Bedhampton baker donates cheesecake to Queen Alexandra Hospital to thank NHS staff for treating family member

THE OWNER of a homemade cheesecake business has thanked NHS staff for caring for a family member who was being treated for coronavirus.
By Hope Mckellar
Published 18th Apr 2020, 09:09 BST
Updated 19th Apr 2020, 11:07 BST
Roxy Smedley, from Bedhampton, with her grandfather William, who died from Covid-19 last week. Roxy Smedley, from Bedhampton, with her grandfather William, who died from Covid-19 last week.
Roxy Smedley, from Bedhampton, with her grandfather William, who died from Covid-19 last week.

Roxy Smedley, who runs The Cheesecake Vault donated two large rainbow-decorated cheesecakes to say thank you to the doctors and nurses who looked after her grandfather, William in the final stages of his life.

The 86-year-old was cared for at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham for six days, before he died from Covid-19 on Wednesday, April 8.

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Roxy said: ‘The doctors and nurses were so good, they stood with him until the very end, they were really good on the phone when me and my sister were ringing for updates and they were really good with keeping us updated on how he was doing.

The rainbow cheesecake that was donated to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham by Roxy Smedley, who runs The Cheesecake Vault. The rainbow cheesecake that was donated to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham by Roxy Smedley, who runs The Cheesecake Vault.
The rainbow cheesecake that was donated to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham by Roxy Smedley, who runs The Cheesecake Vault.

‘It’s nice to be able to do something that you can do in lockdown to cheer them up and take their mind off things for a little while.’

William, who was from Portchester, manufactured prosthetic legs before retiring.

Roxy said: ‘He was the most kind-hearted man that I’ve ever met. He suffered from a lot of underlying health problems but I never heard him moan once.

‘He was just such a positive, happy and smiley person.

Some of the staff in ward D4 at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham with the cake that was donated by The Cheesecake Vault. Some of the staff in ward D4 at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham with the cake that was donated by The Cheesecake Vault.
Some of the staff in ward D4 at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham with the cake that was donated by The Cheesecake Vault.

‘He wanted us to be happy always.’

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The 21-year-old from Bedhampton set up the business in March 2019 after baking for friends and family and receiving interest through social media after posting pictures on her Instagram account.

She now runs the business from her home alongside her full-time job as a accounts assistant at a motor company.

She specialises in multi-flavoured cheesecakes with different toppings and decorations, as well as cheesecake-filled easter egg halves.

Roxy said: ‘I started making cheesecakes for fun and posting pictures and posting them on my Instagram and got quite a few messages from people asking me to make them one. So I set up a business account, got a logo made to make myself look more professional and it went from there and before I knew it I got really really busy.

‘I think people like my cheesecakes because the biscuit-to-filling ratio is quite generous which is what makes my cakes different.’

Related topics:NHSBedhamptonCovid-19Instagram

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