Caterer serves up five courses to fund Hermitage village hall

Jane Staunton raised the money by opening a pop-up restaurant for one night recently in the current village hall, and serving a five-course meal to more than 50 guests. A raffle was also held.
Mrs Staunton said that the menu was to be a surprise, and that they were raising the money because the current hall was coming to the end of its life.
Nevetheless, Mrs Stanton and her team set about transforming it into a restaurant, with smart table linen, fresh flowers and a pianist. Dishes on the night included twice-basked soufflé of Barkham blue cheese, supreme of guinea fowl with roasted Turks head squash, and Bramley apple cheesecake with apple sorbet.
Many villagers and local businesses also helped out, by providing discounted ingredients, home-grown produce and working as kitchen assistants and waiters for the evening.
Local food blogger Caroline Taylor, of allthatimeating. blogspot.co.uk, joined a table of fellow Twitter contacts.
She said: “I thought it was a really fun way to raise money for a good cause; a brilliant platform to support local produce and really delicious.”
Mrs Staunton said that she would like to thank everyone involved in helping to make the night a success, including Birch Cottage Bread, Just Add Grapes, Vicars Game, Fishers of Newbury, Berkshire Linen Services and Fizz Hire.
The current village hall was built in 1962. The plan for the new low-energy hall, which is to be sited elsewhere includes two separate spaces, changing rooms and parking, and is expected to cost £1.3m.