Great British Food Christmas 2024

And onto dessert. You cannot go wrong with sherry alongside Christmas pudding, Edward explains,“Most sherry bodegas produce both dry and sweet styles, but a sweet one would be crucial here. Look for a medium or cream sherry, and one that has the letters VOS or VORS on the label. These have been aged for an average of 20 and 30 years respectively. During that ageing process, they develop toffee, caramel, raisin, fig and hazelnut flavours.” Let me entertain you Breaking the ice with some light-hearted games at the table, or before the meal, is essential, says Jess Shaw of PACT Creative. “They help people to instantly relax, and act as a leveller to engage people from all walks of life.” Playing together also “creates a lovely feeling of connection and sharing.” Organising games doesn’t have to be complicated, Jess continues. “Word- based games or craft activities can bridge gaps for people who don’t know one another.” Try... 1 Yes, And – One of youmakes a silly suggestion – the sillier the better – and the person to the left of themmust except the idea with a ‘yes, and...’ adding another, equally ridiculous suggestion. It has hilarious results. 2 Good News/Bad News – See if you can make up a story in which everyone takes a turn, alternating good news with bad news. For example, Person One starts with ‘The good news is I’ve booked us all on a cruise’, and Person Two might say ‘The bad news is we all get sea sick’, and so on. Keeping the peace Tensions can boil over at Christmas – even in the most placid of households. Counsellor Georgina Sturmer says we should learn to set boundaries for the day in advance, while making an emotional ‘to do’ list, tackling any in-fighting or issues if we can before 25th December rolls around. Her key must-dos include... Self-care: When so many different people and personalities are involved, some of the outcome is simply out of our hands. If it feels as if conflict or tension is inevitable, then it’s really important to find time and opportunity to look after ourselves. This might involve some rest or relaxation, or spending time outside of the family unit. Be proactive about what you enjoy: Families don’t always agree about how to spend Christmas. If certain activities or traditions feel important, then it’s worth voicing this when plans are being made. Compromise is important, of course, but it’s also important we feel we have a voice, and that we won’t look back and regret the way we have spent the festive season. Stay in your adult: Part of the reason family tensions can run high at Christmas is because we often revert to different ages and stages. There’s something about being with different generations of our family, often returning to the family home, that can bring out the sullen teenager in all of us. If we notice the ‘teenage’ self rising, it can be helpful to understand and try to manage these feelings, without it leading to an outburst of anger or sulking. The gift of giving Offering an edible welcome or parting gift is a nice way to set the tone, or sweeten the end of Christmas Day. Everything retro is ‘in’ this year, so how about crafting some easy boozy chocolate pudding truffles? They can be made a few days in advance and stored in airtight containers before decanting into boxes or bags. To make 20 truffles warm100ml double cream in a pan. Take off the heat and add 100g chopped dark chocolate, 3 tbsps of dark rum and a generous pinch of salt. Stir until the chocolate is melted and crumble in 300g chocolate cake. Roll into balls roughly smaller than a golf ball and pop in the fridge to set on lined baking trays. Coat in 300g melted dark chocolate, and finish with a sprinkle of chocolate vermicelli andmaybe an edible holly decoration. 21 greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com FEATURE | CHRI STMAS