Cremnivores

Charles 11 Comments
Charles

Gloucester crematorium’s Arbor restaurant is now offering Sunday lunch. Observes one Gloucester resident wryly:

“It seems a bit odd – and perhaps even slightly macabre – for them to be offering roast meat to people, given that their main business is to cremate bodies. I’m not sure I’d like to eat my Sunday roast in that environment really. It could be awkward complaining that meat is too well cooked or even burnt in such a restaurant.”

Full story here

11 Comments

  1. Charles

    I can see that the roasts might cause alarm, but I’ve enjoyed a fine rock cake at Gloucester crem (Sweetpea treated me as it happens). They might be ideal locations for Death Cafe’s too. In fact to be celebrated as great places (for celebrants at least) to cool the heels, wet the whistle and, if you must, chew the fat as well.

    Sandwell’s crem has nice one too. Are there more?

  2. Charles

    This is mindblowing news to me. Crems have restaurants? How absolutely brilliant. Almost makes me regret my thunderous attack on them in the forth coming Natural Death Handbook of Essays. Almost.

  3. Charles

    Rather glum little tearoom at Golders Green crem has nonetheless been the venue for sundry funeral teas I’ve been involved with. Very convenient, esp for elderly people who don’t well survive being shipped big distances round the city on a sad day.

  4. Charles

    And actually, the offer of a Sunday lunch club is inspired: so many bereaved people’s cooking goes to hell, and a roast is often seen as too much bother for one person to make. Nice day trip: visit the rose garden and then go for the knife and fork. With a rather good and sympathetic social ambiance, too.

    Wishing I’d thought of it.

  5. Charles

    Vale – I believe it was a rather luscious teacake we shared! Vale wore a green carnation, and I wore a rather fetching feather boa so that we could identify each other.

    Ru, it is run by some very nice ladies from Gloucester City Council. It is brand new, purpose built and very smart, set a little way back from the main building. Tea shop in front, larger room on the other side – including a bar – which can be hired for a couple of hours for bunfights after a funeral. Or in the case of one couple, I understand soon to be used for a large Sunday lunch following their daughter’s wedding. There was a lovely reception with food and drink for bereaved families following the Christmas memorial service – very well attended, and a really great social occasion.

    The staff are extraordinarily obliging, and it is a marvellous credit to the crem staff and the local authority that they had the gumption to start such an enterprise.

  6. Charles

    We have used the tearoom facilities at Gloucester Crem on many occasions and have always had glowing reviews from the families who have used it. Its quite detached from the crematorium so it doesn’t really feel like part of the “crematorium experience”. I think it’s great and hats off to whoever had the foresight to get it together.

  7. Charles

    Blimey. What a treat that would be round here. Most crems seem just about able to put on funerals, let alone something as valuable as a bunshop and social space.

    Huh! You southwestmidlanders have all the fun.

    I’m sulking now.

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