A recipe book created for a care charity has gone on sale to keen cooks around Oxfordshire.

The Book for Cooks who Care was created by The Orders of St John Care Trust, which provides care for older people and has 17 homes in Oxfordshire.

The book is a collection of 130 recipes, both quirky and traditional, donated by the trust’s residents and staff.

Frances Chapman, the trust’s catering and housekeeping manager, originally decided to create the book as a ‘manual’ for the homes under their care.

She said: “I asked all the homes for ideas and was really unprepared for the response.

“I received more than 600 recipes, including some old family and regional favourites as well as new and healthy options.

“We then realised the book would have wider appeal and extra copies could be sold to raise funds for our homes.

“Our tasting panels of residents and staff really enjoyed the rigorous cooking and taste tests, and the final selection was carefully chosen to suit every occasion and budget.

“We’ve also included hints on healthy eating and special diets.”

The book lists classic favourites like Lancashire Hot Pot, Faggots, and Trifle, next to lesser known donated family recipes such as Christmas Eve Soup, and Butternut Squash Chutney.

It also includes regional classics such as Banbury Cakes, traditional spicy fruit cakes from north Oxfordshire.

The Oxford Times food writer and trained chef Helen Peacocke, who contributed the foreword, said that good, healthy food was important for the elderly.

She added: “Meal times should be something the elderly look forward to, even anticipate with some excitement.

“As they rely on others to prepare their meals, they deserve nothing but the best.”

The book costs £9.99 and is available directly from any of the OSJCT’s Oxfordshire care homes.

Copies are also available by calling the trust’s county office on 01865 202356.