Tag: food and drink

Morrisons makes more Click & Collect slots available to help customers during lockdown

– Click & Collect slots now available from 447 Morrisons stores across the UK –

– Up to 37,000 slots available every day

– Slots available to book now nationwide for collection tomorrow

Morrisons is expanding its Click & Collect service to 447 stores across the UK to help feed the nation during the third national lockdown. 

At the start of March 2020, there were just 14 Morrisons stores offering the Click & Collect service, growing to 280 in the second lockdown in November. Now, Morrisons has extended the service even further to help customers during the latest January lockdown, with 447 stores now fulfilling Click & Collect orders across the country.

Morrisons’ Click & Collect service allows customers to complete a Morrisons.com order online and then collect from a store, without an additional delivery charge and contact-free, at a time that suits them best.

Since the first lockdown, Morrisons has introduced lots of new ways to help customers shop, including:

  • Its Doorstep Delivery service for elderly and vulnerable customers wishing to place a next day delivery order.  Anyone  wishing to use the service should call 0345 611 6111 and select option 5
  • Same-day deliveries with Amazon and Deliveroo for quick and convenient shopping
  • A selection of Food Boxes available online, which will be delivered next day if ordered before 3pm

Morrisons is also offering 10% discounts on shopping to key workers, which include NHS, Teachers and Blue Light Card holders. There is also an NHS shopping hour which takes place at 6am – 7am, Monday to Saturday to make it easier for the nation’s key workers to do their shopping. 

Miles Foster, Morrisons Online Operations Director said: “We are doing everything we can to increase the amount of home delivery slots available but we recognise that the slots get snapped up quickly in lockdown. Click & Collect is an excellent alternative and is proving really popular with customers.

“Since the first lockdown we have expanded our Click & Collect service significantly and it is now available from 447 of our stores across the country.  We have slots available now nationwide so our customers can get the groceries they need in a contact-free and convenient way.”  

For more information visit: www.morrisons.co.uk.

Help is at Hand: Local Pantry opening hours update

Due to the pandemic restrictions the main North Edinburgh Arts venue will remain closed, but the NEA Pantry (in the old Co-op building on Pennywell Road) is open today from 10-2pm for new members, resuming usual hours from next Wednesday 13 January.

FRESH START PANTRY

New opening hours for Fresh Start Pantry on Ferry Road Drive

If you need help or advice, please call our North Edinburgh phoneline on 0131 356 0220 and we will help or signpost to who can!

GRANTON:HUB PANTRY

The first pantry of the New Year took place yesterday (Wednesday 6th January) from 11 – 12pm.

The pantry will continue to run on Wednesday’s on a fortnightly basis – next one will be Wednesday 20 January.

Thank you for the produce supplied by FareShareRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Edinburgh Food for Good/Refugee Community Kitchen.

For more information contact community@grantonhub.org

There’s also daily food support from Leith-based Empty Kitchens Full Hearts:

An update from Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Simon Roberts

With tighter restrictions and national lockdowns back in place, I want to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to keep you and our colleagues safe when you shop with us (writes Sainsbury’s Chief Executive SIMON ROBERTS).

Everyone must wear a mask in our stores

Keeping you and our colleagues safe is our absolute priority and we are looking again at all of our safety measures in stores.

We continue to limit the number of people in our shops at any one time and we have greeters outside every supermarket to help with this.

We are also asking all customers to please wear a mask and to shop alone. This will help us limit the number of people shopping at any one time and help everyone shop and work safely.

We’ll also have posters and tannoy messages making it really clear that everyone must wear a mask, unless you have an exemption.

Convenience stores will also have colleagues at the store entrances to help customers and manage numbers. All our stores have hand sanitising stations available for you to use at the entrance and please be assured our colleagues continue to regularly clean trolleys and baskets.

Ramping up online capacity

As people are being asked to stay at home, more people want to shop online and we’re doing everything we can to support you with this. We have increased slots from 340,000 last March to over 800,000 per week now and we’re doing everything we can to increase that number, across both home delivery and click and collect. We continue to give elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers priority access to these slots.

Please shop for others and only buy what you need

We have good availability of products in our stores and online and we have new stock arriving from our suppliers every day. You can still feel confident that you can find what you need at Sainsbury’s and if we all continue to buy just what we need, there will be enough food for everyone.

It’s been really heartening to see so many of you and our colleagues doing what you can to help elderly and vulnerable people in your communities. With clinically extremely vulnerable people required to shield once again in many areas, I would like to encourage everyone to please shop for others if you can. Our Volunteer Shopping Card can help you do this without needing to use cash.

Supporting our communities

With your help, our ‘Help Brighten a Million Christmases’ campaign raised nearly £6 million for over 800 local charitable partners as well as Comic Relief and FareShare. Thank you for all of your support and donations.

To continue to support our communities as we head into this third lockdown, I’m pleased to let you know that we’re creating another £1 million local community fund for all our stores to donate to charities and other good causes in their local area over the coming months.

We are also continuing to support the government’s free school meal vouchers scheme, helping children who qualify for free school meals have access to these meals while schools are closed.

I want to thank all of our colleagues who continue to deal with these challenges that affect their everyday lives while also carrying out a vital role in helping to feed the nation. Thank you too for helping us to keep you and our colleagues safe.

As always, if there is anything you think we could be doing better please let me know.

Best wishes

Simon

Morrisons Hogmanay

Morrisons is slashing the price of selected premium scotch whiskies in its Scotland stores to help customers celebrate Hogmanay at home.

From Boxing Day, selected bottles of Glenmorangie, Highland Park, Glenlivet and Laphroaig will be just £20 each in Morrisons, saving customers up to £16 a bottle.

Charles de Villers champagne is also half price and Sorso prosecco has a third off.

The deals are available in Morrisons 60 stores across Scotland until New Year’s Eve.

The secret ingredient in your British cuppa

New research review highlights the health benefits of thearubigins – a polyphenol found only in black tea

Whether it’s clean eating, superfood diets or rapid ways to lose weight, green tea is lauded for its health credentials; with regular black tea – enjoyed by millions of Brits every day – often forgotten.

“New research review highlights the health benefits of thearubigins – a polyphenol found only in black tea”

All this could change with the publication of a new scientific review, in the journal, Nutrition & Food Technology[1], which argues that the little-known polyphenols found in black tea – called thearubigins – have equally powerful health benefits.

Not only this, Brits have the highest thearubigin intake, in Europe with the average tea drinker taking in 327 mg daily – more than double the European average of 156 mg and 50 times higher than the intakes in Spain.

The new review, undertaken by the Tea Advisory Panel – www.teaadvisorypanel.com, examined the results from five human studies and 17 laboratory studies looking specifically at thearubigins, one of the flavonoid group of polyphenols.

The main areas of health which could be influenced by thearubigins were gut health, blood pressure, and anti-cancer effects, in part due to their powerful antioxidant potential and anti-inflammatory effects.

Lead author and tea expert, Dr Tim Bond, comments: “Research on thearubigins is at an early stage in comparison with the wealth of data we have on the benefits of drinking green and black teas.

“However, it’s clear from laboratory studies that thearubigins are important antioxidants and appear to have anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as regulating gut function.

“Thearubigins could be key to understanding the mechanisms behind the well-known health benefits of black tea and the identification of actives that are responsible for these. We now need to build on this work with clinical trials in human populations”.

Dr Carrie Ruxton, from the Tea Advisory Panel, adds: “Health features are often full of good news about green tea and our much-loved British cuppa can be overlooked.

“This new review is great for people who prefer a regular cup of black tea and adds to the considerable evidence on tea’s role in maintaining heart health, cognitive function and gut health”.

Christmas in the new normal

Five ways to celebrate remotely with loved ones this year

  • Amid the current health crisis, Furniture And Choice shares five tips to keep up with your Christmas traditions remotely 
  • Cooking together, craft competitions and online games among the best ways to stay connected to loved ones 

    While Christmas rules may allow some family members to get together, this won’t be the case for everyone and certainly not for those with large families or friendship groups.  

    However, there are many ways to have an amazing Christmas with friends and family even while social distancing or living on Zoom, without letting those all-important traditions fall by the wayside. Interior Style Advisor at Furniture And Choice, Rebecca Snowden, offers her top tips on how to celebrate the festive season with loved ones even if you can’t be physically together:  
  1. Take time to cook (and eat) together 

The highlight of many people’s Christmas is the big festive lunch and you don’t have to miss out just because you can’t leave your home. Share recipes for what you’re planning to cook with your friends and family beforehand, to make sure you all have the same ingredients on the day. You could even assign courses to different family members if you wanted to – although you won’t be able to eat everyone’s offering! 

On the day, arrange a time to video call so you can virtually make the dishes together. This is a great way to chat and feel connected to loved ones as if you’re all cooking and making something special together. There are many apps you can use to do this, including Zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and FaceTime (if you all have Apple devices).  

Don’t forget to arrange a time for a video call at the dinner table too, so you can sit down, have a chat and eat your meal together as a family.  

  1. Take part in a Christmas craft competition 

To really get into the festivities, you could arrange a table centrepiece competition with your friends and family. There are plenty of tutorials for centrepieces online that use things you’ll have lying around the house, and it’s a welcome bit of fun for everyone to enjoy.  

One person should act as the judge and taskmaster, sharing the table centrepiece tutorial beforehand and judging everybody’s attempts via a video call or picture submissions to determine who is the most successful. You could even present the winner with a virtual prize, such as a gift card.  

This is a great way to have some fun with your loved ones and make something perfect for your Christmas dining table.  

  1. Create a playlist to listen to music together 

To really feel like you’re sitting down to have lunch with your loved ones, why not create a playlist for everyone to listen to at the same time? You can easily create a playlist on Spotify or Apple Music, and then share this with your family and friends so you can all listen together while you’re cooking or having lunch.  

To make things a little more interesting, you could create a public playlist and assign each person certain letters of the alphabet to add artists beginning with that letter. Alternatively, create a playlist theme, such as Christmas number ones, and see who can add the most songs to the playlist that fit the theme you chose.  

  1. Play online games 

After you’ve eaten your lunch, what could be better than playing a game? Although you won’t be able to sit down and play a board game together as you would usually, there are lots of virtual game apps that allow you to still enjoy fun and games with your loved ones. 

Try Kahoot! for a virtual quiz suitable for all the family. Each person can select a quiz category that they want everyone to play, or you can make it extra personal by creating a round specifically about your friends and family.  

For something with more of a competitive edge, download Mario Kart Tour on iOs or Android to race as your favourite Mario characters with your friends and family. Fancy something more grown-up? The online version of Cards against Humanity is now available to download – just make sure there are no children present!  

  1. Watch a movie together 

If you fancy something more chilled during your Christmas break, why not cosy up and watch a festive favourite with your loved ones? Thanks to apps such as Netflix Party, you can now sit and watch Netflix films together virtually – just download the extension on Google Chrome, invite your loved ones to watch a film and you’re good to go.

You can even talk via a chat box while watching the film so you can discuss and share your thoughts as you watch, so it’s a great way to stay connected to your friends and family. 

Rebecca continues: “Christmas may be a huge struggle for some this year, as for many it’s a time to be around loved ones to eat, drink and be merry. While rules are allowing some people to get together, there will be many who won’t be able to see everyone they usually would, like extended family or groups of friends.

“But we shouldn’t let this spoil the Christmas spirit, we should try to adapt our plans to make sure we still feel connected with our loved ones.  

“Setting up collaborative challenges, sharing recipes and engaging in a family quiz are great ways to keep spirits high and create memories you won’t forget. Why not use this time to start new traditions from the comfort of your own homes and celebrate the Christmas season in style?”  

For more ideas and inspiration, including Christmas crafts to try, visit Furniture And Choice’s inspiration page here: https://www.furniturechoice.co.uk/inspiration/ 

You are what you eat

THE FIVE NUTRIENTS TO HELP EDINBURGH STAY HEALTHY THIS WINTER – AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

keep your immune system strong with these nutritious foods

www.fruitjuicesciencecentre.eu/en

As we get deeper into winter and the subsequent rise in colds, flu and likely, covid-19, more of us are hunting out ways to keep ourselves healthy.

However, research by the Fruit Juice Science Centre states that 40 per cent of people in Edinburgh are unaware that they are more likely to pick up viruses if the immune system is compromised.

So, how do we Improve our virus-fighting systems? It’s not as difficult as you might think. In fact, adding certain nutrients to your day-to-day diet could make all the difference.

Vitamin C

There’s a reason we turn to orange juice during times of sickness; new research by the Fruit Juice Science Centre has revealed that just one 150 ml glass of 100% fruit juice provides a staggering 84% of the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV – the minimum we should consume for normal health) for vitamin C. During times of illness, experts say we may need more than double the NRV – around 200 mg of vitamin C daily.

And this vitamin is essential for our immune system; it not only influences the growth and function of immune cells, it also supports the skin and gut barriers against pathogens, acts as a powerful antioxidant, and encourages mobilisation of white blood cells to sites of infection to kill off pathogens.

However, it’s not just when you’ve been struck down with the sniffles that you should consider drinking a glass of orange juice.

Thirty-one per cent of respondents quizzed in Edinburg believe wrongly that the body stores vitamin C and as long as you’ve consumed lots on one day, your body will have enough for the next day. However, this isn’t the case, and a daily supply is needed.

Dr Gill Jenkins, GP and broadcaster, explains that in the UK many of us fail to reach optimal vitamin C intakes as most people don’t eat the recommended five daily servings of fruit and vegetables. Shockingly, fewer than one third of 19-64-year olds hit their quota.

That’s why it’s a good idea to load up on fruit and veg, particularly those rich in antioxidant vitamin C such as tomatoes, red and green peppers, kiwi fruit, broccoli and potatoes. One daily serving of 100% juice can be part of this.

Vitamin D

The sunshine vitamin is in short supply during the UK’s winter months, so the UK government advises everyone considers a year-round supplement of 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day to keep bones and muscles healthy.

More recent studies have found vitamin D receptors on several types of immune cells, suggesting that it also has an immunity benefit. Added to this, low vitamin D levels in blood increase the likelihood of respiratory tract infections, so it’s essential to keep stores topped up.

Vitamin D is only found in a small number of foods which is why we rely on summer and autumn sunshine to hit our vitamin D targets. But even this isn’t foolproof given the UK’s ever-changing weather.

With nearly a fifth of adults failing to reach the minimum cut-off set by the UK Department of Health (25 nmol/litre) of vitamin D blood levels, it’s time to up our game with this essential vitamin.

As well as supplementation, include vitamin D-rich foods like oily fish, eggs, dairy products, liver, fortified foods and mushrooms.

Folate

This water-soluble B vitamin is essential for normal immunity, including antibody production and function.

It’s also vital for cell health, says Dr Jenkins, as during pregnancy, “a lack of folic acid is associated with neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida”. Need another reason to drink fruit juice?  A 150 ml glass of 100% orange juice provides 16% of the NRV for folate. To increase your intake of folate even further, add whole fruit, nuts, seeds, beans, peas and green leafy vegetables to your diet.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Whilst Omega 3 fatty acids do target and reduce body inflammation[5], fewer than half (45%) of those surveyed in Edinburgh by the Fruit Juice Science Centre actually linked omega-3s with immune function. It’s recommended that we consume 140g of omega-3s-rich oily fish a week. However, the National Diet and Nutrition Survey reveals that adults aged 19-64 years eat just 56 g a week on average -with teens eating even less! Up your omega 3s intake with oily fish (including sardines, salmon and mackerel) as well as nuts and seeds such as flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts. Try sprinkling flaxseeds over porridge for breakfast and grilling sardines on toast for lunch.

Polyphenols, prebiotics and probiotics

These all support our gut microbiota- the complex family of bacteria that lives in our digestive tract – which in turn, can play a role in our immune health. The gut is the first line of defence against pathogens and having a healthy, balanced microbiota is the cornerstone of this.

As if the vitamin C content of 100% orange juice wasn’t enough to make you consume 150 ml a day, orange juice also contains hesperidin, a type of polyphenol particularly useful in aiding vascular function with new 2020 research claiming that hesperidin could be useful in novel drugs for covid-19.

Dr Gill Jenkins explains: “Hesperidin has attracted the attention of scientists because it binds to the key proteins of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – meaning it could have anti-viral effects.”

New evidence also suggests that hesperidin has a prebiotic effect, encouraging more favourable bacteria to thrive in the gut. For optimum levels of hesperidin, drink packaged juice rather than home squeezed juice since commercial squeezing extracts more polyphenols. As well as orange juice, add high fibre and probiotic-rich fermented foods to your diet such as pickles, miso, kefir and sauerkraut.

For more information see: www.fruitjuicesciencecentre.eu/en

From DIY Food Kits to Cocktail Deliveries: support local restaurants right from your own kitchen

Restaurants, bars, and pubs across the country are being forced to close their doors after being plunged into tier three and four restrictions following the government’s latest announcement. 

Enterprising hospitality businesses up and down the country are boxing up their offerings and shipping them directly to your door, offering a lifeline through takeaways and home deliveries.  

As part of their Christmas Hampers Index report, the consumer spending experts at money.co.uk have compiled a list of independent businesses across the nation who have had to think outside (and inside) the box.

Here’s a sample of the content: 

From cook-at-home hamper kits to take away drink delivery services, these are the independent businesses across the UK that you can still support whilst under the highest restrictions. 

Scotland

   Glasgow

Hanoi Bike Shop

Nestled away in the heart of the West End, the Hanoi Bike Shop brings the spirit of Vietnam to Glasgow, so let the twinkling lights and the scent of the Pho Kitchen lead you down the lane to the contemporary canteen. Indulge into a ‘Hot Banquet for 2’ and eat like a King or Queen for the evening and enjoy some homemade dumplings. 

Get your noodle fix here: https://www.hanoibikeshop.co.uk/

The Gannet

The Gannet opened in Glasgow’s Finnieston neighbourhood in September 2013, by three friends Ivan Stein, Peter Read and Peter McKenna, and Kevin Dow joined them in 2014.

The Gannet’s menu remains dominated by exceptional Scottish produce. If anything, the kitchen seems to have stepped things up a notch this year despite the challenges that has faced the hospitality industry as a whole. 

Find out more: https://www.thegannetgla.com/

Five March

Being placed into tier 3 restrictions meant Five March had to think of alternative ways to offer their menu to their guests. The Malaysian restaurant introduced a dine at home menu, starting at £50 for two. But it doesn’t stop there, they have also introduced a Christmas box filled with festive foods, ready for collection on Christmas Eve, costing £100 for two. 

Find out more: https://fivemarch.co.uk/restaurant

Red Onion

Award winning Red Onion is situated in the heart of Glasgow city centre, Red Onion is a contemporary casual dining experience, with a menu that offers something for everyone. John and his team are now offering delicious ready made nutritious meals to warm at home. All meals are cooked fresh, ready for your fridge or for reheating and all dishes are suitable for home freezing – perfect for when you don’t want to prep and cook dinner.

Read out more: http://red-onion.co.uk/

Edinburgh

The Gate

If you miss your weekend tipple, then look no further than The Gate’s “create my cocktail” to make a drink based on the flavours you love. You can choose from their house specials, classic cocktails or a cocktail party package for the perfect night in.

Find out more: https://www.glasgowcocktails.co.uk/

111 at Home

Immerse yourself in the luxury of 111 by Modou in your own home with the new alternative home cooking kits available to you, the kits are available to order online now and include a five course dining experience, priced at £60 for two. 

They have also created your alternative Christmas Day experience which includes a hamper filled with festive foods ready for the big day, for either two people or four. Much like the restaurant, the at home menu highlights local and seasonal ingredients.

Find out more: https://111athomebymodou.bigcartel.com/

Eusebideli

Eusebideli works alongside local suppliers and friends in Italy to bring you the best produce straight to your table.The Italian restaurant has made Christmas dining at home easy with their three course menu – simply just heat. All the meals are prepared by their chefs, using the same quality ingredients from independent local producers. All recipes are made from scratch, the dishes can be popped straight in the oven or straight in the freezer to enjoy at a later date. All you have to do is simply heat, eat and enjoy.

Find out more: https://shop.eusebideli.com/prepared-meals

Cask Smugglers

Get in the festive spirit with Cask Smugglers providing you with your cocktail needs. Enjoy their cocktail bundle including five different cocktails including Sloe Sazerac, Noel Negroni, Xmas Sangria, Gingerbread Martini, and Spiced Pear Martini – what else do you need to get you into the Christmas spirit?

All cocktails are available now on their online store, you can purchase now or pre-order, also available for nationwide and local delivery.

Check out Cask Smugglers here: https://www.instagram.com/cask_smugglers/?utm_source=ig_embed

Waste not, want not: Two thirds of households buy too much food for Christmas

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. 

Admiral has worked with a professional home economist to create an online tool and help families plan ahead to make the perfect Christmas dinner, prevent overbuying, save money, and avoid unnecessary food waste this Christmas.

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 :

  1. 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!
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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.”