York chip shop owner batters creme eggs for hospice charity

Peter Abrams is selling deep fried chocolate eggs to raise funds for the St Leonard's Hospice Cuddle Bed Project

A chip shop owner is raising funds for a £35,000 hospice bed scheme by frying chocolate creme eggs.

Peter Abrams plans to sell battered Cadbury Creme Eggs at his Heworth Plaice chippy in York to help buy two cuddle beds for St Leonard's Hospice.

The cuddle beds, a project set up by the family of Dominic Ryan, who was cared for at the hospice, allow family and friends to lie next to patients.

Mr Abrams said he had already received 500 donated eggs towards his efforts.

He said he planned to start frying the chocolate eggs on Tuesday and would continue until Easter.

"I did this before, back in 2018, to raise money for Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity," he said.

"We raised a lot of money and it took off and went a bit crazy."

Mr Abrams said he had bought a separate fryer in which to cook the chocolate eggs

Cuddle beds take up the space of a single bed but can be made wider so loved ones can lie with, and be close to, patients.

Mr Abrams said he heard about the fundraising when Kerry Aldridge, the funeral director who supported the family of Dominic Ryan when he died, came into his chip shop and told him about the scheme.

Mr Ryan died at St Leonard's Hospice on 25 October 2023 and his family is now hoping to raise £35,000 to buy two cuddle beds for the hospice, with more than £11,000 raised so far.

"I instantly wanted to be involved," said Mr Abrams.

"I've got my own separate fryer, so they're not in with the sausages. I put them them in the deep-fat fryer for about 90 seconds, then out they come."

"They're very hot, so be careful," he warned.

Mr Abrams said he had practised deep-fat frying the eggs to make sure the cooking method worked

Ms Aldridge told BBC Radio York: "Dominic's family are a force to be reckoned with and it's such a good cause in his honour. There are a lot of people involved in the fundraising."

"These cuddle beds are incredible. They allow loved ones to get close to loved ones in hospital beds," she added.

A number of school children have already given the battered chocolate eggs a trial run.

Mr Abrams said: "We had 100 donated yesterday from Heworth School.

"All the kids came in and tried them and they loved it. The eyes of the little ones lit up as soon as they had one."