Stroke Rehabilitation Centre helps head chef get back in the kitchen

In 2017, Enrique moved from Spain to live in Cardiff. His interests include cooking, climbing, attending Crossfit, socialising with friends and taking every opportunity to improve his (already excellent) English language. Enrique is passionate about food and cooking and was Head Chef at a Cardiff restaurant. In October 2023, at the age of 35, Enrique suffered a life changing stroke.

Enrique was admitted on to the Acute Stroke ward at University Hospital Wales, then transferred to Stroke Rehabilitation Centre (SRC) for intensive rehab therapy.

Enrique was very motivated and worked extremely hard on his rehabilitation during his time at the SRC. He engaged with other patients, built great friendships and enjoyed attending group therapy sessions. It was during one of the baking therapy sessions in December that Occupational Therapy lead, Amy, offered Enrique the opportunity to lead on the next few cooking groups. Initially taken aback by the offer, but after confirming that Amy was serious, Enrique said that he would love the opportunity to teach cooking.

The following week, Enrique ran his first session teaching the patients to make ‘Empanadas’ (a Spanish pasty). After the success of this group (including fantastic feedback from patients and staff), Enrique went on to run three more groups where the patients made marbled chocolate brownies, banoffee blondies and white chocolate cheesecakes. For the last group before his discharge, Enrique asked his parents to bring in his chef uniform, so there was officially a Head Chef on site.

The cooking sessions were very enjoyable, full of smiles and laughter. The sessions were therapeutic and an excellent activity for upper limb, cognitive and communication rehab for the patients following their stroke.

By giving Enrique this opportunity to lead with passion, Amy and the team were able to reduce his feelings of occupational deprivation and provide the opportunity to complete an activity that was really meaningful to him.

Enrique is now receiving rehab in the community at home with the Stroke Early Supported Discharge (ESD) Team. Reflecting on his time at SRC, Enrique said;

“I am happy to say that leading the cooking group has been one of the most exciting, enjoyable and rewarding experiences I’ve had being an inpatient at the Stroke Rehabilitation Centre, UHL. Not just for the opportunity to share and teach one of my biggest passions, which is cooking, but also being surrounded by all the therapists who give us all the positivity, motivation and encouragement to keep on working on our recovery and get back to the normality of our lives before the huge impact that having a stroke is. A special mention to Amy Price OT Technician because she was the one that suggested the idea of doing the cooking class.

It was an awesome experience, not just for the therapy part involved in it but also sharing smiles, laughs and a pretty decent meal with the rest of the patients, made the cooking class the best experience since I had the stroke.

Not to mention the huge amount of positive feedback given by both patients and staff that kept asking for more classes weeks after the first one. That gave me fire and inspiration to keep doing more and more classes and the try to squeeze as many in as possible before getting discharged.

So for all of that and much more…. Thanks to the Stroke Rehab Centre team!!”