The catering teams at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) have cooked up a staggering 4,800 free Christmas meals for staff and around 600 for patients across the Trust’s three hospital sites.
The teams served up a colossal 190kg of Brussel sprouts, 135 turkeys, 340 litres of gravy and 3,850 Christmas puddings.
Across the three sites people were given the following choices:
• Butternut squash soup as a starter
• Roast turkey, bacon-wrapped sausage, stuffing and cranberry sauce as a main course
• Mushroom stroganoff in a puff pastry case as a vegetarian option
• Traditional Christmas pudding with white sauce or homemade trifle as a dessert
A member of staff at the RLI said: “Our catering teams across the sites should be praised for the effort they go to every year to produce a really cracking Christmas dinner – it’s always delicious.”
A patient added: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my meal today. A big thank you to all of the staff who cooked it.”
As well as serving up Christmas dinners to staff and patients, the teams also served food to the community. The RLI team was at the Lancaster Ice Rink serving fresh soup to people from local residential homes. In Barrow, the FGH team sent out 300 Christmas meals to some of the most isolated people in the community as part of a Meals on Wheels service.
Sue Smith, OBE, Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Chief Nurse, UHMBT, said: “I would like to say a big thank you to our catering teams who go above and beyond every year to bring the spirit of Christmas to our staff many of who will be working over the festive season and those patients who are in hospital over Christmas and unable to spend that special day with their families. The work our catering teams are doing to help some of the most vulnerable people in our communities is also very special.”
For those people in the community who may be alone during the festive period the Trust’s restaurants will be open at the following times:
Skylight Restaurant, RLI
• Tuesday 24 December (Christmas Eve) 8am-2pm
• Wednesday 25 December (Christmas Day) 12pm-2pm
• Thursday 26 December (Boxing Day) 12pm-2pm
Lonsdale Grill, FGH
• Wednesday 25 December (Christmas Day) 8am -1pm