Pubs offer free meals for people who are spending Christmas alone

Dozens of pubs are taking part in the scheme

Dorset-based brewery Hall & Woodhouse will be dishing up more than 300 three-course meals at 50 of its pubs across the south of England as part of its Community Christmas Table initiative, BBC News reports.

Places are being offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and can be requested by contacting a participating pub. It's also possible to nominate someone else for a seat.

According to the brewery, the value of the scheme will be more than £25,000.

Regional manager Matt Woodhouse said: "We know that Christmas can be a difficult time for some, and the day can be shadowed by grief and loneliness.

"With that in mind, it's important to us that we offer a warm and welcoming space to be on Christmas Day for those who find themselves alone this season."

Hall & Woodhouse operates more than 250 pubs in Dorset, Hampshire, Berkshire, Sussex, Surrey, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex.

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