Intensive Care Unit launches charity cookbook

David Cameron, Michael Caines and Rick Stein are just some of the big names who have provided recipes for ‘Intensive Food’, a charity cookbook in aid of the Intensive Care Unit Trust Fund at the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital.

The recipe book, which contains a collection of over 300 recipes from ICU staff, friends and special celebrity guests, was launched on 4th the December at an event in the ICU. The event was attended by ICU staff, the Lord Mayor of Exeter, members of the RD&E Board of Directors, staff from across the Trust who have donated recipes and previous ICU patient Rolf Clifton.

All the proceeds from sales of the recipe book will go towards providing extra comfort for patients and their relatives during their stay on the unit.
The department’s love of food and drink sparked an idea for the collection of favourite recipes at last year’s Christmas party , and the team, led by Consultant Nurse Carole Boulanger and ICU Matron Marie Toghill, have been busy compiling recipes ever since.

“The ICU team is a very close knit one. We are a team which supports each other through really good days and tough times to do the very best we can for our patients and their families.” said Carole and Marie. “Collecting recipes has created a real buzz around the unit with everyone eager to join in and share their favourites.”
The book covers range of sweet and savoury recipes, each tied together with a chapter introduction from ICU Consultant Dr Roland Black who is famous amongst the team for waxing lyrical on almost any topic. Highlights include a chapter from friends of the unit including a Christmas Pudding recipe from RD&E Chief Executive Angela Pedder and a Pigeon recipe from Chief Nurse/Chief Operating Officer Em Wilkinson-Brice, as well as the celebrity chapter, with high profile chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall , Rick Stein, Nathan Outlaw, Dolton Lodge , the Tanner brothers and more each supplying a recipe. A special final chapter is dedicated to one of our former patients Rolf Clifton, who spent over 50 days as a patient on ICU with Guillain Barre syndrome earlier this year.

Carole and Marie added: “The last three chapters are a complete surprise for our staff. We are very proud of the team we work with, these chapters hopefully go some way to showing how much. The final chapter, for us says it all. It is the reason that we all carry on working in the ICU. Thank you Rolf for your wonderful contribution. You and many others like you are the reason we continue to love our jobs and the team we are fortunate to work alongside.”

Hard copies of the book cost £15 and can be purchased from the the patients liaison and advice service office at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in Wonford. Please contact the PALS office at rde-tr.PALS@nhs.net or 01392 402093 for more information.

Or an ebook is available to purchase from Amazon.