Dumfries dad and charity champion, Lee Vann-Wakelin, is going the extra mile to help families in need this Christmas.
Assisted by his wife, Louisa, and children, the 46-year-old learning assistant at Dumfries High School has embarked on a mega challenge to create 150 festive hampers for distribution in the town.
He has enlisted the help of some of the town’s top chefs to come up with some easy and delicious recipes to make.
And Lee has been working with a young film crew to record how they are made.
The aim is to feed a family of up to six people with a different meal for seven days starting on December 23 – including Christmas dinner.
Lee said: “The hampers will have seven bags and each bag will have the required ingredients. They will provide good, tasty meals.
“Also, each bag will have a laminated sheet with the listed ingredients and instructions, plus a QR code, which once clicked on will link to a video of me – a complete novice – cooking each dish. Me making the meals will show that anyone can follow the recipe.”
It was lights, camera, action on Thursday when Lee was given a three-hour session at the Youth Enquiry Service base in the DG1 leisure complex at Hoods Loaning with Scene1Take1 film club members.
The skilled young film-makers directed and recorded Lee making the first three meals – a three-course Christmas dinner, winter pork casserole, and penne imperiale – that will be included in the hampers.
Lee said: “I can’t thank everyone enough who has helped so far. The first two restaurants to help us are The Globe Inn chefs, Jonathan Brett and Fraser Cameron, and La Dolce Vita’s owners, Adam and Laura Scott, and their head chef, Naomi Manners. They are amazing.
“The winter pork casserole recipe was given to us by the chefs at The Globe Inn. It’s not off of their menu, but was made around few ingredients and simple cooking.
“The penne imperiale recipe has been given to us from La Dolce Vita. It is off of their menu,and is one of their most popular dishes. They have also agreed to give us 150 packets of their Italian pasta – one for each hamper – so that those who receive a hamper will have as close to the authentic experience as possible.”
Lee is hoping that more local chefs will join in and provide him with recipes for the remaining four days.
He said: “I would love one to be from an Indian restaurant and one from a Chinese, or any other international cuisine restaurants, as well as local dishes.
“The recipe does not need to be off of their menu. A recipe for our cause, with a one pot or pan cooking format, and few ingredients is the aim, as we need to imagine some people might not have access to a full kitchen, and others it could be kids or adults who do the cooking. Anyone who can help should text me on 07581366702.”
Lee added: “DC Produce run by David Carroll has supported us every step of the way and is helping with fresh herbs and similar for the hampers. We also have a supplier of locally-produced vegetables who is going to donate some for the hampers.
“Dumfries Men’s Shed is going to help us with storage and all the family are helping with Lincoln and Liberty and my wife collecting foods and taking to the storage. Jayden, Kennedie and Miyah will be fully involved when it comes to loading and sending out the hampers.
“Tesco Peel Centre and Morrisons have been championing what we are doing.”
Lee is now looking for the public to donate the dried and long-dated ingredients which are needed for each of the meals or cash to buy the fresh items.
Cash can be donated via Paypal at Leevann_wakelin@hotmail.com or a bank transfer by contacting him.
The ingredients currently needed are: salt, pepper, sugar, vegetable oil, 500g tins of tomatoes/passata, tins of peas, carrots and potatoes, beef stock cubes, plain flour, 250ml bottles of apple cider, gravy granules, stuffing mix, tins or cartons of custard, tins of tomato soup and packets of prebaked rolls or baguettes. Also needed are non-frozen or chilled cakes with long dates including mince pies, fairy cakes, sponge puddings and swiss rolls which can be stored in their packaging.
Lee said: “Just a few tins or packets will be a huge donation for us as we need to find more than 10,000 items. We are asking for the dried and tinned ingredients first and will ask for donations of the fresh items nearer the time, or people may just want to make a cash donation. Anything will help and make such a difference.”
