Oct 2020
International Chef's Day - meet Jason Chef at OSJCT Marston Court, Oxford
Talented chef Jason brings his culinary creativity to themed days at the home.
(Burn's Night photograph from January 2018)
The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT) is marking International Chef’s day (20 October) by highlighting and recognising its hard-working chefs. Meet Jason Rees, Chef at Marston Court in Oxford.
Jason joined the Trust in 2006 working across several homes and helping to set up Isis Court, before taking up the role of chef at Marston Court.
The trained patisserie chef started in the trade after school, aged 17. He has worked in hotels, prisons and factories as well as running a team of 20 chefs at the John Radcliffe Hospital for six years.
Having children, five boys, led Jason to seek a role more suited to family life and the job as chef at Marston Court has turned out to be ideal.
Jason explained: “I thoroughly enjoy cooking at OSJCT Marston Court, I have the scope to cater to our resident’s individual needs. I visit the four lounges daily to find out what our residents want to eat, and I take time to garnish their food and make it look attractive.
“I look forward to our monthly coffee mornings, as I love making cakes and decorating them to the residents’ tastes. From fruit gateaux to Alabama fudge cakes, they all go down well.”
Jason also works with the home’s activity coordinator to support themed events by using food to intrigue residents and their taste buds. Always willing to be flexible with menus, Jason embraces the ideas that are put forward like the Dining around the World days – recently offering a special rice pudding for a day themed around the Philippines. He also cooks haggis in January for an annual Burns celebration, which usually involves a Scottish Piper.
Jason said: “Last month, when residents were unable to go to the annual St Giles Fair, we brought it to them, with fair games and a fully stocked sweet trolley.”
Outside of work Jason shares cooking responsibilities with his wife and indulges his love of chillies and hot spices with curries for the family.
Photograph shows a sample of cakes produced for September's Macmillan Coffee Morning.