by Stephanie Kerr | Nov 27, 2023 | Blogs
It’s never too early to start planning your festive celebrations, and Leamington town centre is the perfect place for a Christmas meal, whether with colleagues, friends or family.
Book now for a festive meal to suit everyone’s tastes, whether you go for a traditional Christmas meal, or a world food option from one of Leamington’s many restaurants serving cuisine from around the world.
The list is long but we’ve picked out 10 places to look at for your festive meal in Leamington, but head over to our full website for all the places you could choose. Just make sure you book early – it’s going to be a busy time in the town.
The Drawing Board
Always a popular choice for great food and fun, The Drawing Board has a special Christmas Party menu. Don’t forget to check out their trademark tapas too. Visit their website here.
Turtle Bay
Turtle Bay is bringing a Caribbean Christmas to Leamington with two and three-course festive menus in what they call a ‘laid back festive feasting experience’. There’s also a bottomless brunch experience and their normal late-night happy hour. For more information, visit turtlebay.co.uk/christmas
The Royal Pug
Popular neighbourhood pub The Royal Pug serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, real ales, fine wines, cocktails, and Sunday roasts all year round and this festive season they’re adding Christmas menus as well as sharing planks to the offering. Check them out here.
Cote
Whether you’re hosting a small gathering or need space for a bigger group, Cote is offering a three-course festive menu available from 30th November to Christmas Eve. Visit their website here.
Casa Valle
For a Mediterranean feel to your Christmas meal, get booked in at Casa Valle for a two or three course meal with the option to add some fizz on arrival. You’ll find more information on their website.
Bistrot Pierre
For a French-inspired festive feast, head to Bistrot Pierre. They’ve got special festive menus plus drinks packages to accompany your special Christmas meal. Check out their website for all their offerings here.
Las Iguanas
Plan a festive fiesta at Latin American restaurant Las Iguanas. They’ve got something on the menu for everyone, from a two or three-course feast to the return of their late-night Bottomless Brunches. Find out more here.
Bedford Street
Boasting live music and a late bar, Bedford Street isn’t just a place for Christmas drinks, offering festive lunches and dinners as well as buffet options. You can even hire an igloo for your festive Christmas meal. Check out their website here.
The White Horse
The White Horse has put together a selection of great dishes to enjoy this festive season. They’ve got festive food menus as well as kids’ options and buffet choices too. Visit their website and start planning your Christmas meal in Leamington today.
Don’t forget to book in early for your festive meal in Leamington town centre. Check out all of Leamington’s food and drink venues on our Eat and Drink directory here.
by Stephanie Kerr | Nov 23, 2023 | News
This December All Saints’ Church in Leamington will be transformed into a magical and dazzling Christmas wonderland from Saturday 9 to Sunday 17 December. The festival will open with a ‘relaxed session’ from 12 to 3pm for those with autism or SENS.
Whittle Productions, the local creative community events company, with Charles Craft from the church piloted the event last year. They welcomed over 3,000 visitors to enjoy these uniquely decorated Christmas trees whilst also supporting the on-site Ukrainian Tisto café and raising funds for the Ups of Downs Charity.
Carole Sleight and David Clargo from Whittle Productions say, ‘We want to create a sparkly festive event in a spectacular location and at the same time promote a wonderful cross section of not-for-profit organisations and local businesses.’
The 5-foot potted trees are supplied by Smith’s Nurseries in Baginton and when you sponsor one its yours to keep or gift on. The trees cost £40 for a charity or not for profit and £60 for a business. The Enchanted Tea Rooms in Leamington will again be sponsoring a large memory tree, where visitors can dedicate a message to a loved one and hang it on this special tree.
The festival is supported by BID Leamington and Councillor Sidney Syson, Leamington Town Council also awarded the festival a community grant for the creation of 5 bespoke trees which will be made with a local school, care homes and community groups. There will be prizes for the most sparkly, upcycled and one with the best back story. The judges BBC Presenter Mary Rhodes, Father Christopher from All Saints’ Church and The Chair of Warwick District Council, Cllr. Sidney Syson will have a busy time selecting from the stunning creations.
This year the festival will be fundraising for local charity Helping Hands who have sponsored 2 trees to represent their Esther project which supports women in our community who are facing challenges such as domestic abuse or homelessness and Elijah’s Rest, a support group for vulnerable men. Lianne Kirkman, Director of Helping hands says ‘We are delighted to be taking part as it’s an opportunity to meet and engage with people and talk about the work we do at Helping Hands supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our community. ‘
If you’d like to sponsor a tree then email [email protected]) entry to the festival is £2, under 18’s entry is free. All are invited to come and experience the magic!
by Stephanie Kerr | Nov 16, 2023 | News
Christmas is coming early to Leamington Spa, as Bistrot Pierre once again teams-up with local charity Warwick Proud Elderly Welfare Services to donate meals to residents who may be in need this festive season.
Leamington Spa diners celebrating with friends and family by eating out this Christmas, will also be contributing towards a free restaurant meal for a resident in their community.
For every Sunday Christmas party booking of six people or more in December, Bistrot Pierre, will gift a free Menu Pierre three-course meal to a Leamington Spa resident, redeemable throughout January 2024. This initiative comes after a year that has seen an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis, and an increase in those relying on charity support[1]. According to independent think tank The Resolution Foundation, studies have found that a further 1.3 million people have been pushed into poverty during 2023[2], in addition to increased social isolation.
The Christmas initiative by French restaurant Bistrot Pierre, first introduced last year, will donate dinners to well-deserving Leamington Spa residents, nominated by local charity Warwick Proud Elderly Welfare Services, providing a place for the community to gather and celebrate the festive season together.
The Warwick Proud Elderly Welfare Services community outreach has been chosen for its support of older residents in limited situations, who are often unable to leave their homes. The community service work tirelessly with nursing and hospice staff as well as residents, who often give their time on a voluntary basis.
“We have worked within our community for nearly 30 years, supporting those whose circumstances often mean they are often isolated”, says Andi Horbury from the Warwick Proud Elderly Welfare Services. “We felt so welcomed by the Bistrot Pierre team last year and are grateful to be partnering again this year. The day helped bring people together and made our volunteers and older residents feel noticed.
“We wish to thank all those who give their time for the support of our vulnerable residents, from nursing and hospice staff to anyone who has volunteered with us.”
“We are delighted to be welcoming back our community charity partners this Christmas”, says Bistrot Pierre’s CEO Nick White. “Community is at the heart of what we do and as families continue to struggle with the cost-of-living this Christmas, we want to open our doors and welcome those most in need to enjoy a well-deserved and much-needed treat on us.
“We hope customers will want to get involved and make a difference to the lives of vulnerable residents in Leamington Spa. We are still taking bookings for our Christmas period, so we’re encouraging customers to try and be as generous as possible and enjoy a little bit of festive fun with us, which will also help those residents most in need in the area.
“It goes without saying, that we want to say thank you to Warwick Proud Elderly Welfare Services for all the incredible work they do for the Leamington Spa community. And most importantly, we hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!”
For further information about Bistrot Pierre and to book a table this Christmas, please visit: www.bistrotpierre.co.uk. For more information about the Warwick Proud Elderly Welfare Service please visit www.facebook.com/WarwickProudWelfare/
[1] www.charitylink.net/blog/cost-of-living-crisis-impact-uk-charities#:~:text=86%25%20of%20charitable%20organisations%20are,increased%20demand%20for%20their%20services
[2] www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/inflation-nation/#:~:text=As%20a%20result%2C%20a%20further,projected%20to%20recovery%20swiftly%20from.
by Stephanie Kerr | Oct 23, 2023 | News
Families are being invited to get creative ahead of a much-loved Leamington event which lights up the town to welcome in the festive season.
Leamington’s 13th annual Lantern Parade is set to be held on December 3 and will see hundreds of residents and visitors parade homemade paper lanterns through the town in a dazzling display.
This year’s event has an optional ‘Magical Creatures’ theme, and six free lantern frame-making workshops are being held where people can get inspiration and craft their creations.
The workshops, starting this weekend, will be held from 11am to 3pm on October 29, November 1, November 5, November 11, November 19 and November 25 in the former Top Man unit in the Lower Mall of Royal Priors Shopping Centre.
Workshops will be run on a first-come, first-served basis, and participants should allow one to two hours to make a frame, which can then be finished off at home.
The Lantern Parade is inspired by ‘The Lights of Leamington’ event, which lit up Jephson Gardens from 1951 to 1961.
It is organised by BID Leamington with the support of local businesses, and this year Whittle Productions, a local Community Interest Company (CIC), will also be supporting the delivery of the event.
The lantern frame-making workshops are being sponsored by Art Friends Warwickshire, a not-for-profit organisation which supports the development of artistic skills in the town.
Stephanie Kerr, Executive Director of BID Leamington, said: “The Lantern Parade is a beautiful event that families look forward to every year.
“We absolutely love seeing the creations that are made and we know we are going to see something special this year.
“We are delighted to be hosting the workshops in the Royal Priors Shopping Centre ahead of this year’s event in December, which will not only feature our spectacular parade, but will also welcome some new entertainment.
“As always, we wish to thank our supporters – the local businesses, sponsors, artists and volunteers who make this possible.”
Carole Sleight, of Whittle Productions, added: “We are excited to welcome everyone to six exciting ‘Magical Creatures’ lantern-making workshops and can’t wait to see what creatures emerge from these artist-led making sessions.”
For those making their creations at home, lantern-making packs can also be purchased from the BID Leamington offices in Park Street from Monday to Friday.
For more information, including how to build a lantern, visit www.leamingtonlanternparade.co.uk
Image Caption: Preparing for lantern making from left to right: Carole Sleight, of Whittle Productions; Stephanie Kerr, of BID Leamington; Ali Mckellar, of Sambassadors of Groove; Nicci Selby, one of the workshop facilitators; David Howells, of Art Friends Warwickshire and artist Diana Fallowes.
by Stephanie Kerr | Oct 19, 2023 | News
Royal Leamington Spa Town Council and the Leamington in Bloom Group are delighted to announce that the town has been awarded a Gold award in the regional Heart of England in Bloom competition, ‘Small City’ category.
The awards event was held at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall on Thursday 5th October, where the Mayor of Leamington Spa, Cllr Alan Boad, was present and collected the award.
The Heart of England judges visited several locations of the town on 4th July. In a change from recent years, where the focus has been on formal floral displays, the Judges were shown around various community green spaces, including Foundry Wood, Dale Street Methodist Church ‘Good News’ Garden and Wych Elm Wood. The Friends of Leamington Station put on a beautiful display as did the id-verde and WDC teams at the ever-popular Jephson Gardens. The much-admired floral trains in both of those locations, with colours chosen to celebrate the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, were outstanding as usual.
Mayor Alan Boad said: “This is excellent news for our beautiful town and I congratulate and thank those who work so hard all year round to make Leamington Spa colourful and welcoming. I also applaud the growth of community gardening which plays an every-increasing part in the physical and emotional well-being of our residents. My thanks go to the Leamington in Bloom Committee who work to make our entry into this competition possible, the groups that took part, the commitment of the Town Council and the hard work of the Green Spaces Team at the District Council who helped to achieve the Gold award this year
