Experience a festive feast like no other this year from family-run Craigies Farm in South Queensferry. Fourth generation farmer and owner John Sinclair promises a selection of high-quality, locally grown produce alongside largely Scottish-sourced food and drink items for a greener Christmas celebration this year.
Craigies is committed to reducing food miles by growing their own produce or sourcing from local suppliers as much as possible. The Sinclair family raises their own pork and lamb on the farm, guaranteeing the highest standards of quality and provenance. Highland beef comes from the neighbouring Dalmeny Estate, just a stone’s throw away. To guarantee freshness, all meat is prepared by Craigies highly-skilled on-site artisan butchers.
Customers can shop an array of delicious vegetables including potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower and carrots – all cultivated on Craigies Farm. Buy them loose or oven-ready as Christmas sides with options like traditional roast potatoes and maple-roasted root vegetables. You’ll find homegrown ingredients in the popular Craigies range of homemade condiments, including windfall apple chutney, red onion marmalade and festive spiced cranberry sauce.
Satisfying sweet tooths, Craigies have a mouthwatering selection of home-baked goods with traditional Christmas cake, indulgent chocolate yule log, and mince pies all on offer.
Craigies Farm Shop proudly stocks a range of products from local Scottish producers such as Ramsay of Carluke bacon, Mellis artisan cheeses, and Cairn O’Mohr craft wine.
For the main event, this year Craigies has opted to stock free-range, organically reared turkeys from fellow family-run farm, Northumberland Poultry.
Striving to locate the best in poultry as close to Scotland as possible has not been easy due to widespread shortages, but Craigies are confident their turkeys from the North East are the very best in quality and taste.
Lastly, in addition to its wide range of delectable food and drink, Craigies Little Farmers on-site toyshop stocks a menagerie of wonderful toys and unique gifts like high-quality Bruder farm toys, Orange Tree wooden toys, and adorable Keel cuddly toys.
Key deadlines:
Christmas orders can be made up until Sunday 10th December for delivery up till 24th December, or customers can book for click & collect for a convenient festive shopping experience.
John Sinclair, owner of Craigies Farm, commented:“At Craigies our focus is always on quality. We want to give our customers the very best produce for a memorable Christmas. We raise our own meat and grow our own veg where possible, and only choose suppliers that are as committed to quality as we are.
“We’re thrilled to be offering our own pork and lamb as well as beef from our neighbours. With a focus on quality and provenance, we’re confident that a Craigies Christmas offers the very best for festive feasting this year!”
Aldi Scotland has shared three recipes to showcase the versatility of the Christmas dinner staple that is often left behind on our plates
Aldi Scotland has created three tantalising recipes that will leave the boiled, mushy brussels sprouts of our youth with a lot to answer for.
With three recipes that reinvent the scorned vegetable, Aldi is showcasing how we should all be eating our brussels this festive season. And at just 19p for a 500g as part Aldi’s super 6, each recipe offers fantastic quality for incredible value.
Working with East Lothian Produce, who have supplied the retailer with their brussels sprouts since 2012, Aldi Scotland has created three perfect dishes, including sprouts with a parmesan and garlic crumble, sprouts with a creamy mustard sauce, and a butternut and brussels pie, that showcase just how adaptable the humble vegetable can be.
East Lothian Produce and Aldi Scotland are encouraging customers to ditch the boring, boiled version we’ve all grown up with and try out the fool-proof recipes at home, which are sure to make the perfect side for your Christmas dinner.
Tracy McCullagh, East Lothian Produce, said:“Brussels sprouts are so much more versatile than you would imagine, and I think these recipes highlight how they can actually be the star of the show.
“I’d encourage Aldi customers across Scotland to give them a go – you may just surprise yourself.”
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said:“Brussels sprouts have endured a bad reputation over the years, and we want to change that.
“East Lothian Produce’s delicious sprouts can make the basis of so many sumptuous side dishes, which is obvious in these recipes. I’m sure our customers will love this different take on the traditional vegetable.”
Recipes:
Sprouts with a parmesan, garlic, and fresh thyme crumble
Serves: 4 people
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 18 minutes
Ingredients:
600g sprouts
30g butter
30g Specially Selected parmigiano cheese
50g plain flour
3g fresh sage – chopped
1 x tsp paprika
2 x peeled garlic cloves
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
Trim and wash the sprouts.
Cook in salted boiling water for 3 minutes and drain well.
Grate the Parmigiano cheese.
Mix the butter, grated cheese, sage, garlic, and flour together, then season with pepper and the paprika.
Rub the mixture together to make breadcrumbs.
Put the sprouts into an ovenproof dish – sprinkle over the crumble and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Sprouts with mustard cream sauce
Serves: 6 people
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
400g sprouts, trimmed
200ml Scottish double cream
2 x tsp dijon mustard
20g pine nuts
1 x tsp paprika
8g fresh parsley
25ml olive oil infused with garlic
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Cut the sprouts in half and put onto a baking sheet – drizzle over the garlic oil and bake for 10 minutes.
Chop the parsley and put in a bowl along with the cream and mustard, then season with some salt and black pepper.
Once the sprouts are cooked, transfer to a baking dish. Mix in the mustard cream. Sprinkle over the paprika and the pine nuts, then bake for a further 10 minutes.
Serve piping hot.
Butternut and brussels pie
Serves: 6 people
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
300g brussels sprouts
2 medium red onions
200g lighter garlic & herb soft cheese
750g puff pastry
35g pecan nuts
3g fresh rosemary
100ml olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
1 medium Scottish egg
10ml Scottish milk
Paprika
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.
Peel the squash. Cut into small chunks, discarding any seeds.
Trim the sprouts. Cut in halves.
Peel and finely chop the onions.
Put the squash, sprouts and onions on a large baking sheet.
Drizzle the oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
Allow to cool and put into a bowl.
Add the soft cheese.
Finely chop the rosemary and the pecan nuts, and add to the mix.
Mix all ingredients together.
Lightly grease a large baking sheet and put a pastry sheet on top.
Add the mixture on top.
Whisk the egg with the milk and paprika, then brush it on the exposed pastry.
Put the other sheet of pastry on top of the mixture.
Cut 5 slashes and brush all over with the egg and milk wash.
A six-year-old Dalmatian from Derby has narrowly avoided a Christmas catastrophe after eating an almost full pack of After Eights chocolate – including the wrappers.
But thanks to life-saving veterinary care funded by the UK’s largest vet charity, PDSA, the much-loved family pet Reggie will still get to enjoy the festive season with his family.
Reggie got his paws on the chocolate when his owner, Natalie Wood (31), popped out with her son, Brooklyn (10), to football practice.
“When I got home I noticed straightaway what had happened. I’d had three myself and left the box on the side in the kitchen, which I thought was out of his reach, but when I got home the rest of the chocolates had gone with just the box left, so I knew he had eaten almost the whole pack, including the wrappers,” Natalie explained. “I panicked because I know how dangerous chocolate can be to dogs so I called my local PDSA straightaway.”
PDSA confirmed they could help Reggie and advised Natalie to take him to their out of hours provider Vets Now in Derby. Once there, the vets gave Reggie an injection to make him sick.
Luckily, thanks to Natalie’s quick thinking and the treatment, which cost more than £300 and was funded by PDSA, Reggie made a full recovery and was able to return home the same day with medication to prevent his body from absorbing any remaining toxins.
“Usually Reggie is such a happy and playful dog, but he was really feeling sorry for himself that day, you could tell he wasn’t himself,” Natalie explained.
“But when we got home, I gave him a plain dinner of chicken and rice and the medication the vets gave us, and then he slept all night. He woke up the next morning and was back to normal!”
Ahead of the Christmas period, Natalie and PDSA are warning other pet owners of the dangers festive treats can pose to furry friends.
“Everyone knows chocolate is poisonous to dogs so I dread to think what would have happened to Reggie without PDSA,” Natalie added.
“With the cost of living crisis at the moment, I’m noticing everything is going up, from milk to petrol, and with Christmas around the corner, money is really tight. I have no idea what I would have done without PDSA as I would have struggled to afford the care Reggie needed to save his life.”
Natalie, who lives in Swadlincote, adopted Reggie when he was just a year old. “He’s been my best friend ever since,” she said. “He is one of the family; life wouldn’t be the same without him.”
PDSA Veterinary Nurse Shauna Spooner said: “Many of us have treats, sweets and chocolates in the house, and while the festive period can be a time for indulgence, it’s important to remember that some of these foods are very harmful to our pets.
“Foods including chocolate, mince pies, onions, raisins, grapes, some nuts, sage-and-onion stuffing and Christmas cake can all be harmful and should be kept safely out of paws’ reach over Christmas.
“If you suspect your dog has eaten any amount of chocolate, call your vet straight away for advice, don’t wait for symptoms to appear, but there are some key signs to be aware of:
“Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is toxic to dogs, cats, and rabbits. In severe cases, chocolate poisoning in dogs can cause fits and even death. There are some signs you can look out for if you think your pet may have accidentally eaten chocolate:
Excessive thirst
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
A tender tummy and restlessness
Tremors
A racing heart or abnormal heart rhythm
Raised body temperature and rapid breathing
“The higher the cocoa content of the chocolate, the more dangerous it is, so dark chocolate poses the biggest risk to pets.”
In times of hardship pets like Reggie will still fall ill or become injured and need emergency care.
PDSA is appealing for donations so that the charity can continue to support owners who have nowhere else to turn by providing life-saving care to vulnerable pets. To donate, visit pdsa.org.uk/donate.
Everyone wants their pets to feel included on Christmas Day and one way you might be thinking of doing this is to give them a share of your festive feast.
However, it is important to remember what is and, more importantly, is not safe for your dogs to eat. Luckily, PDSA vets are on hand with some top tips on how to safely share your delicious Christmas dinner with your dogs this festive season.
PDSA Vet, Lynne James, said: “There are parts of a ‘typical’ Christmas dinner that we can share with our furry friends, and I’m sure they would very much enjoy, but there are also parts that we should keep away from our pets at all costs.”
Lynne explained the ‘dog-safe’ parts of a roast include:
Boneless white turkey meat
Carrot and swede mash (make sure it doesn’t have onion in)
Vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, green beans, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, peas and cauliflower.
“But remember, it is important to make sure the food is plain and not covered in glaze, sauce, gravy, or seasoning as this could upset your dog’s stomach,” Lynne added.
“Other foods, such as cheese sauce, roast potatoes, bacon, and pigs in blankets aren’t dangerous but are high in fat and could easily upset your dog’s stomach, and they will likely pile on the pounds with all those extra calories.”
Lynne also shared a list of forbidden foods, which are highly dangerous to our four-legged friends and can have fatal consequences:
Onions
Garlic
Leeks
Shallots
Mincemeat
Currants, raisins and sultanas
Bones
Alcohol
Chocolate
PDSA Vet Lynne’s top Christmas dinner tips
Don’t overshare with your dog in the weeks and days surrounding Christmas because you may find that they start to expect something every time you have a meal, which encourages begging behaviour and is unhealthy in the long-term.
Remember portion control and don’t go crazy – our dogs are much smaller than us, and what seems like a tiny amount of food to us will be a huge treat in their eyes! For a small dog breed, such as a Border Terrier, eating just four pigs in blankets is the equivalent of a human eating an entire Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.
Have your vet’s out-of-hours number stored in your phone so, should an emergency occur and your dog eats something they shouldn’t, you can contact them immediately!
If you do feed your dog a little treat, make sure it’s no more than 10 per cent of their daily food intake, and remember to reduce the amount of food in their next meal to avoid over feeding them.
PDSA relies on donations to deliver life-saving treatment to hundreds of thousands of pets across its 48 Pet Hospitals in the UK.
To keep families together this winter, the charity is urgently calling on the public’s support more than ever to prevent vulnerable people having to make a truly heart-breaking decision.
Aldi Scotland has developed a Christmas dinner recipe that can be made entirely in the air fryer for customers hoping to keep energy costs to a minimum this year.
The discount retailer has developed an alternative Christmas dinner recipe with BBC’s Great British Menu finalist and head chef of Edinburgh’s Angel’s with Bagpipes, Fraser Smith.
The centre piece for the Christmas dinner is Aldi’s Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint, that is paired with beef fat carrots, pancetta roast brussels sprouts, hasselback potatoes and red wine gravy.
Fraser has been trying and testing the air fryer to perfect an alternative cooking method for Christmas dinner this year.
Fraser said:“Airfryers offer a great alternative to oven cooking, they’re fast, compact and energy efficient.
“The results of cooking in them is the same as any oven, delicious and tender cooked meats and crispy delicious sides. I loved developing this recipe with Aldi and I hope others give it a try this festive season.”
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland said:“We know that airfryers have soared in popularity this year and with energy costs still concerning families across Scotland we wanted to provide an alternative method to oven cooking Christmas dinner this year.
“Our take on a Christmas Dinner puts our limited edition Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint as the centre piece and provides a selection of delicious, family favourite sides.”
Roasted Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint with beef fat carrots, pancetta roast brussels sprouts, hasselback potatoes and red wine gravy
Ingredients:
4x large carrots
1x Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint
100g diced pancetta
600g brussels sprouts
750g baby potatoes
5g fresh thyme
1x bulb garlic
200ml red wine
10ml vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper
Method For the roast:
Wash four large carrots and place on the bottom of the air frying basket.
Score the fat on the Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint, rub in salt and cracked black pepper and place on top of the carrots in the air fryer basket.
Cut the garlic in half and place that, and half the thyme, in the basket.
Put the Galloway Beef and carrots in the air fryer at 200°c for 10 mins then reduce the temp to 180°c. Cook for an additional 20 mins per 500g for rare, 25 mins per 500g for medium, and 30 mins per 500g for well done.
While cooking, take time to baste the carrot and beef every half hour.
Once the beef is cooked to your liking, remove from the air fryer, cover in foil and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 20 mins.
Place the carrots back in the fryer, at 200°c, until they are cooked – this usually take 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size.
For the brussels sprouts:
Prepare the sprouts by removing the outer leaves and cutting them in half.
Place cut side up in the basket and cover with the chopped pancetta.
Place in the airfryer at 180°c for 20 minutes.
For the potatoes:
To prepare the hassleback potatoes, place the potato on a wooden spoon and make thin vertical slices through the potato being mindful not to cut all the way through – the wooden spoon should stop you cutting all the way through and splitting the potato.
Brush the slices potatoes with oil and sprinkle over some of the remaining thyme sprigs.
Place in air fryer at 200°c for 35 mins or until crispy.
This can be done in advance and the potatoes reheated just before serving.
For the gravy:
Make up some Aldi Specially Selected Beef Gravy as per instruction.
Add a splash of red wine to a warm pan, and reduce by half. Add this to the pre-made gravy.
According to recent studies, the right background music can increase our enjoyment of food by up to 60%. If you’re busy preparing a festive feast and want to make sure everything goes smoothly, picking the right music is key!
Cooking Christmas dinner can be a stressful experience, even for the most accomplished chefs! You might have picked up the best ingredients and got your timings perfected, but you probably haven’t given as much thought to what music you’ll be listening to when you sit down to eat?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the number one spot went to the undisputed Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, with her hit song ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ appearing in 104 Christmas dinner playlists.
Following closely behind is Michael Bublé, with his version of ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas’ coming in second place, with 79 appearances.
Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé share the title of most popular Christmas artists, with each having 6 songs in the top 100, including both of their versions of ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’.
There were 5 different versions of this festive classic in the top 100, with other versions from Sam Smith, Ella Fitzgerald and Charles Snyder also making appearances.
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, is inviting customers and their dogs in Edinburgh for a Pawsome Christmas Lunch on Wednesday 14 December, in the dedicated dog-friendly area of the restaurant, to allow the whole family to join in on some festive fun.
Customers in Edinburgh are in for a treat with Dobbies’ great-value two-course menu for £14.95 per adult. For the main course, there is a traditional Christmas turkey roast dinner with pigs in blankets, sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes, creamy mash, seasonal vegetables and gravy.
The vegetarian option includes Quorn sausages, served with seasonal vegetables, roast potatoes, creamy mash, sage and onion stuffing and gravy.
Building on the festivities, Dobbies’ dessert options are guaranteed to get you feeling festive. Customers can enjoy Christmas pudding drizzled with a decadent and creamy brandy sauce or a mince pie cheesecake with pouring cream or the choice of vanilla ice cream. Diners hoping to make a celebration of it can enjoy a 200ml bottle of Prosecco for an additional charge of £6.35 per person.
Our canine best friends will be in for some Christmas cheer at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store. Each customer will receive a Barking Bakery Woofin doggy cupcake treat to take home as well as a money off voucher for Dobbies’ pet department. A maximum of two dogs per person attending are permitted and customers in Edinburgh are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Dobbies’ Partnership and Events Manager, Sarah Murray, said: “We are very excited to welcome our customers and their dogs to our Edinburgh store for a very special Christmas lunch, the dedicated dog-friendly area in our restaurant.
“We pride ourselves on being dog-friendly and know how important pets are to the family. Everyone deserves to enjoy the festivities and we can’t wait to meet the dogs in Edinburgh. We hope they enjoy this event as much as our customers do and have a barking good time.”
The most magical time of the year is almost here and Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is welcoming the start of the festive season with a special charity shopping night in aid of National Charity Partner, Teenage Cancer Trust.
This is taking place in Dobbies’ Edinburgh store on Thursday 24 November, 5-9pm, with tickets on sale now.
The Christmas Shopping Night is a perfect opportunity for the whole family to explore great-value festive gifts, decorations and products and get into the Christmas spirit.
There will be a welcome drink on arrival plus the chance to enjoy the exclusive shopping offers available on the night. With the Christmas themes for 2022 displayed throughout the stores there will be decorating inspiration for all, no matter your style or budget.
Dobbies’ popular Santa’s Grotto will launch in its Edinburgh store for a special preview as well as bookable tables in the restaurant offering a taste of the Christmas menu.
Available on the night will be two courses for £14.95 with the option of traditional roast turkey dinner or vegetarian Christmas dinner with Quorn sausages, followed by Christmas pudding or mince pie cheesecake.
Sarah Murray, Partnership and Events Manager at Dobbies said: “We’ve raised over £1.2m for Teenage Cancer Trust and our Christmas Shopping Night is a great opportunity, not only for customers in Edinburgh to enjoy a festive night out and exclusive offers, but contribute to raising funds for an incredibly worthwhile cause.”
Tickets are priced at £1, available at dobbies.com and in-store, and all proceeds from ticket sales and fundraising on the night will be donated to Teenage Cancer Trust. It is also possible to opt in to make a donation to the charity when booking other festive events online.
Donna Bednarek, Senior Relationships Manager for Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “We are delighted to see the return of Dobbies Christmas Shopping Night this year – an event our volunteers love to be part of.
“It’s companies like Dobbies, and their incredible team members and customers taking part in events like this, that allow us to ensure no young person faces cancer alone.”
Attendees in Edinburgh are invited to take a photo in-store for the chance to win a prize.
Customers can share their photos on social media by using #DobbiesChristmasNight and tagging @dobbiesgardencentres to automatically be entered.
For more Christmas inspiration and to browse Dobbies’ new season ranges, visit:
School feeding charity Mary’s Meals asked 2,000 people across the UK who they would most like to cook Christmas dinner for them.
Almost half chose a family member over a celebrity chef, with the majority choosing their mum.
In the Scotland dads got the thumbs down in the festive kitchen!
Mary’s Meals is asking people to help feed hungry children by joining its virtual Christmas dinner.
A new survey by Mary’s Meals has revealed that people would rather have their Christmas dinner cooked by their mum than a celebrity chef.
The global school feeding charity asked 2,000 people who they would prefer to serve up their festive feast. It found that:
Almost half (46%) of respondents chose a family member rather than a famous chef – such as Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith, Gordon Ramsay and Nigella Lawson.
One in three people (36%) said they would prefer their mum to cook their Christmas dinner over other family members.
Just 1% of respondents in Scotland said they would like their dad to prepare the Christmas dinner!
Scotland’s National Chef Gary Maclean responds: “Despite being a professional chef myself, I’m not surprised most people chose their mum to make their Christmas dinner. Us chefs are all well and good but nothing beats a home-cooked festive feast.”
“I love the idea of Mary’s Meals Big Family Christmas – and I’m going to set a place for my late father-in-law Davie, who would love that their virtual seat at the table will feed a hungry child in school for an entire year.”
Mary’s Meals serves more than two million children with a nutritious meal every school day in 19 of the world’s poorest countries, including Malawi, South Sudan and Haiti. The promise of a good meal attracts children to the classroom, giving them the energy and opportunity to learn, and the chance of a brighter future.
Each December the charity holds a virtual Christmas dinner, Big Family Christmas, to raise funds to feed even more hungry children. Last year, nearly 9,000 people around the world took part in the fundraiser.
Emma Hutton, head of grassroots engagement at Mary’s Meals, says: “Tis the season to be jolly, and it seems nothing makes us jollier than a home-cooked Christmas meal. At Mary’s Meals, we want to spread that joy to as many of the world’s most impoverished children as possible.
“Setting a place at our virtual table is a great way to give a truly life-changing gift, especially as each place set this Christmas will feed two children for an entire year thanks to our Double The Love campaign. I look forward to seeing as many names at the table as possible as we celebrate our Big Family Christmas!”
In return for a donation of just £15.90, enough to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year, people can take part in the Big Family Christmas. Donors will receive a certificate to print at home and their name, or the name of a loved one, will appear on the charity’s virtual dinner table alongside names from across the world.
Donations made to Mary’s Meals before 31 January 2022 will be matched by a group of generous supporters, up to £1.6 million, thanks to the Double The Love campaign, meaning that each place set at the online Christmas table will feed two hungry children.
Mary’s Meals typically serves a mug of porridge to more than one million children in Malawi every school day.
This includes children like 14-year-old Yasimini, who is one of five girls. Her two older sisters were married young, but Yasimini was able to continue with her studies because of Mary’s Meals.
She says: “I work very hard in class so I can fulfill my dream of becoming a nurse. I don’t want to end up getting married early like my sisters.
“Mary’s Meals is very important because when I am attending classes I am strong and attentive and I can pay attention to what the teacher is teaching. This will help me to do well in my studies.”
£5 Christmas Dinner and a Festive Afternoon Tea for Two
Let the festive feasting commence with the launch of Morrisons new limited edition Christmas café menu – now available in all 406 Morrisons cafés nationwide – which includes a full Christmas dinner for just £5.
Start the day right with our Pigs Under Blankets Sandwich for £2.95, which has succulent pork sausages, nestled in a Morrisons Market Street ciabatta roll.
And for lunch, customers can tuck into our new Brie and Cranberry toastie – an ultimate flavour mash-up, made fresh to order and served with a side salad – you can also add crispy bacon for just £1. Or for something a little lighter, there’s The Best Festive Parsnip Soup. A true winter warmer priced at £3, it’s served with a Market Street ciabatta roll and butter.
For the main event we’ve got our Christmas Turkey Lunch with all the trimmings for just £5. Succulent hand carved Morrisons deli turkey is served with roast potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts, stuffing, yorkshire pudding, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce and gravy.
Burger fans can enjoy a festive twist on a classic with the new Morrisons Chickmas Burger for £5, which includes our Market Street Southern Fried chicken fillet topped with brie and cranberry sauce stacked in a brioche bun with coleslaw and chips.
Not forgetting the all important Christmas pudding for dessert, which is packed with raisins and sultanas and served with custard – for £3.
Or why not try our Festive Afternoon Tea for Two? For just £12, it includes a selection of sandwiches, cakes, mince pies served with British clotted cream – all served with proper Yorkshire Tea.
Ali Lyons, Morrisons Head of Café, said:“We know customers are embracing Christmas early this year, so we hope this menu will give all the flavours of Christmas, without breaking the bank!
“To help customers in the run up to Christmas, we’re also offering £5 main meals on a selected number of delicious Morrisons café dishes. Customer favourites include our Best Beef Burger which is stacked in our The Best Brioche Bun with cheese, salad and burger or a Crispy Chicken Burger using Market Street Succulent chicken.
“For Pie lovers there’s our Market Street Chunky Steak Pie which is served with mash, mushy peas and piping hot gravy.”
Admiral teams up with professional home economist to help people plan the perfect Christmas dinner –
More than one in 10 (12%) only keep Christmas leftovers for one day
One in 20 throw away excess food rather than turning it into other meals at Christmas
12% of Brits splashed out more than £100 per person for Christmas dinner last year
One in five have first alcoholic drink before 11am on Christmas Day
53% of claims involving food and drink in December relate to red wine spillages
A new investigation by Admiral home insurance has revealed that two thirds (65%) of households in the UK end up with more food than they need at Christmas, and one in 20 people throw excess ingredients in the bin, rather than turning them into other meals.
The tool helps people work out how much of each key ingredient they’ll need to cook the perfect Christmas dinner for their guests, and guides them on how many sweet treats and desserts to buy to make sure they’re properly stocked up for guests this festive season.
The investigation found that two fifths of Brits (42%) buy their ingredients for Christmas dinner a week before the big day. But while some are more organised, buying at the start of December (25%) or two weeks before Christmas Day (25%), others are less organised, opting to buy their food on 23rd December (17%) and even as last-minute as Christmas Eve (5%).
With many people yet to buy their ingredients, Admiral is encouraging people to plan ahead to make their Christmas feasts memorable for all the right reasons this year.
Stocking up for Christmas
The study found that some people are storing traditional Christmas foods in the wrong places, meaning food could potentially be going to waste.
To help make people’s Christmas go without a hitch, professional home economist, Becky Wilkinson, has shared her tips with Admiral on where ingredients should be stored.
One in ten (11%) believe that a Christmas pudding should be kept in the fridge, but Becky says that is not necessarily the right thing to do. “Where you store Christmas pudding or Christmas cake is often dependent on the recipe followed, but, as a rule, this should never be kept in the fridge.”
And with many a sweet tooth being catered to over the festive period, making sure the chocolates are in top condition for guests will be high on the priority list. Almost a quarter (23%) of people believe chocolate should be kept in the fridge, but Becky warns this can have an impact on the taste: “If you must store chocolate in the fridge, it should be sealed in an airtight container because the fat content in chocolate causes it to take on other flavours if not sealed properly.”
Before filling your fridge and stocking up, Becky recommends carrying out the four following checks to ensure your food is perfect for Christmas :
Make sure your fridge and freezer are running at the correct temperature before filling with Christmas treats. The recommended temperature is 5°C or below for the fridge and -18°C or below for the freezer. Fridge freezer thermometers are cheap and a very helpful tool to have if you don’t already!
Before the Christmas buying starts, check that all the items in your fridge and freezer are in date, remove any that are not. Overfilling your fridge and freezer will make it difficult for them to stay at the correct temperature
It’s important to store meat safely to stop bacteria from spreading and to avoid food poisoning. You should store raw meat and poultry in clean, sealed containers on the bottom shelf of the fridge, so they can not touch or drip onto other foods
Check your oven is working and has had a service if required. Also, give it a good clean to ensure for more accurate cooking times and optimum hygiene
What to do with leftovers
For those who do keep their Christmas dinner leftovers and excess ingredients, more than one in ten (12%) only keep it for one day, which means lots of leftover Christmas food gets wasted unnecessarily each year.
To avoid unwanted food waste, Becky Wilkinson has shared some simple top tips with Admiral on what to do with leftover Christmas ingredients:
Roast potatoes and Brussel sprouts: Break up the cold potatoes and mash together with the Brussel sprouts, place into a pan and fry. Add any leftover herbs or chestnuts to make extra tasty bubble and squeak.
Carrots: Heat the ready roasted sliced carrots in a pan and add caraway seeds and vegetable stock. Blend together to make a warming soup.
Pigs in blankets: Make your own mini toad in the hole’s by using an oiled muffin tin to heat the sausages and then pour over Yorkshire pudding batter. Bake until well risen.
Ham, turkey and gravy: Mix together, place into a pie dish and top with ready rolled puff pastry for a quick and effortless pie.
Turkey: For an oriental take on leftovers, try a turkey ramen or turkey stir fry.
Christmas pudding: Break up the Christmas pudding and mix with a drizzle of festive liquor, spread the mixture over some ready rolled puff pastry and roll up into a large swirl. Slice into 2cm rounds and place into a lined spring form cake tin. Glaze with egg and bake until pastry is cooked through for a festive Chelsea bun.
Cost of Christmas this year
Last Christmas, more than one in ten households (12%) splashed out over £100 for each person joining them for the festive feast. On average, homeowners spent £41.30 per person to feed their dinner guests in 2019.
Meanwhile, 22% of people said they are planning to spend even more money on food this Christmas.
With many restrictions still in place across the UK,17% of households said they would be spending less because they weren’t expecting as many guests around their Christmas table this year, and 12% want to cut down because they either ate too much or bought too much food last year.
However, younger households are looking to splurge this year, as 30% of those aged between 18 and 34 are planning to spend more on their dinner in a bid to treat themselves and their family this Christmas, in comparison to just 7% of people aged over 65.
Kitchen chaos at Christmas
In a bid to help make sure Christmas goes without a hitch this year, Admiral is urging people to watch out for some common culinary mishaps as these can be costly.
Analysis of Admiral claims data, relating to damage involving fridge freezers over the last five years, reveals that 7% happened during the month of December alone, with the average cost of each claim coming in at around £7001.
According to Admiral data, the most common causes of fridge or freezer failures in December were where the fridge freezer has broken and stopped working by itself (30%), or power cuts and power surges (23%) that either damaged the fridge freezer wiring or the prolonged loss of power caused the food to defrost.
‘tis the season to be Merry
Admiral found that one in five (20%) adults like to crack open the bubbly before 11.00am on Christmas day, and just less than one in ten (9%) open the alcohol before 10.00am.
Accidents can and do happen, and analysis of Admiral claims data relating to wine, gravy and sauce in the months of December found that 53% of claims, related to red wine being spilt on sofas, carpet, soft furnishings and even on laptops. To avoid any accidents spoiling the Christmas spirit, Admiral suggests standing glasses and bottles on a table and well away from small hands and pets if you can
David Fowkes, Head of Household Underwriting at Admiral, said: “Christmas is always a special period but this year will be even more important to households who, after a tough year, are looking to make the best of it with their close friends or family.
“Our study shows that people can easily go overboard and buy too much food for their Christmas dinner, leading to unnecessary food waste and people are also spending more money than they need to. As food plays such a big part of the festivities for many people, we want to help make sure the day goes as smoothly as possible – regardless of how many people you have around the dinner table.
“Unfortunately, not only are leftover ingredients being thrown away, but just a small percentage of people are giving excess food to food banks who would welcome the donations.
“We’d recommend carrying out a few simple checks around the kitchen a few weeks before Christmas. At Admiral we’ve seen examples where fridge freezers and cookers have been damaged in the build up to Christmas – some even on the big day itself – causing havoc and unnecessary stress for many households.
“Make sure you don’t over stock your fridge freezer so it keeps all of your Christmas food chilled at the perfect temperature, and it doesn’t spoil the festivities.”
