued Sarah.
“We’re so lucky to be able to cook with such a wide variety of just-picked food but what is most rewarding is seeing our patients and their visitors potter in and enjoy the garden – you can never have too many green fingers to cultivate and harvest the crops.
“When patients are strong enough, we encourage them to spend time in the garden, be it just sitting and watching the world go by or tending to our yield in the specially-made accessible raised beds.”
Winner of the health and wellbeing award at our 2022 staff awards ceremony, Sarah was commended for not only developing the garden but her passion for home-cooked food, which enhances the patient experience and provides good nutrition.
The colleagues who nominated her said: “Sarah is a positive ambassador for wellbeing and mental health, and promotes nutritional and individual choices for patients. She is popular and respected for her tireless dedication, excellence and commitment to her profession.
