Great British Food - Christmas 2025

10 things to consider 1 The luxury of catering for two is that you can probably afford to push the boat out a bit further this year, trading up various ingredients and products for more indulgent or luxurious versions. Treat yourself to the better bottle of English sparkle, the more artisanal cheeses, those jars of boozy fruits. 2 Unless you adore being in the kitchen pottering around, give yourself a break and plan a menu that allows you to relax and enjoy the relative calm. Also, without lots of guests, if you’re the main cook, there’ll be no one else around to entertain your plus-one. 3 Cooking for two shouldn’t be any less special than for four, six, 10 or more. Think about little ways you can adapt favourite dishes and your day to build memories. From having a canape course to serving petit fours with coffee afterwards. 4 With fewer mouths to feed, you can put those kitchen gadgets to use. Roast potatoes are ace cooked in the air fryer. And why not pull out the slow cooker for an easy main course? 5 Be clever with your leftovers. Buy joints of meat that will fill your plate at lunch or dinner time, but that will also serve as ‘pickings’ on Boxing Day and beyond. Ensure you’re stocked up on store cupboard fillers (pasta, pulses, rice, eggs) and condiments so you can knock up a variety of dishes in a flash. 6 Always cook more roast potatoes than you need – even if it’s just you two. They’re superb re-heated, smashed into bubble and squeak, or crushed and topped with cheese under the grill as a cheeky midnight feast. 7 Instead of a box of Christmas crackers, consider buying a couple of individual fabric refillable versions or little wooden treasure chests and buy one another a small gift to put inside, opening at the table. It’s a nice idea to theme these – perhaps miniature spirits bottles, chocolates, or something relating to your hobbies and interests. 8 Create a playlist for your meal. All your favourite Christmas (and non-festive) songs. 9 If Christmas pudding isn’t your thing, there are lots of gorgeous ready prepared desserts available this year. Or, how about buying some Great British Food Award- winning chocolates instead? 10 Build a cheeseboard for two. We recommend three cheeses – buying 100g of each will suffice for the two of you. Pair with crackers, frozen red grapes and your favourite chutney. A magical start to the day Probably the greatest pleasure of not having a full house on Christmas Day is the opportunity to start lazy. It doesn’t really matter if your main meal is served at lunch time, mid-afternoon or in the evening, because you’re playing to your own rules. Take time for a lay-in – perhaps with bubbles in bed – before snuggling on the sofa, or setting the table for a breakfast that cuts above the usual toast grabbed on the fly or daily bowl of cereal. Themainevent A huge turkey might be off the table this year – unless you want to cook with leftovers for days. Here are a few suggestions for your Christmas centrepiece for two. Beef: A 500g boneless sirloin joint or 800g bone-in rib joint would be perfect for two. Serve with truffled mash, braised red cabbage, red wine jus and glazed baby onions. Turkey: A small, rolled joint or crown, or 2kg-3kg bird would be manageable for two, serving with all the usual trimmings. Goose: Geese are ideal for smaller families. They contain a lot of fat (which is delicious) so a 4.5kg-5kg bird will comfortably feed two people with a day or two of leftovers. It’s wonderful with bacon-braised red cabbage, spiced roasted apples and dauphinoise potatoes. Duck legs: Slow cook two large duck legs on high for three hours the day before. Then simply season and crisp up in a hot oven before serving with greens, redcurrant or cranberry jelly, and garlic sauteed potatoes. Gammon: A 500g gammon joint is ideal for two. Present it with herby hasselback potatoes, creamed leeks, a grain mustard sauce and roasted cauliflower. Pork tomahawk: This looks so impressive carved at the table. Season well and enjoy with roasted potatoes, cabbage with caraway and roasted glazed carrots. greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com 114