When you think of perfect Christmas dining, what do you imagine? Is it real Christmas trees, open fires, beautifully decorated period interiors and tables piled with fabulous food? The Christmas family events at Pittodrie House can offer all that – and more.
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With special Christmas family events taking place during December at the country house hotel located just outside Inverurie, you can even enjoy Sunday lunch or afternoon tea before meeting Santa himself, as he’ll be visiting his workshop in the grounds of Pittodrie House in December.
In recent years, Afternoon Tea with Santa has been a much-loved Christmas family event, and this year the hotel is excited to launch a Sunday Lunch with Santa for an experience little ones will love. Dates for the special Santa events are:
- Afternoon Tea with Santa, December 3 – 17 at 1.30pm
- Sunday Lunch with Santa, December 10 at 12pm
We spoke to Andrew Leggat, hotel manager at Pittodrie House, to find out more about the exciting Christmas family events and the private dining options on offer at the hotel during December.
A Sunday lunch with Santa
Andrew told us: “This is the first time we’ve done a Sunday Lunch with Santa, but our Afternoon Tea with Santa is a well-known event.
“Our Sunday lunches are very popular all year round, so we thought a Sunday Lunch with Santa would be an ideal Christmas event for all the family.
“We’re really lucky to have our Santa’s workshop. At both the Afternoon Tea and the Sunday lunch with Santa, families will dine in the ballroom and will then be invited out table by table to meet Santa in his workshop and receive presents for the kids too.
“Santa’s workshop is in a cottage on our grounds. It feels exciting and a little unknown when you’re walking down to it. But when you get there, it’s really cosy with a log burner and lots of decorations. It’s really quite unique.”
Special Santa afternoon teas
The hotel prides itself in creating a warm welcoming environment where parents and children can relax and enjoy themselves, as Andrew explained: “It’s very much a family-focused atmosphere. We have Christmas movies playing, we have a kid’s area up on the stage and our staff even dress up for the occasion. Our family Santa events are held in the ballroom so there’s plenty of space too.”
You won’t need to worry about picky little eaters either as there is a focus on child-friendly food alongside traditional afternoon tea treats and Christmas favourites. “We cater for children with a special menu for both our festive lunches and afternoon teas,” says Andrew.
“There is a selection of child-friendly sandwiches and homemade cakes and sweet treats, including festive shortbread, reindeer teacakes and snowmen marshmallows for example.
“For Sunday lunch we have our traditional roast dinner menu, however we serve it family style. A board will be brought to your table with roast meats and accompaniments; the idea being it’s like a family Sunday lunch with the roast in the centre of the table and everyone helps themselves.
“Of course, there will be all the Christmas favourites – turkey breast, bacon roll, chipolatas and accompaniments like sage and onion stuffing, brussels sprouts and all the rest.”
Festive fine dining with family and friends
However, throughout December there are other festive dining options too. Monday to Friday there is a Christmas Lunch menu ideal for a table of friends, and Afternoon Tea makes the perfect excuse for a festive get-together.
Private dining at Pittodrie House also offers great options for Christmas, be it a meal with friends, corporate dining or a family gathering.
Andrew told us more: “We’ve got some fantastic private dinning spaces, like the library that can be for 6-8 people, or the billiard room that can seat up to 20 for example. Our private dining is perfect for people looking for more of a fine dining experience with nice wine and drinks, but not a DJ and disco playing Mariah Carey!
“Our private dining is popular for corporate Christmas events seeking more of a dinner than a party night, but equally our private dining is ideal for families who want to get together for a festive gathering but not all in someone’s house.”
Home from home private dining
Bringing family together for a private Christmas dining experience in the beautiful surroundings of the hotel needn’t be formal or intimidating either explains Andrew: “For our family dinners it can be set up so that everyone sits together around one big table.
“You can have a menu created for you by our chefs and it can be served family style, like our Sunday lunches, with big bowls of chipolatas and roast potatoes on the table and the roast in the centre.”
Private dining can be a wonderful alternative to hosting at home, and as Andrew says, “It can be like hosting in your own home, only Pittodrie House is your home for the evening.”
Events and dining can be booked directly with the hotel by telephone on 01467 622437 or by emailing reception@pittodrie-house.co.uk.