Up and down the country, households will be full as families and friends get together to celebrate Christmas. It is undoubtedly a special day but, for the host, it can also be enormously stressful and laborious as expectations (whether self-inflicted or not) rise beyond reason.
This is why some people have called time on peeling potatoes and basting turkeys and have instead turned to hoteliers, restaurateurs and caterers to take all the fuss out of Christmas dinner.
Wendie Gregg, from Co Armagh, has for the past two years has enjoyed Christmas dinner with her mother at a local hotel. The pair intend to do the same thing this year and relish in the prospect of having their special day taken care of.
“I am an only child from a small family so it makes perfect sense to do this,” she says. “I live in Lurgan and drive to a hotel in Belfast to meet my mother for Christmas lunch. We have been twice before, once to a four-star hotel and once to a five-star, and this year we’ll be returning to the five-star as it has the edge with the quality of food.
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“My mum said that I came out of the womb with a taste for luxury and it’s so nice to be handed a glass of on arrival and having a choice of traditional Irish Christmas food, including a vegan option, to pick from – and not having to worry about table set-ups, food prep and timings is bliss. Instead we will walk in, be served beautiful food in lovely surroundings and have no worry about cleaning up, not to mention any arguments over food or seating arrangements. I find it a much nicer experience than cooking all day at home as everyone is so gracious and full of Christmas cheer.”
The 50-year-old acknowledges that being pampered on Christmas Day comes with a price tag attached but she believes it’s worth it.
“Yes, it can be pricey, and I do realise that, in this economy, it’s not for everyone,” she says. “But it is lovely having dinner set down in front of me and not having to constantly worry about everyone else on Christmas Day.
“It has become a lovely tradition, a chance to wear our favourite outfits and enjoy the day. Life is too short to not make new traditions, so if anyone else is considering it, I would say, book that Christmas lunch – but make sure to tip the staff well.”
Barry O’Brien and his wife Mary O’Brien, from Cork, are old hands at dining out for Christmas. For the past few years they have gone to the Great Southern hotel in Killarney, Co Kerry, where they will not only enjoy a fancy meal on the day itself, but will also stay for the whole Christmas period, including Christmas Eve and St Stephen’s Day.
The couple, who are both retired, don’t have any children and have enjoyed Christmas dinner in various other venues over the years, but they say they “are so well looked after and the food is top class” at the Killarney hotel so have made it a tradition.
“One of the staff gave us a Christmas brochure when we were staying there several years ago, and it looked nice, so we decided to try it out and have been going ever since,” says Barry. “We have been there every Christmas for about seven years and everyone knows us and really looks after us. It’s such a festive experience as you arrive to a big roaring fire, lovely decorations and a big Christmas tree – there is also a beautiful crib near to the fire and there is even a small Christmas tree in our room.
“On Christmas Eve they have carol singers and mulled wine and then Santa makes a visit to all of the guests. On Christmas Day, we have a lovely breakfast. The dinner is at around 4pm and, along with the traditional turkey and ham options, you can choose anything you want from the menu. The food is fabulous and it is so festive and relaxing, particularly as there is no washing-up to do afterwards. And then, for anyone who is hungry later, there is a lovely buffet with more delicious food to choose from.”
With a piano player keeping the Christmas mood going and guests singing along if they feel so inclined, there are also seasonal movies, stories read by a visiting elf, and some guest appearances from Santa and Mrs Claus – with festivities continuing right into the next day.
“After a full breakfast on Stephen’s Day, there is a mystery tour and all of the guests are taken off somewhere in a bus,” says Barry. “It’s always a nice day out with an Irish coffee somewhere along the way and when we come back there’s soup and sandwiches and another lovely roaring fire.
“Going to a hotel for Christmas really works for us and I would recommend it to anyone looking for something different as it’s lovely to be looked after and we really are, from start to finish. And for anyone who is worried that Santa might not come, he truly is a great man and always manages to find myself and Mary at the Great Southern.”
But how about getting somebody else to do all the work on Christmas Day without leaving home? Heather O’Sullivan from Kerry reckons she has cracked it.
She and her husband, Brian O’Sullivan, had Christmas dinner out once while in Australia, but they didn’t enjoy it, so haven’t tried it since.
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However, she doesn’t like having to do all the cooking for the occasion, so for the past 15 years, she gets all her food prepared by a caterer and, on the day, does nothing more than “pop it in the oven”.
“In 2002, we went to a five-star hotel in Perth for Christmas dinner and absolutely hated it,” she says. “We both dressed up but were the only people to do so and it was very impersonal as it was just a meal in a huge diningroom – so we said, never again.
“But, as I am so busy working at a jeweller’s in Tralee, and Brian has worked abroad for years, I always had to do everything – the shopping, wrapping, decorating and everything else – so I was always wrecked when the day came around. And, instead of it being a joyful occasion, Christmas had become really stressful; I was closing the shop at 6pm on Christmas Eve and opening again on the 27th.
“So one year, Brian turned to me and said ‘no more, let’s get a caterer’ – that was 15 years ago and it is the best thing we have ever done.”
The busy retailer says that she gave local cordon bleu chef Collette O’Dowd the recipes she would have used herself and every year the food gets cooked and delivered to her house on Christmas Eve, prepped and ready to go.
“She organises absolutely everything – turkey, ham, potatoes, pudding, mince pies and the most amazing salads – and arrives with it on Christmas Eve, just like Santa,” says O’Sullivan. “It’s all in foil trays so there is no mess or faffing about – I just have to slap the turkey in the oven and lay the table and because she has all my recipes, it tastes the same as if I made it myself.
“She prepares all the food we need for the Christmas period so I don’t even have to do a shop until after new year and I have fabulous home-made food for callers. You would think that this service would be expensive, but it actually saves money because she delivers the perfect amount – when I shop, I always buy too much and end up wasting food. She caters for about six to eight people for a week and it costs around €300, which is incredible value. She has given me my Christmas back.”
Options for at-home Christmas catering
- eato.ie – can deliver Christmas dinner around the State for four people for €119.95 – additional individual dishes are priced from €2.95 and a vegan option for one person costs €8.95
- dropchef.com – delivers festive artisan dishes across the country, with prices starting from €145 for two to four people, up to €320 for a table of 10
- donnybrookfair.ie – will provide Christmas dinner for up to 10 people for €395. Deliveries in Dublin only
- butlerspantry.ie – has a variety of options for Christmas dinner in a box, delivered nationwide, starting from €115.00 for two people (the vegan option is €95.00) up to €515.00 for 10-12.
- fallonandbyrne.com – allows you to mix and match your Christmas dinner options, with individual dishes costing from €6.50 – some items are only available for delivery in Dublin
- gourmetparlour.ie – allows customers to choose items individually with canapes starting at €4. Contact for delivery options
