Turkeys donated by customers to Sleaford food bank

Hannah Thorogood, from The Inkpot was blown away by the food bank when she donated a few spare turkeys last year and said: “I know how much these Christmas feast boxes mean to these families.”

She explained at the Inkpot their Great Taste Award winning turkeys are not only free range, they are moved on to fresh pasture every week, among the 3,000 young trees planted there. So they always have something interesting to explore and eat.

They are raised to organic standards, which means high welfare and no chemicals are used.

Hannah added: “Here at the Inkpot it’s not just the environment and our animals we care about. We are interested in helping to make a fairer world too. We only produce 100 turkeys a year, but of those, this year 25 are being donated to homeless hostels or the New life Larder Christmas boxes for families in need.

“Last year I took a few turkeys along to the New Life Centre and found myself in floods of tears later, just overwhelmed by the love in that room being sent out to our local families in the darkest of times.

“Last year when I dropped 3 turkeys off to the New Life Church in Sleaford, I found a group of dedicated, truly lovely people, supported by people all over Sleaford, were filling huge and beautiful boxes full of food and gifts to be delivered on Christmas Eve to families who don’t know its coming. It still makes me cry to imagine the families, who often are so hard up, they have not been able to put the heating on or feed everyone properly, to be facing Christmas with children thinking there will be nothing to unwrap on Christmas Day, when they open the door on Christmas Eve to these wonderful people giving them a huge box of everything they need for a full on Christmas feast, goodies and ensure there is at least one present for everyone in the household.

“One of our amazing Inkpot supporters has donated enough for us to be able to provide seven families with turkeys this year, and I got donations in from others too. I tell my customers that I know there are many charitable things they are involved in, and I know many of them are feeling the pinch this year too, so try not to put pressure on them. But if they can spare a bit extra, I know how much these Christmas feast boxes mean to these families, so if they’d like to donate a turkey, they fill out the turkey booking form, say it’s a donation turkey and I sort out the rest.“

Thanks to the generosity of customers 23 will be going to the New Life Larder.

The enterprise also sells lamb, beef, wool ready for knitting and dyeing, sheep skins, and also runs courses on permaculture, food, and all sorts of other events and courses throughout the year. You can go along to volunteer days on Wednesdays to say hello and find out more. Or follow The Inkpot on Facebook or Instagram.