Christmas Smiles at Orchid and Spaghetti Wednesdays at Spaghetti House

Project Christmas Smiles​

Orchid pubs in the Midlands and Wales are uniting to launch a project to host a variety of fundraising initiatives to help children who are unable to spend Christmas with their families. Area manager Pip White and his team of 16 pubs will be running Project Christmas Smiles up until Christmas, with planned events including a football match, cycle ride and X-Factor contest. “Unfortunately, there are many children and families who have to stay in hospital during the festive season, so we want to take some Christmas cheer to them,” said White. “Our target is to raise £15,000 by Christmas to buy gifts for those children who will be in hospitals or hospices.” The project also aims to provide toys, games and technology equipment s othey can continue with their studies. The planned events are being highlighted on a dedicated website, www.projectchristmassmiles.org​.

Spaghetti Wednesdays

Italian restaurant chain Spaghetti House has launched the Spaghetti Wednesday Club at the centrally-located St Martin’s Lane branch and original Goodge Street restaurant. The club provides a straightforward offer on Wednesdays, which changes every month. “This is a genuine offer to reward our loyal customers,” said Spaghetti House marketing director Diane King. “We don’t inflate our prices only to discount them, and rather than participating in coupon offers, we pass the savings directly to our regulars.” November’s offer is ‘pasta da dividere per £10’ (pasta to share for £10), which normally sells at £8.95 per portion. Guests download the voucher as often as they want during the month from the website www.spaghettihouse.co.uk​.

St Andrew’s Day beer and whisky dinner​

Scottish independent brewer Innis & Gunn is to team up with Bowmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky to host a special St Andrew’s Day beer and whisky dinner at the Drafthouse, Tower Bridge, on Wednesday 30 November. The chef has created four traditional Scottish courses, each paired with an Innis & Gunn beer and a Bowmore whisky to give a ‘real taste of Scotland’. Guests will first have welcome drinks, with an introduction about award-wining brewers Innis & Gunn and Bowmore. They will then be seated for a bespoke four-course St Andrew’s Day menu paired with Innis & Gunn beers and Bowmore whiskies. The dinner will include: Scottish smoked salmon mousse; Haggis infused with Innis & Gunn rum casks served with neeps & tatties & curly kale; Treacle tart served with vanilla-infused clotted cream; and a selection of fine Scottish cheeses.

Have you met Veronika?​

Modern British restaurant and bar Northbank, in the City of London, have created a novel way to raise funds for Action Against Hunger’s Love Food Give Food Campaign. Northbank has designed recyclable canvas bags featuring Veronica, restaurant owner Christian Butler’s British bulldog. Veronica’s face was superimposed on a British flag on the front with “I (heart) NB” printed on the reverse of the bag. Ronnie Bags can be bought directly from Northbank for just £5 with all proceeds going to Action Against Hunger’s Love Food Give Food campaign. In addition, each time a customer presents their Ronnie Bag at Northbank they will receive 15% off their total bill when ordering from the a la carte menu. A limited number of bags were produced and a new design will be considered for 2012 in the hope that they become collectable items. For more information visit www.northbankrestaurant.com​.