Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 03/12/2010 13:34

A Christmas menu with a difference, devised by the prevention team at Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, has been backed by top Cornwall based chef, Nathan Outlaw.

Nathan is backing the CFRS Christmas safety campaign and joined the prevention team at Bodmin Community Fire Station to launch the menu which offers up traditional Christmas fare with a twist and focuses on delivering safety and fire prevention tips over the festive period.

The menu features dishes such as

Candle Surprise – candles left unattended too close to decorations or curtains, flambéed gently, unnoticed until total inferno;

Traditional Charcoaled Turkey – turkey in the oven, left to set the kitchen on fire whilst you visit relatives;

and to finish

Bitter Regret – smoke detector fitted to ceiling with battery removed rendering it totally useless. A true classic.

The alternative Christmas menu carries serious safety messages and is far removed from the delicious food served at award winning chef Nathan Outlaw’s St Enodoc restaurants.

Nathan Outlaw has become a household name through his years of cooking at the highest level. He has two restaurants at the St Enodoc Hotel, one of which was recently awarded best fish restaurant by the Good Food Guide 2011, and named fifth in the top 60 restaurants in the UK.

Nathan said: “We all associate Christmas time with cooking and enjoying delicious food but it is important to remember that with so much going on, it can be easy to get distracted. A few simple precautions can make all the difference between having a happy and safe Christmas and a Christmas remembered for all the wrong reasons. The Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service prevention team tells me that around 56% of house fires originate in the kitchen. I think that this novel alternative Christmas menu is a great way of highlighting the pitfalls and getting those important safety messages across.”

CFRS Crew Manager, Dan Fitzpatrick who came up with the idea of the menu said: “It’s a bit tongue in cheek but I think it grabs attention and makes people think. The message we want to get out is that safety at Christmas, especially in the kitchen and whilst cooking, is very important. After reviewing our statistics over the last 5 years, cooking is by far the biggest cause of fire in the home over the festive season.”

Cornwall Council cabinet member for community safety Lance Kennedy said: “This is an innovative campaign that really delivers the message in a way we can all relate to. We don’t want people to remember this Christmas for what they lose through a preventable fire.”

The menu will be distributed as a poster to schools; through community fire stations and on the CFRS homepage on the Cornwall Council website.

The key safety messages are:

Don’t drink too much alcohol prior to cooking

We all like a drink over the festive season but don’t get carried away if you’re the one in charge of the cooking.

Whilst cooking, don’t get distracted

Christmas is a time to catch up with friends and family who you haven’t seen for a while so there is the temptation to get distracted. Also, children opening presents in a crowded house can be a big distraction.

Double check the cooker/hob is off when you have finished.

What to do if you have a pan fire

If one of your pans catches fire don’t take any risks. Turn off the heat if it’s safe to do so. Never throw water over it. Don’t tackle the fire yourself. Leave the room, closing the door behind you. Get everyone out of the house and dial 999.

Check your smoke detector

Test your smoke detector prior to the festive season.

Don’t be tempted to use the battery in the smoke detector for that new toy. Sometimes it’s worse to have a smoke detector without a battery than have none at all because you think that you’re protected when you’re not.