Entry
£80 including welcome drink
Dates
Thu 3 & Fri 4 Dec 2026
Times
7–10pm
Location
Foyle Rooms, Turner Contemporary
Explore festive traditions, art, food and folklore with Louisa Mokadem.
Yule! The History of Christmas
Chef, artist and food historian Louisa Mokadem returns to Turner Contemporary with Yule!, a banquet inspired by Christmas tables through the ages.
Moving through centuries of feasting and celebration, the evening explores the origins of familiar Christmas traditions alongside those that have fallen out of use. Historical dishes are reimagined for a contemporary table, drawing on old recipes, seasonal ingredients and the rituals that once marked the midwinter festival.
Taking its cue from medieval dining, the feast is served in a series of “messes”, with several dishes served at once and shared between guests. Expect forgotten festive foods, historical curiosities, games and storytelling as the evening traces how Christmas has been celebrated and reinvented over time.
Part feast and part historical exploration, Yule! looks beyond the Victorian Christmas to a much longer history of midwinter celebration.
An English wine pairing by Wyn Wine will be available to purchase on the evening. Vegetarian options will be available; however, due to the shared nature of the feast, we are unable to accommodate individual dietary requirements or substitutions.
A complimentary welcome drink is included with your ticket.
About Louisa Mokadem
Louisa has cooked in some of the country’s most celebrated kitchens, including Brat and Sargasso, and now works in private dining, events and food styling across the UK.
Her research-led practice looks at food as a record of how people have lived, worked, celebrated and eaten together. Drawing on history, she creates objects and events that consider our shared past and what it can tell us about the present.
Her background in music and craft continues to shape her work, with an emphasis on practical skills, art and community. She develops historical dining projects for cultural institutions, including Turner Contemporary, where her work has included Æfenmete, an eight-course feast exploring early medieval foodways.
