Family time is quality time; however, families are spending less and less time together, with a whopping 43% struggling to find time to eat together. This means that the yearly Christmas feast is even more important, as this is one of the rare occasions where everyone sits around the same table together.
In an effort to encourage families to switch off this Christmas and spend some quality time together, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles challenged the chef and founder of the 5 O’Clock Apron blog, Claire Thomson, to take her family off-grid in the New Forest and cook up a festive feast in a Volkswagen California. Follow Claire and her family’s journey to Christmas cheer in the New Forest below
Check out the video here.
To make it a fair challenge, Claire and her husband made use of the two gas hobs, fridge and running tap that comes as a standard in the California Ocean. They also rotated the two front seats to create a spacious kitchen and propped up the preparation table to prepare their Christmas dinner.
To make sure her family wasn’t missing out on the true Christmas experience, Claire created the recipes to ensure they included all the Christmas essentials. Pan fried scallops with a hazelnut butter and spinach kicked off the proceedings. The main course followed with a turkey saltimbocca, alongside sautéed potatoes, chestnuts, sprouts and dressed with spiced pickled pears. The piéce de résistance was a Christmas pudding fried with Marsala butter.
Claire and her family really enjoyed themselves and proved that it is possible to cook up a feast in a campervan: “We have stayed in a Volkswagen California before and absolutely loved it. The kids like sleeping ‘upstairs’, in the top bunk and it genuinely has everything you need to create any meal – even a Christmas dinner. The hobs, fridge and sink make everything really simple, leaving you free to enjoy the time away with your family.”
Kate Thompson, mother and Head of Press and Public Relations, of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, commented that “While for many the Christmas meal is daunting enough in a fully equipped kitchen at home, Claire proved the iconic campervan is all you need to cook up a delicious three course meal.”
