Success for canalside Northants restaurant in giving away free Christmas dinners to those in need

It was a success for a canalside Northamptonshire restaurant that wanted to give away free Christmas dinners to those in need.

The Narrowboat at Weedon initially planned to give away 20 free meals on Christmas Eve and issued a message through the Chronicle & Echo to encourage people to reach out.

Those in need, who may not have otherwise been able to afford a Christmas dinner this year, were encouraged to contact The Narrowboat to express interest.

Julian Witts-Hynt is the general manager of the restaurant after his sister Jules took over. The venue has done lots for charity throughout 2023 and the team recently completed a charity weekend in aid of Mind.

Despite the fact Jules was away for Christmas, she wanted to help individuals and families. From the outset of taking over The Narrowboat, this is something she knew she wanted to do during the festive season.

When asked how it all went, Julian said: “It was really good. We gave away 15 meals on Christmas Eve. Some people came to collect from the pub and the majority were delivered to the people and their families.

“The chef made another 10 meals and on Christmas morning I went into Northampton to look for homeless people. I was advised to go to the Hope Centre and donated another 10 four-course meals there.”

Julian described the way the recipients were “overwhelmed” with the soup, turkey dinner, Christmas pudding, mince pie and cracker.

It was not just those in Weedon who benefitted, but others from the surrounding local villages like Flore too.

“It was a real good success,” Julian added. “Jules is looking to do it next year and annually for as long as she’s at The Narrowboat.”

It was a mixture of both individuals and families who received the Christmas dinners, and the team even took treats over for a recipient’s dog.

“The team can’t get over it and are over the moon with what my sister’s done,” said Julian.

Julian, Jules and The Narrowboat team hope to continue their charity work next year with a number of calendared events.

The first is a DJ night in aid of Mind in February, after which Jules will plan more events for other vital charities.