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Restaurants serving spicy Christmas meals
Spice loving Lancashire folk are ditching the traditional Christmas dinner...for tikka masala.
Bored with turkey and trimmings, more and more people are turning to bhuna and biriani for an Christmas dinner with a kick.
At least two Asian restaurants say they are almost fully booked on Christmas Day.
Iky Patel, owner of the Gate of Bengal, Broughton, will be celebrating with a full house.
The Garstang Road eaterie will be offering a traditional Christmas dinner but Mr Patel thinks people might just be getting bored of the traditional big bird.
He said: "Maybe people are getting bored of turkey, we are going to offer it but more English people are choosing Indian."
Mr Patel has taken bookings for very large parties.
He said: "I have been in this industry 25 years and it was normal just to have one or two tables in on Christmas Day.
"Last year we had 19 people in and we've gone from that to 140 this year."
The Sylhet Bangla restaurant on Liverpool Road, Hutton, has enjoyed similar demand.
Their chefs will be offering turkey too but the focus will be on their Bangladeshi Christmas dinner.
Owner Shahid Ali says the rapid rise in demand is down to a lack of time and the popularity of Indian cuisine in the UK.
"People don't want to be stuck in the kitchen on Christmas Day, they want to spend time with their friends and families, enjoying themselves," he said.
"We are offering the traditional turkey but the majority of our customers are choosing our traditional dishes, they are so popular.
"Cooking Christmas dinner takes a long time so people want us to do it for them!"
The Barton Bangla Brasserie, near Preston, has been encouraging customers to choose their traditional turkey meal for Christmas Day dinner.
Manager Mr Saunul Karim said: "People's choices have been 50-50. We've tried to push the traditional turkey dinner but they're just saying 'no, we want Indian'.
"I think people are choosing to eat out because they know there'll be lots of people in the restaurant and because we provide a service, it's a luxury."
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 22 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 11 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 40 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Sunny
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