About this episode
Sheila Dillon revisits the inspirational caterers from the very first BBC Food & Farming Awards. They share stories of cooking for people with cancer, HIV and mental illness. Sheila finds out how the work has changed in the last decade and a half. In the case of the Bristol Cancer Care Centre (now called Penny Brohn Cancer Care) work on food and nutrition considered radical and alternative back in 2000 has now received wider acceptance and a place within the NHS. A cafe run by and for people with mental illness in Stirling in Scotland has also continued its work since becoming a finalist in the awards 14 years ago, but funding has been difficult to find and it has had to move to a different location. However, people with depression and anxiety still use the cafe as a way of having social contact. The final catering team, The Food Chain, based in London was set up in 1988 to serve meals to people with HIV. As medication has improved the long term welfare of sufferers, so the charity's work has changed and it's become a place where people come together to share food and learn about nutrition.