Good Food

A big part of what we do, one of the core reasons we exist is to provide a hot and nutritionally balanced meal once a week to people who are elderly or socially isolated. Good food essentially.

One of the key markers and most damming effects of social isolation is that you do not eat properly. It can be for a variety of reasons, but what ever the reason not eating properly always leads to poorer health and an increase in misery. It may be that having reached a ripe old age, survived your life partner and become infirm you simply cannot do the things you used to. Having given up driving and not being able to use the internet your choices for food shopping quicky become limited. Your dementia may be robbing you of the abilities you once had to cook and provide for yourself. There are a host of reasons but they all add up to the same perfect storm. In order to stay well of any sense you need to eat well.

There is also the social side of eating. Aside from the nutrition and calories, gathering to eat a meal is something to look forward to when you seldom go out. Eating alone is no fun and only reinforces social isolation. Where as when you know you will be seeing people that you know and can can chat with – people who are your generation – that builds an atmosphere of enjoyment that itself eats away at social isolation. So many of the people that join St John’s Honeypot are desperately lonely.

So it’s important for us to put on a good meal and that starts with a good provider. We are very pleased that our meals are sourced from a local firm in Trowbridge, called The Cod Father. Rita and Seb, who run The Cod Father, bend over backwards to cook fresh ingredients and meet all our dietary demands in a range of meal choices. The food is always piping hot and freshly cooked. Rita and Seb always ensure there is plenty to go around and provide a hearty pudding too. We are very grateful to everyone at The Cod Father for their hard work and kindness in supporting what we do.

Often there are left overs which initially go out as “seconds” and even as doggie bag takeaways. One of the surprising aspects of eating in a social group is that people tend to eat more than they would if eating alone. It’s important to know that we are not claiming miracles, but eating well helps with a general baseline of health and happiness. You only have to sit with our members while they eat to see what we mean.