Last Thursday, 11th December, marked the final Lunch Club of 2025, held at the beautifully decorated North Roe and Lochend Hall. Guests enjoyed a festive Christmas dinner with all the trimmings including Growing Local parsnips and brussel sprouts, alongside a delicious vegetarian Cheesy Leek Bake made with Growing Local leeks. Dessert was a perfect seasonal treat — sticky toffee Christmas pudding and a traditional cheese board for those looking for something not so sweet.
The hall looked stunning, with a gigantic Christmas tree, twinkling fairy lights, and the cosy backdrop from the North Roe Primary School Christmas play setting the scene for a warm and joyful afternoon.
Throughout the year, the Lunch Club has alternated between Ollaberry Hall and the North Roe & Lochend Hall. We’ve been lucky to welcome a wonderful variety of visitors, including Lesley Spence from Kits for All, Peter Jamieson from Citizens Advice Bureau, John Clarkson from Home Energy Scotland, Gareth Powell from the RSPB, Helen Robertson, Gino and Archie from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, as well as regular visits from North Mainland Community Involvement and Development Officer, Lynsey Hall, and local councillor, Andrew Hall.
In November, Gareth Powell came to talk about the Oyster Plants which are found around some of the beaches around Shetland, with more than half the known sites being in Northmavine. Over the last few years, Species on the Edge have been planting seedlings on beaches like Urafirth and Stenness so as not to lose this rare plant. However the winter storms and the sheep can mean that many don’t survive.
Gareth and Helen have teamed up to hold workshops to knit and or crochet small panels to cover old creels to sit on top of the Oyster Plants to allow the plants time to establish. It was great to see many of our Lunch Club visitors joining in on the day alongside Charlotte, Karlyn & Franzi.
Photos L-R Archie & Gino from the RNID in the North Roe & Lochend Hall, Helen Robertson’s photos from her & Gareth Powell’s visit to the Ollaberry Hall to knit panels for old creels to protect the Oyster Plants on Shetland’s shores.
Our soups and light bites have featured freshly grown ingredients such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, mustard leaves, onions, leeks, tatties, courgettes, chillies and tomatoes — all cultivated in our large Polycrub here at Bruckland and up at Hamnavoe in Eshaness.
The Lunch Club is open to everyone, regardless of circumstances, and offers a warm, welcoming space to meet others in the community. Each month we see between 12 and 20 people join us for delicious food and good company.
If you’d like to learn more about the Lunch Club, or if you’re part of a group that would like to visit, please let us know!
We’ve also put together a short questionnaire to gather feedback — paper copies are available at Ollaberry and Hillswick Shops, and at Bruckland. You can also complete it online here