Candlelight Christmas 2012

There was a new look to the Candlelight Christmas dinners in December.

The hugely popular series of seasonal music and festive food added an up-tempo experience courtesy of the Birdland Duo with their jazzy twist on some traditional songs.

Pianist Matt and vocalist Lorna got the evenings off to a foot-tapping start with their own arrangements of Yuletide favourites

The entertainment was followed by a four-course dinner provided by award-winning chef Anthony Morgan from Belbroughton, with guests choosing from a specially prepared menu of:

Pre-starter

Tomato and red pepper soup

Starter

Pressed smoked chicken and papaya terrine, toasted brioche, coriander oil.
Or
Red snapper and haddock fish cake, horseradish and lemon cream
Or
Warm young leek and cheddar tartlet, with rocket salad, balsamic dressing

Main

Traditional Roast Worcestershire Turkey with chestnuts, apricot seasoning and poached cranberries
Or
Slow cooked Blade of Herefordshire Beef “Bourguignon” with roast shallots, smoked bacon, wild mushrooms and red wine
Or
Oven baked flat mushroom, layered with its own risotto, fresh tomato sauce
Panache of vegetables and potatoes

Dessert

A plate of English local cheese, with celery, chutney, grapes and crackers
Or
Individual Christmas pudding with brandy custard and stewed plums
Or
Raspberry and vanilla crème brûlée, cinnamon shortbread biscuits

The dinners, on three Fridays leading up to Christmas, attracted more than three hundred guests who rounded off the evenings with some rousing carol singing.