The plummeting temperatures this week certainly made it feel very wintry, tempting everyone to stay indoors, light up the fire and hibernate until Christmas.
Of course, it wouldn’t feel quite as cosy without some of our favourite festive treats, so if you want to tuck into delicious Christmas fare in the lead-up to December 25th, here is our pick of the best Yuletide foods to indulge in.
– Luxury party food
While you might think Christmas canapés, meals and desserts remain the same year in, year out, there are often subtle changes to our traditional treats.
For instance, more people are swapping classic party foods, such as cocktail sausages and spring rolls, for more decadent choices like cranberry and brief puff pastry wreath, halloumi fries, or shrimp wrapped in bacon instead of the more traditional pigs in blankets.
– Vegan choices
Veganism has soared in popularity over the last few years, which is why demand for meat-free food increased by a huge 987 per cent in 2017.
The fact that there are now 600,000 vegans in the UK explains why many supermarkets, restaurants and family-friendly pubs offer vegan choices on their menus.
At Christmastime, this means you can see turkey portions swapped for vegan pastry wreaths stuffed with fruit and vegetables; pork and safe stuffing gone in favour of vegan stuffing balls; and sausage rolls or chicken skewers replaced by bite-sized vegetable tacos or dim sum.
– Twist on classic foods
The traditionalists among you will be glad to hear that most of us still tuck into a turkey dinner on December 25th with all the trimmings. According to a recent survey by ASDA, roast potatoes are still the most popular thing to eat on Christmas Day, followed by carrots, turkey, gravy and stuffing.
However, these days, you might find your potatoes more flavoured than in days gone by, with some adding thyme and garlic, others spicing theirs up with chilli and turmeric, and a few making theirs really festive with orange peel, sage and garlic.
