Cumbrian Butchers and Makers Cranstons and their suppliers and customers have raised over £3000 for Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland. Over 250 customers and friends of the business attended two festive food evenings enjoying choral music, butchery demonstrations and festive food samples. All ticket and raffle proceeds were donated.
The first charity night was held at Cranstons Orton Grange Food Hall on Thursday 28th November and raised £1017. Zing Choir from Carlisle provided the music. The Cumbrian Cider Company of Appleby and Gretna Bakery served mulled cider and hot mince pies throughout the evening and local suppliers John Watt Coffee House, Mawbray Cheese Co, Fyne Fish, and Brack ‘N’ Brew handed out lots of delicious festive tasters and tipples. Cranstons butchery team demonstrated their skills preparing Christmas centre pieces throughout the night.
This Wednesday 4th December Cranstons Cumbrian Food Hall in Penrith hosted it’s charity food night raising £2085 for local charity Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland. The Crown Inn Singers from Morland entertained guests with Christmas carols. Cumbrian Cider Co, Brysons of Keswick, Fyne Fish, English Lakes Ice Cream, Appleby Creamery, Lakes Free Range Egg Co, Lakeland Vintners and If Knew You Were Coming all attended show casing their produce.
Martin Jones Cranstons Deputy Managing Director manager said: “The festive food night’s have been a real success this year, bringing together Cumbria’s brilliant food and drink producers in the name of charity. Cranstons have a long standing link with Hospice at Home and we are proud to be a Business Partner of this wonderful and essential local charity.’’
‘’Sadly over the years several of our staff have had to cope with illness within their families and have found the services the Hospices provide enormously helpful during difficult times. The generosity of our suppliers the customers who attend our charity shopping nights is just fantastic and I would like to thank them for their wonderful support. I would also like to thank Zing Choir and Crown Inn Singers for providing the entertainment which made us all feel very Christmassy’’
Additional to these 2 events Cranstons will be donating 50p from every luxury Christmas pudding they sell this year to Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland as part of their annual Christmas fund raising drive. The delicious traditional fruit puddings are made for Cranstons by Classic Desserts, Dacre and are on sale in all Cranstons 6 shops.
Julie Blundell, Fundraising and Marketing Manager of Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland said: “We would like to give sincere thanks to our friends and Business Partners Cranstons for their great support of hospice care in the home. ‘’
“The charity is extremely grateful for their continuous annual commitment which has taken place over many, many years. This generosity has included helping the Charity raise awareness and funds within their Shops and Food Halls to kindly donating products, organising events and raising great funds when gaining sponsorship funds for a variety of challenges. This tremendous contribution will enable the Clinical team to continue to provide free end of life care, bringing local patients and their families comfort during difficult times. These annual events and tremendous funds raised would not be possible without the kind support of the Cranstons Team, the attendees who donate so generously and the wonderful Volunteers who commit such a huge amount of time and enthusiasm’’
Cranstons will announce their Christmas 2019 fundraising total in January when the last of their charity Christmas puddings have been sold.