Pubco creates Christmas recipes for people living with cancer

By Emily Hawkins

- Last updated on GMT

Pubco Greene King and cancer support charity Macmillan have devised 10 Christmas recipes
Pubco Greene King and cancer support charity Macmillan have devised 10 Christmas recipes

Related tags Greene king Charity Christmas

Brewer and pubco Greene King has devised 10 Christmas recipes for people living with cancer, in a partnership with charity Macmillan.

Enjoying a meal with family and friends can help people cope with being unable to celebrate Christmas as usual, the charity said.

Jo Pain, a specialist Macmillan dietitian who helped to create the dishes, explained that patients could experience eating difficulties from the cancer itself or from treatment side effects.

Thai massaman curry with leftover turkey and potatoes
Thai massaman curry with leftover turkey and potatoes

Eating difficulties

She said: “As a consequence of their treatment, some people with cancer may experience a dry and sore mouth, or have difficulty swallowing, so we have created delicious soft options and soups.

“Others may not have much of an appetite, so we’ve designed small dishes high in vital nutrients. We know many people with cancer have low energy, so we’ve also ensured these recipes are simple to prepare and cook too.”

Recipes include festive staples such as butternut squash and spiced parsnip and were tested by people living with cancer and their families at the pubco’s food development kitchen.

Clare was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and said her treatment had terrible side effects, including having to use a feeding tube for several months.

“When it was removed I had a sore mouth and throat which made eating difficult,” she said.

“When Christmas came around I wanted to celebrate. Even though I could only manage small portions, eating Christmas dinner with my children was like winning the lottery.”

New support

Butternut squash and cranberry nut bake
Butternut squash and cranberry nut bake

Rooney Anand, chief executive officer at Greene King, said the group had worked with Macmillan since 2012 and together had raised more than £4m so far. 

“But this is a positive new way for us to support people with cancer,” he continued.

“We were pleased to be able to offer our expertise and professional kitchen facilities to make a positive impact on the lives of people living with cancer this Christmas.”

Peter Harbrecht-Parker, food development manager at Greene King, described the concoction of the recipes with Macmillan as “a really exciting opportunity for the team”.

He explained: “I started with some of my favourite Christmas dishes, and then worked closely with Macmillan to tailor the ingredients and method to make sure they were ideal for people with cancer.

“My personal favourite recipe is the Boxing Day curry. As well as being great for people with changing tastes, it’s a delicious way to use up left-overs too.”

All the recipes are accessible online on the Macmillan website​.

The recipes:

Recipes for difficulty swallowing

Creamy mash potato

Root vegetable mash

Easy to prepare jelly-less fruit trifle

Recipes for small appetites

Butternut squash and cranberry nut bake

Creamy leek and cauliflower bake

Pig and fig Christmas stuffing

Recipes for a liquid diet

Spiced parsnip and honey soup

Roast tomato and thyme soup

Recipes if you are experiencing taste changes

Thai massaman curry with leftover turkey and potatoes

Orange and nutmeg rice pudding

Related topics Menu Ideas Greene King

Related news

Show more