Brantford restaurant owners serve free holiday meal
A new Brantford eatery threw open its doors on Christmas Day to those who needed some comfort and joy.
DJ Grierson and Ray Padamsey, co-owners of Honey’s Bistro at 199 Brant Ave., formerly Blue Dog, expected to welcome more than 100 guests for a free traditional Christmas meal.
There was no registration and no questions asked.
“We don’t care about their story,” said Grierson. “If they don’t have anywhere to go, they are welcome here. Nobody should be alone on Christmas.”
Honey’s Bistro, open for just five weeks, is a family affair with Padamsey’s daughter, Marina Padamsey, working as head chef and Grierson’s 14-year-old son Sebastian helping out on nights and weekends.
At first they anticipated about 40 guests for their Christmas lunch, said Grierson, but they underestimated the power of social media. A Facebook posting about the meal was shared more than 700 times.
“It just blew up,” said Padamsey. “We had people calling. It was overwhelming. We had so many community members offering their support. That’s what Christmas is all about.”
Still not knowing exactly what to expect, the family began the final prep for their holiday feast on a blustery Saturday, roasting about 80 pounds of turkey, tearing up more than 20 bags of bread for stuffing, and peeling “the biggest bags of potatoes I ‘ve ever seen in my life,” said Grierson.
Guests were invited to dine in or grab a ready-made meal and go.
Any leftovers were taken to the Brantford Blessing Center to share with the community.
Alicia Doxtator came in for some take-out with her children, William, 10, and eight-year-old Alison.
“We normally don’t have dinner on Christmas,” said Doxtator. “It’s usually just the three of us. It’s wonderful that they’re helping out the community like this. We feel very hurt.”
Grierson said they had so many people volunteer to help cook, serve and clean up, they had to turn some of them away.
Opening Honey’s Bistro is a dream for Grierson, a local real estate agent, and Padamsey, who has a background in the restaurant business and a full-time job outside the eatery.
Their menu includes a lot of “hand-helds,” with all their meats smoked in-house and sauces, dressings, and seasoning blends made fresh.
“Everything is cooked fresh,” said Grierson. “We don’t even have a microwave in the building.”
Padamsey said he and Grierson began considering the community Christmas meal in November and executed the plan over the past few weeks. They hope to make it an annual event.
“For us it’s about community and how we can have an impact on people who need somebody,” said Grierson. “We have the space, the ability, the kitchen and the funds to be able to feed people. Why not do that?”
