The gift of Christmas lunch

If you thought a white Christmas was the ideal, think again! As temperatures in many countries across the globe continued to drop, Christmas lunch in sunny South Africa was truly blissful. Hats off to the chefs and staff at the Island Diner, making the day a complete success for many families.

Christmas lunch can be very stressful, especially when you have a big family. There’s plenty to cook, to prepare and to clean. This year, the Island Diner simplified matters for many families, offering a Christmas lunch buffet inside Indigo Bay.

There were two sittings, the first from 12h00 to 14h00. One hundred and thirty people were wined and dined to the point of pleasurable satiety in the first seating. After their meal, some families happily moved outside to allow the restaurant to be prepared for the second sitting. “That was really nice,” said a man with a British accent, while he and another couple enjoyed a Patron Tequila in the afternoon sun. “When ever you order online you never know, but today was lovely” he continued.

Inside, the waitrons speedily rearranged the restaurant, reset tables and set the food out. With the garnishes and finishing touches in place the next group of over a hundred people arrived. Within minutes- crackers shot off across the restaurant and champagne bottles were opened to celebrate Christmas with loving family members. In the corner of the room, the music began to play as customers made their way to the buffet.

From the eldest to the youngest, there was a dish that pleased everyone. The Christmas buffet menu offered a variety of assorted salads, meats, bakes, vegetables and desserts. One boy was happy piling his plate with heaped spoons of rice. He then returned for another helping twice the size of the first. By the time he made his way to the dessert table, he glanced at the table with cautionary eyes. After eyeballing the ice cream- one eye open, the other closed- he dished heaps into a bowl and walked back to his family smiling as he sat down.

Overall people were very happy and were able to celebrate Christmas sticking to the tradition that Christmas time is a time to share with family, to enjoy each other’s company and count their blessings. Fussing about the cooking and cleaning was not an option for these folk.

A couple sharing Christmas together said they were happy spending Christmas alone together and that they would have Christmas lunch at Indigo Bay again in the future. “It was very nice, especially with the view. It’s very relaxing” said another woman sitting at a table next to the window.

Here’s to Christmas, celebrating the gift of life and gift of good food!