We won't be spending the big day in the kitchen

You maybe dining with family and friends at home or eagerly anticipating stress-free food, wine and fun at the restaurant of your choice.

My husband, Chris and I won't be doing anything. We'll be taking a hard-earned break. Having worked 28 Christmas Days in a row we now celebrate by taking the day off. It's the one day we switch off and relax at home alone. I will rustle up something simple to eat and Chris goes a whole 24 hours without cooking.

Running Mr Underhill's, the only Michelin starred restaurant in the area, is a huge commitment for us. Our rooms are of equal importance as the restaurant, so days start early with breakfast. They are made with the same love and attention as our dinners. Then, when our overnight guests leave, we make sure we see them happily on to their journeys.

After that, it's then time to prepare everything for our next guests and those just coming for dinner. Rooms and restaurant are cleaned and got ready; wines are re-stocked; the garden and paths are swept and tidied, and then everything is checked and double checked. Things have to be a perfect as possible. And, of course, there's a day full of slicing, dicing, whizzing and stirring in the kitchen.

Alongside that we take numerous inquiries. On a quiet day, we'll still receive between 60 and 100 phone calls.

On Christmas morning we pause for breath and listen to . . . peace and quiet. Whilst many people are slaving over hot stoves we have the whole place to ourselves, no guests, no staff, no visitors, no phone calls. The sound of silence is blissful.

Mr Underhill's is acknowledged as having one of the most beautifully settings in the UK. Our location is truly idyllic, we are on the banks of the River Teme, a site of Special Scientific Interest just beneath Ludlow's majestic castle.

The artist Turner even considered it distinctive enough to commit to canvas. We've lived in many places over the years but Ludlow is the most special.

Christmas is the only day Chris and I have to see things through guests' eyes. We can soak up the views, enjoy the tranquillity and step back from the usual hurly burly. We wish you all a peaceful and enjoyable day.

• Chris and Judy Bradley run Mr Underhill’s, a restaurant with rooms at Dinham Weir in Ludlow. It was the first winner of the Hardens UK Restaurant of the Year Award.