Is it wrong to be excited about Christmas lunch already? We don’t think so, hence why we’ve put together a special round-up of the best sites for our favourite annual feast, featuring some of the finest purveyors of traditional Christmas fare. If there is one time of year when you can scoff whatever your hungry stomach demands, it is now, so eat, drink and be merry (and worry about those too-tight jeans in January).

SMOKED SALMON - INVERAWE SMOKEHOUSE
www.smokedsalmon.co.uk


A great Christmas snack – to be handed round while the designated Christmas chef sweats in the kitchen – is smoked salmon on buttered brown bread, drizzled with a squeeze of lemon and a generous sprinkling of black pepper. The bread must be cut into little triangles and the smoked salmon must be of the finest quality. Put Scotland’s Inverawe Smokehouse on your list to ensure a plentiful supply of the latter. Watch out for the exceptional beetroot gravadlax and the butterscotch and seasalt truffles, too.

TURKEY - HAMBLETONS
www.hambletonfarms.co.uk


There can’t be a better moment than when the freshly roasted Christmas turkey is presented in all its glory, ready to be carved and gobbled by the hungry masses. It’s the meal that keeps on giving and, by ensuring you have a good free range bird such as those supplied at Hambleton Farms, you are not only guaranteeing a sumptuous Christmas dinner, but some of the finest turkey sandwiches, turkey casseroles and other recycled turkey delights for days to come.

GEESE - GOODMANS GEESE
www.goodmansgeese.co.uk


For many a century, it was goose that ruled the festive table. Where to find that perfect bird? Jamie Oliver cooks both geese and turkey at Christmas, and he buys his goose from Goodman’s Geese. The well-established family business in Worcestershire sells free-range geese and bronze turkeys. Delia Smith is also a fan of the farm and Tom Parker Bowles once said: “I still think the geese from Judy Goodman are exceptionally good.”

ALTERNATIVE MEATS
www.alternativemeats.co.uk


Alternative Meats provides great inspiration for those looking for something a bit different to the traditional Christmas turkey. They have a great selection of free-range geese – but be sure to check out their other, more exotic fare, too. British kangaroo, anyone? Wagyu beef for the festive celebration? Buffalo meat? A suckling pig then.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING - THE CARVED ANGEL
www.thecarvedangel.com


You only need to look at pictures of The Carved Angel’s Christmas puddings to know that these are something special. Oozy, boozy and spiced to perfection, they are made using an original Victorian recipe to make puds that are moist, light, vegetarian, nut-free and beautifully presented in a ceramic bowl, tied with muslin or coloured cloth.

GENERAL SUPPLIES - FORMAN & FIELD
www.formanandfield.com


Turkey without cranberry sauce is like Christmas pudding without brandy butter. Luckily, you can find both at Forman & Field alongside Christmas dinner essentials such as mince pies, chipolatas, pork stuffing, chestnuts, chocolate, cheese crackers, bread sauce, Brussels sprouts with pancetta and pretty much anything else you can think of.

FOOD FOR THE FREEZER - COOK
www.cookfood.net


We are not for one moment suggesting that you’re a cheat, but we are huge advocates of anyone making our lives easier, especially on Christmas morning. The team at GWG raves about COOK, the hand-prepared frozen food company that saves many a frazzled mother on December 25. Give yourself time to enjoy it this year by buying their ready-made meal with all the trimmings. Pigs in blankets, peeled sprouts with chestnuts, pre-roasted tatties, home-made bread sauce and stuffing… Trust us, nobody will notice it wasn’t you peeling the spuds as it all looks and truly tastes home-made – because it is, just not in your home.

CHEESE - PONG
www.pongcheese.co.uk


For the stinkiest of cheeses, which is just how we like them, please do look to the UK’s favourite online cheese shop, Pong. Their online cheese party planner will guide you if you’re hosting and their ultimate Pong boxes make the most brilliant presents. Pong sells foodie musician Alex James’ full range of cheeses including his exquisite Little Wallop (washing in cider and wrapped in vine leaves) and Blue Monday (a wonderful creamy semi-soft blue). Trust us, this is a great site.

CHAMPAGNE, WINE & PORT - MAJESTIC
www.majestic.co.uk


Eat, drink and be merry, goes the saying, but – if you wish to avoid a truly terminal hangover the next day – it pays to buy quality booze. Cue Majestic and its selection of champagne, wine and port sourced from some of the world’s most renowned family producers.

COOKING ADVICE & RECIPES - JAMIE OLIVER
www.jamieoliver.com


There’s no point having all these fine ingredients if you don’t know how to cook them and who better to turn to for easy, breezy culinary advice than the indomitable Jamie Oliver? His site features an entire section devoted to Christmas with inspiring recipes that include turkey wellington, green veggies with flavoured butter, get-ahead gravy, vegan chocolate bread and butter pudding and mulled figs and lots of other great ideas for the festive feast.

Updated November 2017