Liverpool's multi-award winning Catalonian restaurant and deli, Lunya, has joined forces with a Wirral farmer to rear more than 100 turkeys in time for Christmas

Liverpool’s multi-award winning Catalonian restaurant and deli, Lunya, has joined forces with a Wirral farmer to rear more than 100 turkeys in time for Christmas.

The free range birds are currently enjoying life at Traditional Wirral Meat - Sally Hawkins’ idyllic Willaston farm - and will be appearing on the menu from 22nd November.

Peter Kinsella, Executive Chef at Lunya, which was recently voted ‘Liverpool’s best restaurant’ at the Lancashire and Cheshire Life Food & Drink Awards, has developed a range of dishes for the festive birds.

These include Tortilla de Christmas, a Spanish omelette with turkey and home made stuffing served with a shot of gravy. Peter will also be serving roast turkey, cooked in traditional Catalan style in a wood fired oven, with all the trimmings for those with more conventional tastes.

Traditional Wirral Meat, which supplies some of the region’s top Michelin eateries, has bred Wirral Whites and Blacks for the last 40 years. There are currently 1,800 birds on the smallholding which are nurtured for six months and hung for at least 10 days for a fuller flavour and better texture.

Peter commented: “In my quest to provide locally produced food, I am really delighted and proud to source our turkeys from the Wirral.

“The bland taste of mass produced turkeys is not what we want to serve. We are excited to be working with local farmers and butchers ensuring we know the provenance of the food we provide.”

A variety of time-honoured Spanish dishes are available on Lunya’s festive menu, including Catalan pigs in blankets which are small Spanish black pudding with orange wrapped in Serrano ham and homemade Turron ice cream with sherry infused raisins.

Lunya was voted Liverpool’s favourite restaurant at this year’s Liverpool Food & Drink Festival Awards. It is inspired by the region of Catalunya in north east Spain, and it imports many of its ingredients from artisan producers from the area and from specialist suppliers in the north west of England.

As a special treat Lunya is offering a meal for two with a bottle of wine for the organiser of Christmas parties for 15 guests or more.

For more information, visit www.lunya.co.uk or call 0151 706 9770

Lunya recently won the 2010-11 Cheshire Life and Lancashire Life City Restaurant of the Year Liverpool - to see coverage of the event - Click here