Every Festive Board tells a story. For 265 years, Lodge 281 St Johnston has gathered its Brethren around the table on the banks of the River Foyle, sharing food alongside fellowship. This year, that story found a new form: a cookbook.
Why We Wrote It
Recipes rarely get written down in a Lodge. They pass from Steward to Steward, remembered rather than recorded, tested in busy kitchens before a Festive Board rather than typed up for anyone else to follow. Over time, that knowledge can slip away.
A Treasury of Irish Masonic Culinary Traditions exists to stop that happening. It gathers 107 recipes from Lodge 281’s kitchens, from hearty traditional mains to the puddings that close a good night well. Alongside the food sits the history: how the Festive Board fits into Irish Masonic life, and what it means to Brethren who have sat at that table for generations.
More Than a Cookbook
Every purchase supports Pieta House, funding free crisis intervention and therapy services, alongside Lodge 281’s own charitable fund. A dish that once fed a room full of Brethren now helps fund something far bigger.
That is the heart of the Festive Board tradition. Food brings Brethren together, and what happens at that table has always looked outward, towards the communities Lodge 281 serves across the Northwest.
Cooking for Everyone
You do not need to be a Freemason to enjoy this book. The recipes suit any kitchen and any table. What you get alongside the food is a genuine piece of Irish Masonic heritage, written by the people who have lived it.
If you would like a copy, or want to know more about Lodge 281’s charitable work, visit Amazon here .
