Thanks to a kind-hearted Keswick couple a group of local people will be able celebrate Christmas with a festive lunch to remember this year.
For the last five years Jackie and Tim Attwood, of The Keswick Kitchen based at Sunset Hill on the outskirts of the town, have been offering take-away Christmas lunches for people in the area.
However, this year they will be offering traditional Christmas lunches to 18 people in the Keswick area who would benefit from a little festive kindness.
Jackie said: “We are able to do this thanks to a very kind local lady who donated the cost of five Christmas lunches but who wishes to remain anonymous.
“When we then asked through social media for people to nominate possible recipients, I got further donations from other kind Keswick folk.”
Now Jackie has donations for 18 turkey lunches with all the trimmings, of which 16 have already been nominated to worthy recipients.
“These are very kind gestures and have obviously helped our business at The Keswick Kitchen. While it was not me that donated the meals, I get all the pleasure of telling people they have been nominated for a lunch,” said Jackie.
Jackie’s Christmas lunch takeaway menu is roast Cumbrian turkey, Cumberland pigs in blankets, home-made bacon, garden herb and chestnut stuffing, home-made cranberry and port sauce, creamy mash, herby roast potatoes, Christmas clementine carrots, Brussel sprouts and pancetta, wilted greens, honey-roasted parsnips, and Christmas gravy – followed by sticky Christmas pudding and Baileys cream.
She said: “I will have the pleasure of delivering our festive lunches on Christmas Eve – I feel like a culinary Mrs Christmas.
“They will be ready to plate and reheat on Christmas Day, so no cooking, no peeling, no burning and, most importantly, no dishes!”
The Keswick Kitchen, which the Attwoods run with chef David Jackson, also offers the popular Sunset Supper Club weekly foody events – when coronavirus lockdown restrictions are not in place. The evenings are held at the Sunset Hill dining venue, for people who have a genuine passion for food.
Jackie said: “It was with a heavy heart that David, Tim and I had to close the door during the two lockdowns, cancelling events which included an eight-course Taste of Cumbria menu, and also the Indonesian Street Food and the Taste of the South Americas nights.”
Instead, the team has adapted its supper club and is now offering takeaway options which include roast Cumbrian beef, Cumbrian pork and a home-made vegetarian/vegan nut roast.
Jackie said: “We are staying positive and have already taken bookings for New Year’s Eve, so fingers crossed we can go ahead. It will be under the title A night to remember in a year to forget.
“If the coronavirus social rules are relaxed over the festive period we will also do a Christmas menu as we did last year at Sunset Hill, 7pm for a 7.30pm sit down with carriages at 1am. Or, if we go into full lockdown again, refunds will be offered,” she added.
All information on dates, future events and menus can be found on The Keswick Kitchen Facebook page
