Our Complete Guide to Festive Feasting

30th Nov 2023

Top tips, treats & tipples for the gourmet connoisseur

Weetons and Garden Trading Christmas Hampers

It’s the season of giving and thanks to a partnership with our favourite hamper creators at Weetons, we’ve plenty of top-drawer goodies on offer in our festive giveaway. 

In the meantime, how better to celebrate the forthcoming festivities with family and friends, than with a fabulous feast? This year, let your turkey be the star of the show beyond Christmas day, with this mouthwatering recipe from our favourite Cornish chef, food photographer and author, James Strawbridge. Crammed with seasonal flavours, his Turkey Pie is a boxing day family favourite that promises to make the most of all your leftovers from the main event.

Turkey Pie with Bubble & Squeak Hash recipe by James Strawbridge

FINALISING YOUR FESTIVE MENUS?

Whether you’re set to host a big spread, intimate suppers or nibbles with the neighbours over the festive period, James’ top tips are here to ensure that this season’s get togethers are memorable for all the right reasons.

DECK THE HALLS

Try making an edible wreath with branches from a bay tree, featuring slices of oven-dried oranges and sprigs of other herbs, such as rosemary and thyme. These look beautiful hung in the kitchen and can be great to use when cooking over the holidays.

TALKING TURKEY

I’ve always been a huge fan of traditionally reared turkeys. They mature more slowly and are given time to develop more flavour, but it’s also about making the ethical choice to buy higher welfare meat and poultry, rather than factory farmed birds. Try Bronze turkeys or Norfolk black for a Christmas dinner to remember.

BEYOND BUBBLE & SQUEAK

Leftovers can be great fun to cook with and reduce food waste. Be creative and try making your own curries from scratch, classics like bubble and squeak or a Cajun style turkey hash for brunch. If in doubt, go online and search for ideas to use your festive leftovers for another Boxing Day feast.

BEET WELLINGTON

Tired of turkey? If you want to try a vegetarian show stopper, have a go at making a beetroot wellington with truffled mushroom duxelle. It’s a great dish for celebrations as it’s packed with flavour. Add more life to your roasted vegetables by using sea salt, aromatic herbs and a range of different root vegetables.

MAKE A LIST…& CHECK IT TWICE

Plan your meals over the festive period to cater for everyone’s favourites. By being organised and shopping online you can avoid unnecessary extra trips out to the shops and reduce food waste. If you know what you are cooking it really helps to avoid buying too much food and struggling to find room in the fridge for it all. Just make sure you leave space in your meal plan for second breakfasts, plus extra cheese and wine after dinner!

STOCKINGS

Make vegetable stock with all your peelings and scraps to enrich your gravy with nutrients and reduce waste. A good stock can really boost the essence of your sauces and be the making of a superb roast. Boil the bones of your meat and poultry to release the calcium, releasing wonderful flavours that can be savoured during Christmas lunch.

JACK FROST

Use your freezer effectively and make sure that you’ve got organised and anticipated any room required for leftovers, before the Christmas holidays start. It pays dividends to have spent some time sorting through and making space, ahead of a busy season in the kitchen.

‘TIS THE SEASON

Seasonal veg tastes better, has fewer food miles and supports British farmers. Buy plenty of root vegetables, cabbage and kale, plus the obligatory sprouts to add an authentic seasonal vibe to your culinary efforts. Avoid out of season strawberries and exotic vegetables for a proudly British Christmas dinner.




THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO BE KEPT UP TO DATE ON FUTURE GIVEAWAYS


ENTER OUR WEETONS FESTIVE HAMPER GIVEAWAY

On Thursday 7th December 2023, one lucky winner will be selected at random to receive their choice of one of four selected Weeton’s Christmas Hampers, plus a £250 voucher to spend at Garden Trading. Here’s what you’ll find featured in each of them:

THE SPICE SELECTION HAMPER RRP £100

What’s inside: Spice Rack with 7 Spice Jars, Porcelain Measuring Spoons, Spice Kitchen Cookbook, Harissa Spice, Italian Spice, Mexican Spice, Shawarma Spice, Sri Lankan Curry Powder, Tandoori Masala Spice and Zatar Spice.

Porcelain Measuring Spoons and Spice Rack with 7 Spice Jars by Garden Trading

THE COFFEE HAMPER RRP £55

What’s inside: Coffee Scoop with Clip in Brass Finish, Weetons Bone China Mug x2, Weetons Butter Madeira Cake, Weetons Exclusive Ground Coffee and Weetons Fresco Ground Coffee.

Coffee Scoop with Clip in Brass Finish at Garden Trading

THE BAKER’S HAMPER RRP £70

What’s inside: Beech Pastry Brush, Beech Pastry Cutter, Brompton Cake Slice in Antique Brass Finish, Cookbook Holder in Antique Brass Finish and a Porcelain Measuring Spoon.

Cookbook Holder in Antique Brass Finish and Beech Pastry Cutter by Garden Trading

THE GARDENING HAMPER RRP £85

What’s inside: Hawkesbury Dibber, Hand Rake, Hand Scoop, Round Head Pruner, Set of 6 Greenhouse Slate Tags with Chalk, Gardeners Soap with Walnut Shell & Shea Butter and Woodland Fern & Sandalwood Luxury Hand Cream.

Set of 6 Greenhouse Slate Tags and Round Head Pruner by Garden Trading

o This competition has now closed.

Competition Terms & Conditions:

  • Entrants must be aged 18 or over and have a UK postal address.
  • Entrants cannot be employees of either Weetons or Garden Trading, members of employees’ immediate families or anyone else connected with the promotion or businesses.
  • No automated, bulk, third party or consumer group entries are permitted to enter the competition.
  • Each individual is permitted to enter the competition once only.
  • Entry into the competition is valid from 30/11/2023 to 07/12/2023 at 5pm.
  • The competition winner will be selected at random after the competition has closed and notified within 48 hours.
  • The competition winner will receive one of the following 4 hampers: The Spice Selection Hamper, The Coffee Hamper, The Baker’s Hamper and The Gardening Hamper, in addition to a £250 Garden Trading voucher.
  • Any entry which is incomplete, incomprehensible, late, incorrectly submitted or otherwise does not comply with the rules of the competition may be deemed invalid, at the sole discretion of Garden Trading.
  • Should you win the competition, Garden Trading will use your contact details to administer the prize.
  • Garden Trading reserves the right to substitute any prize item for an alternative of similar value.
  • The winner cannot exchange any part of the prize for cash.
  • If you are the lucky winner, Garden Trading reserves the right to use your name and or/image on the Garden Trading journal and social media as required, highlighting you as a winner.
  • Garden Trading reserves the right to withdraw this competition or amend these terms and conditions without notice, at any time.

Added to Basket