10 food and drink ideas to try this Christmas

From roast potatoes to delicious wine, here are some essentials you’ll need on your dining table this Christmas.

Shelter has launched its Emergency Chocolate in time for Christmas so customers can enjoy their favourite sweet treat while doing good. Last year a household became homeless every four minutes in England*, and to fight this injustice, the country’s leading housing and homelessness charity, Shelter, is selling festive chocolate bars to raise vital funds to help end the housing emergency. It stocks a range of flavours, from Sicilian hazelnut and almond to Cornish sea salt and lime. There are also vegan dark chocolate bars available, with a price range of between £5 and £10. The chocolates are available in selected Shelter shops and online — all profits go towards raising vital funds to fight the housing emergency.

Head to Shelter today

shop.shelter.org.uk

Chorizo from the Spanish Chorizo Consortium is certified with a quality seal, which means it’s made using 100% Spanish premium quality ingredients. Distinguished by its appearance, texture, aroma, flavour and impeccable presentation, this proper chorizo has a great mix of garlic and paprika, differentiating it from other sausages. The combination of Spanish flavours means that Spanish Chorizo complements other festive flavours perfectly — why not add some to your Christmas cheeseboard, make a delicious twist on pigs in blankets or spice up your brussels sprouts?

Shop today

chorizoespanol.es/en

If your 2021 New Year resolution was to lose weight it’s still not too late, and the festive period doesn’t need to derail your goals either. Hepa Diet is a scientifically formulated 14-day meal plan with nutrients that help maintain metabolism and normal liver function through beneficial ingredients such as beta-glucans, choline and oat beta glucan.  During two weeks of the diet, you’ll have two Hepa shakes, two portions of vegetables and one high-protein meal a day with the addition of some oil. One Hepa serving includes 26g of protein to support muscles and 100% of the recommended daily dose of vitamins and minerals. Try Hepa Diet today and enjoy 15% off by using the code INHD20. Valid until 31 December 2021.

Find out more

hepadiet.com

Wessex Distillery’s Alfred the Great gin is an award-winning London dry gin inspired by the first king of England. Created using premium quality distillation methods, this is a smooth, well-balanced, traditional craft gin with juniper and coriander botanicals and citrus endnotes. Perfect for the festive season, make a spiced apple pie gin with Alfred the Great gin, apple juice, ginger beer, lemon juice, cinnamon sugar and an apple slice to serve in a signature Wessex glass — which are free with every order of gin. Use code: GLASS2021 to receive a free glass. Valid until 1 January 2022.

Discover more

wessexdistillery.com

Majestic’s Wine Club box is the ultimate gift for wine-lovers. You can choose your own subscription and receive 12 exclusive bottles of wine in each box, all handpicked by Majestic’s Masters of Wine. There’s also the option to enjoy four themed cases throughout the year, with an optional Christmas box. With your subscription, you’ll find an expertly curated brochure with tasting notes and recipes, as well as members-only access to exclusive digital content and webinars. Forget the endless subscription fees too, as Majestic wants the customer to be in complete control of their subscription, meaning you can upgrade the wines you get, skip or cancel at any time.

Sign up for only £99 including delivery or call on 0330 818 0750

majestic.co.uk/trywineclub

One of the best parts of any Christmas dinner is the roast potatoes. Whether you like them crispy or fluffy, Harry & Percy’s promises perfect roast potatoes that will have you coming back for more this festive season. Harry & Percy’s is a family business celebrating more than 100 years of potato know-how. The company selects the right type to make the perfect Christmas roast potatoes, a uniform size that has a wonderfully crispy bite with a light and fluffy centre when cooked. Discover a delicious recipe for parmesan and herb-coated roasties, which gives roast potatoes sensational flavouring and caramelization by visiting the website.

Shop now on Ocado

harryandpercys.co.uk/roasting

This Christmas, get equipped with the must-have sauces that add authentic flavours to any festive dish or party food. Lee Kum Kee’s bestselling Chinese Cooking Essentials Gift Box features a selection of its delicious signature sauces, such as Premium Oyster Sauce, Chiu Chow Chilli Oil, Hoisin Sauce and Pure Sesame Oil, as well as an exclusive recipe booklet packed with easy-to-cook recipes. With its lavish packaging, the Chinese Cooking Essentials Gift Box is the perfect Christmas gift that’s sure to be enjoyed throughout the festive season and beyond.

Purchase yours today

shopuk.lkk.com

Get great ideas for delicious meals this festive season by tapping into a free resource of Welsh food and drink recipes. With 270 new award-winning Welsh products announced in this year’s Great Taste Awards, why not have a taste of Wales this Christmas? Whether you fancy Traditionally Reared Pedigree Welsh Pork loin (TSG) with Vale of Clwyd Denbigh Plum (PDO) stuffing and Traditional Welsh Cider (PGI) sauce or trout wrapped in Carmarthen Ham (PGI) with spinach, you can find several traditional and innovative recipes online at Food & Drink Wales. There are also recipes for vegetarians, such as Traditional Welsh Caerphilly Cheese (PGI), red onion, and pepper tart, and plenty of ideas for sweet treats too.

Try something new this Christmas

businesswales.gov.wales/foodanddrink

KAH Tequila is perfect for pairing with your favourite seafood or Mexican dishes. The packaging is inspired by the Day of the Dead rituals that symbolise life, death and rebirth. While the bottle captures the enduring tradition, the tequila inside is the real treasure. Hand-selected, the 100% blue agave is transformed into lively Blanco, Reposado and Añejo expressions that have been appreciated across the globe for more than a decade. KAH Blanco is unaged tequila with an initially sweet taste that’s quickly followed by peppery spice, whereas KAH Reposado is aged for more than two months and has an intense flavour of agave with hints of vanilla and caramel. Lastly, KAH Añejo is aged for at least a year and offers a powerful agave flavour accompanied by notes of chocolate, tobacco and coffee.

Available from Amazon, Master of Malt, The Whiskey Exchange and Selfridges

Mr Wheeler is a new generation of independent wine specialists which offers the heritage, expertise and attentive personal service of an old-style merchant, but with the tech-savvy approach of an online retailer. The majority of the wines at Mr Wheeler come from family-owned vineyards across the globe and often smaller vineyards that have developed across a number of generations. It aims to support these fantastic producers while offering premium quality wine. Place an order for £150 and receive free delivery and a bottle of England’s finest fizz, Nyetimber Classic Cuvée (worth £34.95) using the code FESTIVEFIZZ. Valid until 12 December 2021.

Visit the online shop

mrwheelerwine.com

* Refers to households found to be homeless and owed a relief duty by their local authority between April 2020 and March 2021.