Christmas dinner is served to residents at The Waterhead Inn
12th December 2024
Elderly residents across South Lakeland were treated to an early Christmas by The Inn Collection Group last Wednesday (December 4) as The Waterhead Inn hosted residents from across the area for its now traditional Christmas lunch.
Aiming to help combat some of the loneliness that can occur during the festive season, the pub’s team once again tapped into its network of contacts in Ambleside and the surrounding areas to invite those in need of a welcome boost.
Almost 100 guest were hosted for what is fast becoming a highlight of the social calendar for the town’s older residents, with Ambleside Parish Centre and Age UK South Lakeland assisting in extending the invitations.
It is also becoming a high point of the year for the inn’s team too, with many giving their time voluntarily to ensure service was smooth and a good time was enjoyed by all.
Starting a 1pm, a freshly prepared three-course meal was rustled up by the kitchen teams and served with a smile by the band of happy little helpers, with starters of Tomato Soup or Melon and Parma Ham followed by either a traditional roast Turkey or Beef dinner or a vegetable wellington.
Giving the chefs plenty of practice ahead of Christmas Day, when The Waterhead Inn is set to welcome more than 140 diners, all the dinners came with the appropriate trimmings and were thoroughly enjoyed.
Traditional festive flavours continued into the day’s final course as Christmas Pudding with brandy sauce, a trio of ice cream or mince pies with tea and coffee rounded out the meal.
Fully fed, watered and full of festive spirit from an afternoon of good company, the invitees began to leave around 3:30pm.
Reflecting on a successful afternoon, assistant manager Richard Eagle said “It was lovely to welcome the guests to the lunch and be able to invite people from across the community in Ambleside and the surrounding villages.
“We were able to welcome double the number of guests we did when we first started the lunch in 2022, and I know from speaking to them throughout the afternoon that they enjoyed the day.
“As an inn, it is important for us to be at the heart of our community and to look after our local residents and I’m hugely grateful to our contacts at those groups who helped us reach a whole new band of people.
“The whole team did a great job in putting on the event, from the front-of-house guys who looked after the diners to the kitchen brigade who turned around delicious food so well done to all.”