Leave the Sprouts to Us: Where to Enjoy Christmas and Boxing Day Lunch in Cheshire

Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, Knutsford

Freshly reopened after a £125 million transformation, Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere is celebrating its first Christmas in style. Arrive from midday and raise a glass of Prestige Cuvée Champagne before taking your seat in the Grand Ballroom for a six-course festive lunch with seasonal entertainment. Save a little room at the end for the festive mignardises, handcrafted by the hotel's own pastry team.

£195 per adult | £97.50 per child (ages 2+) | Arrival from 12pm, dining from 1pm
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Nunsmere Hall, Oakmere

Set beside a tranquil lake on the edge of Delamere Forest, Nunsmere Hall is an Edwardian country house that dresses beautifully for the season. Christmas Day begins with Champagne on arrival, followed by a five-course gourmet menu that blends traditional favourites with refined seasonal touches, finished with tea, coffee and mince pies. The restaurant has twice been named County Restaurant of the Year by the Good Food Guide, so expect cooking to match the setting.

£120 per adult | £40 per child (up to 12 years)
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Peckforton Castle, near Tarporley

Christmas lunch in a castle? Why not. High on the slopes of the Peckforton Hills, this Grade I listed castle welcomes families to the splendour of the Drawing Room for a four-course traditional luncheon with a glass of sparkling wine. Expect all the classic favourites, with the whole castle glowing with festive cheer around you.

£130 per adult | £70 per child (up to 12 years) | Served 12.30pm to 2.30pm
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Mottram Hall, Mottram St Andrew

Mottram Hall offers two ways to spend Christmas Day, and both start with a festive welcome drink. Couples and smaller groups can book the Carrington Grill, where lunch opens with an amuse-bouche of potato pavé with Parmesan and truffle. Mains include roast turkey with pigs in blankets, dry aged sirloin of beef with a Blacksticks Blue bhaji, and whole lemon sole roasted on the bone. Finish with a Bristol Cream trifle or port-infused Stilton. Larger family gatherings are welcomed in the St Andrew's Suite. Whichever you choose, Santa pops in with a small gift for each of the little ones.

Carrington Grill (served at 1pm, tables of up to 10): £155 per adult | £70 per child (5 to 11) | £40 per child (2 to 4) | Under 2s free
St Andrew's Suite (served at 3pm, tables of more than 6): £110 per adult | £70 per child (5 to 11) | £40 per child (2 to 4) | Under 2s free
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Crewe Hall, near Crewe

Christmas Day at Crewe Hall is all about gathering around the table and sharing. Choose from traditional roast turkey, roast sirloin of aged British beef with Yorkshire pudding, baked sea bass with a crispy crab fishcake, or a spiced lentil and sweet potato Wellington. Golden roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese and slow-cooked red cabbage with cranberry come to the table family style, so everyone can help themselves. There's a children's menu too.

£105 per adult, £65 per child
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The Park Royal Hotel & Spa, Warrington

The same festive menu is served at Crewe Hall's sister hotel, The Park Royal, which offers two ways to spend the day. Dine in the Restaurant for a four-course feast that includes a selection of cheeses, or gather in the Royal Suite for three courses in a warm, celebratory atmosphere. Starters include orange and fennel cured trout or a confit duck and duck liver terrine. For pudding, choose from warm plum pudding with brandy sauce or the 'Billionaire's' chocolate mousse with salted caramel ice cream. Either way, you'll finish with tea, coffee, truffles and mince pies. There's a children's Christmas Day menu, plus vegan and gluten-free choices across the adult menu.

Restaurant (four courses, served 12.30pm to 2pm): £99 per adult | £45 per child
Royal Suite (three courses, arrival 12pm, lunch served at 1pm): £75 per adult | £39 per child
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The Forge, Chester

For a city Christmas, The Forge brings its two AA Rosettes to the big day with a six-course tasting menu. Beautifully presented appetisers kick things off, followed by a run of courses that mix Christmas classics with The Forge's own contemporary style. Warm up with French onion soup topped with Gruyère, then take your pick of cranberry and orange turkey roulade, dry aged Cumbrian beef fillet, or roasted carrot with sage pesto. Each comes with all the trimmings, from beef fat roast potatoes to sprouts with pancetta and pigs in blankets.

£150 per person | Sittings from 12pm to 4pm
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The Chester Fields, near Chester

Just outside the city, surrounded by the Cheshire plains, this converted barn is a proper local favourite. It's also a multiple Gold winner for Best Use of Local Produce at the Taste Cheshire Awards. Expect a festive feast with all the trimmings, plus a dedicated children's menu so the little ones are looked after too. It's Christmas as it should be: joyful, indulgent and completely fuss-free.

£95 per adult | £65 per child (under 12)
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Cosy Country Inns

Three of Cheshire's much-loved country inns share the same festive format. Each serves a glass of bubbly on arrival, followed by three courses with six dishes to choose from at each, then coffee and mini mince pies. All three have vegetarian and gluten-free options.

£125 per adult | £50 per child (aged 5 to 12) | £25 per child (under 5)

The Fishpool Inn, Delamere

There's nothing quite like a country pub at Christmas. Dating back to the 18th century, The Fishpool Inn sits right on the edge of Delamere Forest, with cosy nooks, open fires and countryside chic décor. Blow away the cobwebs with a Christmas morning stroll through the forest, then settle in with pan-seared king scallops, followed by Gressingham duck breast with Chambord jus or the traditional roast turkey with bread sauce. Four-legged family members are welcome too.

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The Pheasant Inn, Burwardsley

Perched atop the Peckforton Hills, The Pheasant looks out across the Cheshire plain to the Welsh hills, and there are few finer views to enjoy over Christmas lunch. Inside, warming fireplaces and an AA Rosette kitchen that champions local produce set the scene. Start with gin-cured and torched salmon, then try the beef Wellington with morel mushrooms and chasseur sauce, or monkfish wrapped in Serrano ham. Finish with Black Forest gateau or British cheeses served with Ellesmere honey.

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The Bear's Paw, Warmingham

In the pretty village of Warmingham, this 19th century character inn pairs traditional charm with boutique comfort, and the dog can come too. Begin with a twice-baked Black Bomber cheese soufflé, then choose from the classic roast turkey with goose fat roast potatoes, seared haunch of venison, or roasted halibut with clams and brown shrimp. Leave room for a panettone bread and butter pudding with spiced rum sauce.

Christmas at The Bear’s Paw | Festive Dining in Cheshire