Hospice hospitality made pre-Christmas lunch a fabulous festive treat

And when you need to collect at least £4m a year to provide a vital service to the community you have to be imaginative with your fundraising.

In 2014 St Catherine's Hospice in Lostock Hall near Preston opened a public cafe in its glorious grounds, staffed by volunteers, to help chip away at that daunting annual target.

Today The Mill has grown into a fine restaurant - you can even get married there - and it does such a roaring trade that it is often advisable to book a table to avoid disappointment.

We decided on Sunday lunch, in the build-up to Christmas. What better time to eat out knowing a chunk of the bill is going to support such a worthy cause?

Mrs Ellis and I have been regular visitors to The Mill over the years, usually at weekends for one of their renowned breakfasts. But this was my first lunch there and I have to say that, despite how busy it was, I was blown away by the standard of both the food and the service.

St Catherine's has worked hard over the past eight years to break down the barriers that surround the word "hospice." Contrary to what some might expect, The Mill is a joyous place, a smiley place and a place where people clearly love to eat and drink knowing they are helping make a real difference.

The menu is extensive and, during December, diners can also enjoy classic festive fare for lunch, including the essential roast turkey with all the trimmings, followed by the obligatory Christmas pud.

For her starter the boss ordered homemade soup of the day (£5.25), an unusual choice for this pate/ham hock sort of gal. Celeriac, apple and walnut didn't sound my cup-a-soup, but when I tried it I was surprised just how delicious it was, especially with a chunk of bloomer bread dunked in it.

For me it was the trio of salmon terrine with a cucumber salad (£7.95), which turned out to be on a par with some of the best fine dining restaurants we have been privileged to visit.

Now Mrs Ellis is a roast fan, as many regulars to this column will know. And it takes a lot to steer her away from beef or lamb. But, as it was just a couple of weeks before Christmas, she decided it was more appropriate to have the Fylde roast turkey dinner (£14.95) – one of us had to sample it – with the full works of stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce and an array of yuletide vegetables. "Almost as good as my own," she said, which I can assure you, is some tribute.

Being more of a pie man myself, I couldn't get a turkey one so I settled for the pie of the day - steak, ale and vegetable with the biggest puff pastry cap imaginable (£11.95). It was hearty stuff and a touch different to the regulation steak and ale served in many pub/restaurants.

Overall I’ve got to give The Mill a festive thumbs up, not just for its wonderful food, but for the inner glow it gave us on a sub-zero Lancashire day.