Culinary queens Judith Aylott and Beverley Cass served up a mouth-watering feast for 30 neighbours, raising nearly £500 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) and taking their total for the year to £1,224.
The kind-hearted pair hosted a special ‘pie and pudding’ evening for fellow homeowners at the McCarthy Stone Retirement Living accommodation in Cambourne.
They spent three days apiece planning their menu, shopping for ingredients and cooking everything from scratch.
Lucky guests had the choice of a beef or vegetable pie encased in golden pastry, or a chicken and ham pie topped with sliced potato, all served with cauliflower and broccoli bake.
They then tucked into apple crumble slices, ginger and pear pudding and autumn fruit compote.
“Each year we choose a different charity to raise funds for, and we agreed to support EACH during 2026 because I volunteer at its shop in Huntingdon,” said Judith, who, together with Beverley, hosted an Italian-themed night in May and raised more than £300.
“After visiting its hospice in Milton, I felt even more inspired to raise funds. It was wonderful, calming and incredibly impressive.
“It was also reassuring to see first-hand how donations are used to support families.
“I love cooking. It’s something I’m passionate about, and it’s always lovely to see people enjoy your food. It’s very satisfying and makes all the hard work worthwhile.
“As well as enjoying the meal, everyone was keen to support EACH. It’s such a fantastic charity and people gave generously because they wanted to help.”
Guests had pre-ordered their main course and each paid £18 for two courses and a glass of wine or soft drink.
“Unfortunately, we forgot to check whether the dishes would fit in our ovens, and both of us had a real struggle,” laughed Judith, who volunteers two half-days a week at EACH’s shop in Huntingdon after starting in November 2024.
“However, we made it work and everyone loved the food. Several people even took home leftover portions, making an additional donation to EACH.
“We’re always being asked when our next fundraiser is going to be, and if our neighbours had their way, it would be a weekly occurrence!”
The pie and pudding evening took place on 6th November, and the fundraising total was topped up by a raffle featuring prizes donated by their local pub, restaurants and hairdressers, in addition to Waitrose at Trumpington.
The evening raised £495, bringing Judith and Beverley’s fundraising total for the year to £1,224.
To find out more about volunteering in Huntingdon, pop in for a chat or call 01480 597698.
