The family takes time opening presents (Image: Supplied)
For fans of hit TV series Escape To The Chateau, it would be a dream come true to enjoy the lavish hospitality of super-hosts Dick and Angel Strawbridge at Chateau-de-la-Motte-Husson in north-western France.
Fortunately for those of us who are waiting in vain for an invite to land on the doormat, Dick and Angel have now shared their tips for sprinkling your own Christmas celebrations with a soupcon of Chateau magic.
The couple spent seven years transforming their derelict 45-room chateau into a glamorous wedding destination and enviable family home which they share with their children Arthur, 11, and Dorothy, 10.
Now, in their new book A Taste Of The Chateau, they take readers on a trip through the seasons, sharing the family’s favourite celebrations, recipes and rituals, culminating in Christmas.
“Christmas is at home for us,” says Dick. “It’s usually just the four of us. But the run up to Christmas is as special as Christmas for us.”
The festive season’s starting bell rings with the family’s annual trip to buy oysters from Brittany. “Seafood is a big part of what the French do at Christmas and that’s us really in the mood,” says Angel. They’ll invite friends round to enjoy the oysters with champagne.
Another big day comes with choosing a Christmas tree, as the family visits a Christmas tree farm in early December. “We have an argument between all four of us to get the best one possible,” says Angel. “It goes in the salon so it’s got to be big. But we have a vote so it’s very democratic.”
“The Christmas tree that the people of Norway give to Trafalgar Square is the size of the tree that Angela wants,” says Dick.
“Then we put Christmas tunes on and get our Christmas decorations out,” says Angel. “We make a big thing about putting up our decorations, Dick always gets the port out.”
Angel, Arthur, Dorothy and Dick enjoy walks around the chateau (Image: Supplied)
Since Christmas crackers aren’t available in France, Angel and the children make their own. “And every year since the children have been wee, I’ve made Christmas presents with them. They’ve made Dick a glasses case or we’ve covered picture frames in fabric.”
Angel will also decorate the dining table with a Christmas chandelier. “It’s really beautiful and so simple. You attach it on a clamp over your table and can hang lights or little decorations from it.
On Christmas Eve, they make their own mince pies – you can’t buy those in France, either – then watch a festive film, perhaps Arthur Christmas or The Christmas Chronicles.
“We have a walk outside at about 6pm and put carrots and apples out for the reindeer,” says Angel. “Both kids write Pere Noel a letter.”
The Strawbridges like an early night on Christmas Eve – understandably, because Dorothy might wake at 2am from excitement. “Pretty much every year, our Christmas starts between 2-4am,” says Angel. So Dick and Angel drink coffee while the children open their stockings. “They get very, very excited, there’s a lot of craziness.”
Then they all go downstairs for breakfast. “I always bake a ham because we have sliced ham on toast with homemade chutney for breakfast,” says Dick. They’ll drink buck’s fizz with Christmas carols playing.
“We have this ritual where we walk around our boundary as a family every Christmas morning,” he adds. “So we’ve been out in the fresh air. And we come in and it’s lunchtime. We go into the sitting room and start present-opening. It’s slow paced. If the kids get a present they like and start playing with it, we don’t open the next present.”
“We take it really slow and gentle,” says Angel. “We just eat when we’re ready. There’s never any stress.”
The couple drink sloe gin cocktails from their own sloes, or snowballs (advocaat and lemonade) – the latter a tradition passed down from Angel’s gran. They’ll also enjoy red wine with their Christmas meal, which they serve up mid-afternoon. They usually roast a turkey but sometimes have goose.
There’s always white sauce, too. “My mum always had white sauce at Christmas time and it has to be made with margarine, not butter,” says Dick. “And we may have half a dozen different vegetables.
Angel lights the Christmas candles (Image: Supplied)
“We always use real linen table napkins at Christmas, too, and tie them with Christmas foliage or evergreens. It really brings your table to life.”
The Christmas pudding has been made in advance with Dick inviting all the family to stir it and make a wish. “We also make our own brandy butter with double cream.”
Then the family usually watch a film or play a game – Uno is a big family favourite. The kids will be exhausted and in bed by 7pm. Dick and Angel are shattered too.
“The kids are in our suite with their own bed each. We’ll chat and snuggle. But the four of us are asleep quite quickly.”
Dick and Angel are looking forward to this year’s festive break following their fun-packed 33-night Forever Home UK tour. They called time on their Channel 4 series Escape to the Chateau in 2022, mindful of their children needing more privacy as their teenage years loomed, so they dismiss reports that the series ended following allegations of bullying from production company staff.
“We’ve never been accused of anything, there were just rumours that weren’t nice,” says Dick. “There was no negative story, just negative comments.” Angel adds that the rumours came from someone “we don’t even know” who wasn’t part of their loyal, long-serving team.
Though the cameras will no longer follow the family’s every move, they plan “a little update and a Christmas special” in 2025.
Then, it’s time to spruce up the chateau and its grounds, and host fans and guests at Fun and Festivity days and Garden Days, before taking the Forever Tour to Australia in summer. They’ll resume hosting weddings in 2026.
But first, they’ll be recharging their batteries during an eagerly anticipated Christmas celebration. “As a family, we try our very, very best to collect the memories,” says Dick. “Christmas is special. It’s our chance to stop and make the most of family time.”
Savoury Mince Pies
“The savoury mince pies are really worthwhile. This mince pie has lamb in it and it really does work with the sweetness in there,” says Dick.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
100g (3½oz) lard
4tbsp full-fat milk
450g (1lb) plain flour
2 tsp salt
Icing sugar, to dust
For the mincemeat:
700g (1lb 9oz) lean beef or mutton mince
100g (3½oz) beef suet
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground mace
A pinch of saffron
A good pinch of salt
50g (1¾oz) raisins
50g (1¾oz) currants
50g (1¾oz) pitted prunes, chopped
Savoury mince pies (Image: Supplied)
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/400°F. You will need 8 × 125g (4½oz) mini loaf tins.
- Combine all the mincemeat ingredients in a large bowl and mix together until evenly combined. Set aside.
- To make the pastry, place the lard, milk and 150ml (¼ pint) water in a saucepan over a medium heat, until the lard melts, then bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the flour and salt in one go and beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon until completely mixed. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth – I get Arthur to do this but wait until the dough has cooled slightly!
- Divide the dough into two-thirds and one-third. Cover the smaller piece and keep warm. Divide the large piece into 8 and roll out each piece to a thin (about 2mm/1/16 inch) rectangle about twice the size of the tins. Repeat with all 8 pieces. Carefully manoeuvre the pastry into the tins, making sure you get it well into the sides. Cut off any overhanging pastry, then transfer the tins to a large baking tray.
- Spoon the mincemeat into the pastry cases, pressing down well.
- Divide the remaining pastry into 8 and roll out each piece to be a little bit larger than the top of the tins. Dampen the edges of the pastry with water then top the pies, pressing down around the rim to seal. Crimp the edges and make a couple of small slits in the centre of each pie.
- Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes until the pies are golden and the filling is piping hot. Remove from the oven and cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then carefully remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.
- Serve at room temperature and dust with a little icing sugar.
A Taste Of The Chateau by Dick and Angel Strawbridge is out now (Orion, £25)
