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Any online orders made during this period will be shipped 14th January
The date’s creeping closer. The usual Kendal and Lake District venues are filling up. And nobody, not one person, is excited about another tired set menu in a hotel function room.
So here’s a thought from a tiny Texas restaurant in the middle of Kendal: do it with barbeque. Whether it’s the office Christmas party, a team Christmas meal or a corporate do for clients, this year we’re opening Pappy’s for work Christmas parties in Kendal midweek, Tuesday to Friday. Here’s everything you need to know to get it booked and off your list.
Got American colleagues, a US head office or clients across the pond? Thanksgiving comes first, and we do that too. Skip to Thanksgiving parties >>
Request your Christmas party date
In this guide
The best work Christmas parties have three things in common. The food is good enough that people stop talking when it lands. Everyone relaxes, from the new starter to the MD. And whoever organised it doesn’t spend the night stressed. (If that’s you, you deserve a medal. Or at least first pick of the sharing trays.)
Before you start ringing round Christmas party venues in Kendal, it helps to have answers to five questions:
Then book early. Popular Christmas party dates in Kendal and across the South Lakes get snapped up from September, and Thursdays and Fridays in December go first.
A traditional Christmas set menu does one job: it fills a room. Texas barbeque does something better. It gets people talking.
Sharing trays of smoked meats in the middle of the table mean nobody’s waiting on a plated starter or comparing whose main came out cold. People pass things round, argue about which cut is best, and go back for more. It breaks the ice faster than any Secret Santa.
It’s also a proper change from the usual. Everything is smoked low and slow over seasoned oak, then rested and sliced properly. Turkey lovers are in very good hands: our oak-smoked, butter-injected turkey wins round even the people who swear they don’t like turkey. And if your team wants to go all out, our signature brisket, smoked for up to 18 hours, can be added to your party menu for an extra charge. That’s the bit people still talk about in January.
And it suits every kind of team: offices, trades, retail and hospitality crews, small businesses, departments that never normally sit together. Nobody needs to dress up, nobody leaves hungry, and nobody has to pretend they enjoyed the sprouts.
Our Christmas parties run midweek, Tuesday to Friday, through the festive season.
Why midweek? Because it works. It’s easier to get the whole team there, easier to get the date you want, and nobody gives up a precious December weekend. A Tuesday or Wednesday party also lands before the end-of-year rush fully hits, so people actually relax.
What you get:
Request your date and one of the team will get back to you with the Christmas party menu, prices and details.
We’re a small restaurant, around 30 seats, and that’s part of the charm. You won’t be one office Christmas party among fifty in a hotel function suite, shouting over somebody else’s DJ.
It also means dates go fast. Our restaurant books out weeks ahead even in a normal month, and with only four party nights a week, the earlier you ask, the more choice you get.
Because of our size, larger groups may be split across a few tables. Want the whole place? Read on.
Private bookings are available for groups of 18 to 30 guests, so your team gets the whole restaurant to itself. Send us your numbers and preferred dates through our private group bookings page and we’ll come back to you.
Enquire about a private booking
Got more people than will ever fit through our front door? We take the barbeque on the road. We cater private and corporate events, staff parties and celebrations across the Lake District, Cumbria and the North West, and this year we’ve cooked at events from FUME in London to Live at the Grill in Manchester. Got a venue, a warehouse, an office or a field? Tell us the date, the place and roughly how many you’re feeding through our event catering page.
Not every Christmas do is a knees-up. Some are a thank-you: to a team that’s had a big year, to clients you’d like to keep, or to a department that’s been through the wringer.
Pappy’s works for those too. It’s relaxed enough that nobody feels they’re at a work thing, and the food is good enough to reflect well on whoever booked it. Want to really impress? Add our signature brisket to the menu for an extra charge. It has a way of making a client Christmas dinner feel like a very sound business decision.
For businesses in Kendal, across the South Lakes and further into the Lake District, from Windermere and Ambleside to Kirkby Lonsdale and Sedbergh, we’re an easy one to get the whole team to.
Coming from further afield? Kendal station is right in town, and Oxenholme, on the West Coast Main Line, is a short taxi ride away. A team from Lancaster, Preston or Manchester can make a proper night of it, and nobody has to draw the short straw and drive.
Christmas isn’t the only party on the calendar. On Thursday 26 November, America sits down for Thanksgiving, and plenty of Americans in the UK will spend it at a desk, a long way from the turkey, the ham and the family debate over the last slice of pie.
Pappy’s was founded by a Texan. Robin’s family barbeque comes from Taylor, Texas, so Thanksgiving in Kendal isn’t a novelty theme night here. If you’re looking for somewhere to celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK, and especially in Cumbria or the Lake District, you’ve found it.
Work for a US company with an office in Cumbria or the North West? Got American colleagues over on secondment, a head office in the States, or clients across the Atlantic you’d like to thank? A Thanksgiving party is a smart way to bring everyone together. It’s a holiday built around saying thank you, which makes it the perfect excuse for a team meal, a client dinner or a transatlantic team celebration.
Private Thanksgiving parties are available on request. November is a busy month for us, so get in touch early. Tell us the date you’d like, roughly how many are coming (18 to 30 guests) and any dietary requirements through our private group bookings page, and one of the team will get back to you with the details.
Not American? Doesn’t matter. A Friendsgiving with the team is a fine excuse to get everyone round a table before the Christmas rush.
Enquire about a private Thanksgiving party
Feeding a bigger crowd, or want to bring Thanksgiving to the office? We cater corporate events across the Lake District, Cumbria and the North West. Tell us the date, the venue and roughly how many you’re feeding through our event catering page
Hosting Thanksgiving at home, or sending a proper taste of home to American colleagues? Our oak-smoked, butter-injected turkey crowns (half or full) and slow-smoked ham joints are available to order now for Thanksgiving week. They’re shipped fully cooked and frozen so they travel safely. We do the hours at the smoker; you take the credit at the table.
Ordering for Christmas too? Thanksgiving and Christmas items ship separately, so they need to go on separate orders.
Robin Perris opened Pappy’s in Kendal in 2014, bringing her family’s barbeque from Taylor, Texas , to the Lake District. Twelve years on, we still smoke everything over seasoned oak, still trim every brisket by hand, and still won’t cut corners to save time.
Home is The Old Smokehouse, a Grade II listed building off Stricklandgate that was built in the 19th century for smoking ham and bacon. Today it houses our big hand-built smoker, so it’s fair to say the place knows what it’s for.
Things got busy. Very busy. So busy that the restaurant’s long-overdue refresh kept getting pushed back. This September we finally shut the doors for a few days and gave the place the overhaul it deserved: new floors, stainless walls, better extraction, a full rewire and fresh paint throughout. Same smoker, same oak, same tiny room. It finally looks like the Pappy’s we’ve become, and it’s ready for your party.
That’s it. One less thing on the to-do list.
Request your Christmas party date
Party booked? Lovely. Now there’s the small matter of Christmas dinner.
Our oak-smoked, butter-injected turkey crowns (half or full) and slow-smoked ham joints are back for Christmas, and you can pre-order them now from our Christmas shop. Last year they sold out, so we’ve opened early. We do the hours at the smoker; you take the credit at the table.
Pre-order your Christmas turkey or ham
Midweek, Tuesday to Friday, through the festive season.
As early as you can. Popular December dates get booked from September, and our room is small. Leave it until December and you may be eating mince pies at your desk.
Around 30. Larger groups may be split across a few tables, or you can book the whole restaurant privately for 18 to 30 guests. For bigger numbers, ask about event catering.
It’s what our little room does best. A team of six or sixteen gets a proper night out without rattling around a big empty function room.
Our Christmas parties run midweek only, Tuesday to Friday. Trust us, your team will thank you on Saturday morning.
Yes. Private bookings are available for groups of 18 to 30 guests through our private group bookings page
Yes. We cater private and corporate events and staff parties across the Lake District, Cumbria and the North West. Tell us about yours on our event catering page
Yes. It’s relaxed, it’s a bit different, and the food does the talking, which takes the pressure off everyone. For bigger corporate groups, ask about a private booking or event catering.
Let us know about any dietary requirements when you book and we’ll talk you through the options.
It depends on your party size, date and time. Request your date and one of the team will get back to you with the Christmas party menu, prices and any deposit.
Yes. Pappy’s gift vouchers are bought online and can be spent on our online meat shop or in the restaurant.
Yes. Oak-smoked, butter-injected turkey crowns and slow-smoked ham joints are available to pre-order from our Christmas shop. Orders are shipped on Monday 21 December, with delivery in 1–2 days, or you can collect free from the smokehouse. Last orders are Saturday 19 December.
Yes, as private parties for 18 to 30 guests, on request. Thanksgiving is Thursday 26 November 2026, and November is busy for us, so get in touch early through our private group bookings page
Right here in Kendal. Pappy’s was founded by a Texan, and private Thanksgiving parties are available on request, along with oak-smoked, butter-injected turkey and ham to take home.
Yes. We cater corporate events across the Lake District, Cumbria and the North West. Tell us the date, the venue and your numbers on our event catering page
Yes. Oak-smoked, butter-injected turkey crowns and ham joints are available for Thanksgiving week. Last orders are Saturday 21 November (or until sold out). Orders are shipped on Monday 23 November, with delivery in 1–2 days, or you can collect free from the smokehouse on Wednesday 25 November, 4–6pm.
Pappy’s Texas BBQ Restaurant, The Old Smokehouse, Yard 2 Stricklandgate, Kendal, LA9 4ND, right in the middle of town.
Yes. We’re in the middle of Kendal, Kendal station is in town, and Oxenholme on the West Coast Main Line is a short taxi ride away.
It doesn’t have to be the job everyone dreads. Pick your dates, request one through our booking system, and let us do the hard bit. Thanksgiving on the cards too? Ask about a private Thanksgiving party
See y’all at the smokehouse.
Request your Christmas party date
About the author
Robin Perris is the founder and pitmaster of Pappy’s Texas BBQ in Kendal. With family roots in Taylor, Texas, and a pitmaster tradition going back three generations, she has been smoking brisket, ribs and Texas hot links for the Lake District since 2014.
