By Gabrielle Swan
BANGOR’S tattooed Santa is back, and he has a lot on his plate this year as orders for his free Christmas dinners pass 140.
Chef Chris Dalzell has been cooking free Christmas dinners for those struggling to make ends meet since 2021 and this year looks like being the biggest ever.
With more and more people struggling to make ends meet this Christmas, there are 142 in total so far seeking a traditional dinner from Chris. Getting in touch via his Facebook page, they largely hail from the Ards peninsula area.
Due to the scale of the project this year, Chris has accepted financial donations to help his cause for the first time.
Among the many donors include That Prize Guy, Peninsula Prizes, Bedazzled Beauty and DPS Water. Another is a generous acquaintance who recognised Chris in the street, and donated there and then to help with the growing costs.
Said Chris: “The dinners would probably cost me about £2,800 to £3,500 depending on the price of turkey. It’s more than double of what it was last year and I include Christmas crackers as well, and a card.
“The cost has gone massively up, if it wasn’t for my donors, I wouldn’t be able to do this,” he added.
“Whenever I go out this year, people approach me and say ‘you are the tattooed Santa’, I am more recognised for being the tattooed Santa,” he said.
When Chris first started his Christmas dinner initiative he cooked eight in his first year, followed by 32 the next year. Last year he cooked 52 meals.
“This year is the biggest year, I have 142 in my book, but I have still got 60 people to confirm, so it could be up to 202.
“If it is going to keep going like this, I am going to have to rent an actual industrial kitchen.”
The bulk of the orders are coming from the Ards peninsula area, however Chris will also be cooking for those in Holywood and Dundonald as well.
“Last year, there were a lot of families, this year there are a lot of single people, elderly people, there are a lot of disabled people too,” said Chris.
“I am actually helping the Welcome Organisation in Belfast for the homeless, and I am helping an outreach mental health team from Scrabo after one of the nurses got in contact with me,” he added.
