An Army veteran has recalled serving food to hundreds of soldiers when he served in Korea ahead of Nutrition & Hydration Week.
Bob Sewell, a resident at Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton, served in the Army Catering Corps.
He spoke about his experiences and the importance of a good and healthy diet ahead of Nutrition & Hydration Week, which is running from 16-22 March.
Royal Star & Garter is a charity which provides loving compassionate care to veterans and their families living with disability or dementia, from Homes in Solihull, Surbiton, High Wycombe and Worthing.
Bob served in the Army for six years from 1954. He had no culinary experience but “was sent to training school for cooks”. His first posting was with the Northampton Regiment, and he was sent to Korea where he cooked meals three times a day for 200 men. He recalled:
“Everyone says what terrible food it was in the Army, but we only had primitive gas stoves to use.” Bob went on to serve in Japan and Hong Kong and, after demobbing, worked as a chef at a hospital for children and young people with Down’s syndrome. He said: “The skills I learnt in the Army stayed with me and benefited me for the rest of my life.”
Nutrition & Hydration Week promotes the vital importance of food and drink in maintaining health, wellbeing and recovery, particularly within health and social care settings.
Bob has lived at Royal Star & Garter since 2022, and said he looks forward to mealtimes, where he sits with friends and enjoys breakfast, lunch and dinner. He said:
“I used to cook for many people, so I know how challenging it is. The food served at Royal Star & Garter is delicious and healthy and I dare say a damn sight better than the food I was serving to soldiers in Korea in the 1950s! But it’s not just tasty, it’s fresh and healthy and full of goodness.”
Royal Star & Garter Homes also host regular meetings between residents and chefs, where they can feedback on the food and discuss menus.
Shirley Hall is Director of Care & Wellbeing at Royal Star & Garter. She said:
“Food brings people together and plays an important role in the care we offer in all our Homes. A great deal of thought and care goes into the meals we provide. Eating and drinking healthily can maintain residents’ physical strength, cognitive function and emotional wellbeing. It can prevent illnesses and reduce the use of medication. All this is crucial in the care for older adults.”
The Surbiton Home also hosts a Lunch Club, which aims to tackle loneliness and isolation in the Armed Forces community, and is open to veterans and partners of veterans living with disability, or early-stage dementia. The sessions consist of a two-hour visit with a two or three-course meal, conversation and support from staff, and usually cost £10.
Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton is welcoming new residents. For more information on this, Lunch Club or to work for the Home, go to www.starandgarter.org/surbiton
