A PUB landlady in the heart of Northwich is cooking Christmas lunch free of charge for more than 30 of her customers so they don't have to spend the day on their own.
Emma Smith, who has been running the Swinging Witch on Witton Street for two years, is providing a three-course festive feast completely on December 25, as a well as conversation, companionship, warmth, and plenty of festive cheer.
The guest list now stands at around 30, but it is still growing, and Emma intends to do all the cooking herself.
With pubs, bars, and restaurants suffering from the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, Emma said she wants to thank her regulars who support her and her staff week in, week out.
She said: “Some of my customers, especially some of the older generation who have lost their partner or are out of touch with their family, wake up on Christmas morning with nobody and they do nothing.
"I just thought, I’ve got a nice warm pub, and I’ve got my family with me, so why can’t they join me?”
“Some of them come in every single day for a couple of pints of John Smiths and watch the racing. As they support me every day, it’s not really doing a lot for me to support them once a year.
“The pub won’t close until two in the morning on Christmas Eve, so I’ll probably get into bed at 4am, and then I’ll be up and cooking with the full day ahead of me.
“It’s going to be no day off for me really, but I wouldn’t have it any other way for my customers.
Though Emma has many years’ experience in the hospitality sector, the Swinging Witch is the first pub where she is in charge and has the freedom to take on projects like this.
The 45-year-old explained these kinds of opportunities are what make being a pub landlady worthwhile.
She added: “We’re a community pub in the hearth of Northwich, and we try to do what we can to bring a little happiness to the people of the town.
“We did a collection for the foodbank that ran until the end of November and we collected hundreds of food packages.
“This is the next thing we are doing. We just want to support anyone who would otherwise be alone."
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