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Executive chef cooks for infirmary residents

Published:Saturday | January 18, 2020 | 12:00 AMCarl Gilchrist/Gleaner Writer
Some of the food prepared by Executive Chef Selwyn Richards.
Executive Chef Selwyn Richards at work inside the St Ann Infirmary kitchen.
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For the last five years, Thora Daley and her team has staged the Elegant You Tea Party in Toronto, Canada, from which funds raised are used to support the St Ann Infirmary, here in Jamaica.

The Elegant You team includes executive chef Selwyn Richards, a Jamaican living in Canada who is rated as one of that country’s top chefs, president of The Art of Catering, and author of The Art of Cooking.

On Wednesday, residents of the infirmary got more than the ordinary treat of gifts being presented to them, as Richards, who recently flew in with Daley and the Elegant Tea team, took the time to personally cook for the 108 residents at the infirmary.

“These people are probably a little more unfortunate, so whenever you can, take the time out to actually make them a good meal from scratch. So it’s not pretentious that it’s leftover, it’s as if we were cooking for anybody else; I make sure I put the love in there so at least they can say well, I had a good meal,” Richards explained to The Gleaner.

“We did mixed green salad with onion dressing, we did Rasta pasta salad, rice and peas in coconut milk, veg medley, jerk chicken and snapper fillet; fruit and pastry, fruit punch and water,” he added.

“We want to bless them and it has to be intentional, you have to put the same care into it because you never know, life is a circle so if you can help, you help.”

The team that included five persons from Canada, along with their local counterparts, were assisted by staff at the infirmary to serve the residents.

The residents were also treated to personal care items, towels, slippers, and dresses for the women. Four diabetic machines and 400 needles were also handed over to the institution.

“It’s our fifth year of celebrations in Canada so it was a blessing to come back again to Jamaica, the land we love, to give back to the less fortunate,” Daley said.

“It has always been a pleasure for me to know that this is my homeland and we can share God’s blessing and God’s love to the people of this island. It always will be a blessing to me to know that whatever I do God will get the glory; people will be happy, and when people are happy they will do good things.”

Senior nurse at the infirmary, Rosebelle Clarke, praised Daley and her team for their gifts.

“It’s so good for her to come in, interact with the residents and do whatever she can, so we do appreciate each year that she makes the effort to come. We really appreciate it,” Clarke said.

Chairman of the Poor Relief Department at the St Ann Municipal Corporation, Dallas Dickenson, also expressed delight at the donation. He, too, thanked Daley and her team for the assistance.