Sarah Mitchell has retired after three decades of making meals and touching lives. She served as our lead cook and was a beloved member of our Dietary Department team. Among our employees, Mitchell is known for incredibly delicious fried chicken served with a big helping of kindness. They gathered at her farewell brunch Friday for the chance to celebrate her retirement and express how much she has meant to them over the years.

“We all are here today to say thank you, Miss Sarah,” said Dietary Manager Johnathan Barnes. “You have fed us like we were your kids.”

Director of Admissions Shannon Randolph said Mitchell took care of her and fed her during two pregnancies.

“You were always the same no matter what time of the day it was. Always gracious and always smiling,” Randolph said. “You just have shoes that can’t be filled.”

Mitchell started her career at Capitol Hill as the cook’s helper and never thought she would become the lead cook. When offered her chance, she took it and excelled.

“I never worried when I saw Miss Sarah was here,” said Sharon Baker, former Capitol Hill administrator. “She has done an astonishing job nourishing the residents and staff.”

During the years, Mitchell often took new kitchen staff under her wing and showed them how to make some of her favorite dishes such as macaroni and cheese and her famous fried chicken. In homage, her farewell brunch featured fried chicken and waffles on the menu. She credits her unique blend of seasonings as one secret behind what makes her chicken so popular. The other can’t be found in a cookbook and is part of why she will be missed.

“I like being around the people. We laugh and joke,” she said. “I will miss all my friends and being around everyone every day.”

One thing she may not miss is 30 years of getting up at 4 a.m. so she can make breakfast. Among her top retirement plans is well-deserved time to “relax.” 

Thank you and congratulations on a job well done, Miss Sarah!