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<p>Nana (Liz Smith) in ‘The Royle Family’ was partial to a bucks fizz, avocaat and eggnogg at Christmas</p>
Features

How the ‘council estate’ dinner became cool again

A solicitor sparked outrage this week for throwing a ‘council estate dinner’ themed event. Not only was it incredibly insulting, but the lawyer hadn’t understood that Britain’s smartest restaurants and households are now serving up nostalgia-driven food and drink, says Hannah Twiggs

<p>The festive gut feeling: December’s real dress code is ‘uncomfortably full’</p>
Features

Feeling festive bloat? Nutritionist shares 5 foods that actually help

<p>Kerridge’s £195 showstopper: the pastry-wrapped status symbol that sold out faster than you could say ‘cost-of-living crisis’</p>
Features

How a £195 Beef Wellington became Christmas’s most debated dish

<p>Three Italian-leaning winter warmers that deliver festive comfort without committing you to a full Christmas dinner</p>
Recipes

Italian Christmas recipes for when it’s too early for turkey

<p>A coffee and a slice of cake used to feel like a modest pleasure. Now it’s quietly become a measure of how expensive everyday life has become.</p>
Features

How the £5 coffee became the new normal

<p>A low-stress Christmas Eve dish that feels generous, comforting and quietly celebratory</p>
Recipes

The best Christmas Eve dinner recipes from Mary Berry to Jamie Oliver

<p>Rosamund Hall picks The Independent’s best Christmas wines</p>
Features

The best Christmas wines: from a £6 quality bottle to £40 treats

<p>This year’s centrepiece comes with a side helping of uncertainty – bird flu, tight supply and rising costs mean even the Christmas turkey isn’t the given it once was</p>
Features

£98 for turkey? How food shortages are changing your Christmas dinner

<p>Rick Stein’s tartlets prove that the best Christmas canapes deliver a jolt of flavour before anyone’s even taken their coat off</p>
Recipes

Chef-approved Christmas canapes to impress your guests

<p>The Body Coach in his natural habitat: proving that feeding a family well starts with actually lighting the hob</p>
Recipes

Joe Wicks says we’ve been ‘duped’ by health foods

<p>The kind of breakfast that feels like cheating on your diet plan without actually doing it</p>
Recipes

Healthy 20-minute recipes that really deliver on flavour

<p>A reminder that Christmas cheese should be chosen with intent – not grabbed off the supermarket shelf</p>
Features

How to build the ultimate Christmas cheese board

Recipes

<p>A last minute planner roast chicken dinner. Phew. </p>
Recipes

A simple last-minute Christmas dinner menu that actually works

<p>Gordon Ramsay’s butter under the bird trick stops a dry turkey</p>
Recipes

The best Christmas recipes from Gordon Ramsay to Jamie Oliver and more

<p>Because Christmas dessert should arrive with drama, brandy flames and zero apologies</p>
Recipes

From Prue Leith’s trifle to Nigella’s cake perfect Christmas desserts

<p>Jamie Oliver’s Christmas special is full of festive flavours (Chris Terry/PA)</p>
Recipes

Jamie Oliver’s Christmas recipes: Tasty twists on festive classics

<p>The chef at home, proving even the pros don’t need a picture-perfect bird to pull off the perfect Christmas feast</p>
Recipes

Rick Stein’s foolproof guide to the perfect Christmas dinner

<p>Proof that a weeknight dinner can feel like a seaside holiday</p>
Recipes

Four easy pasta recipes for cosy winter cooking

<p>Jamie Oliver’s Christmas special is full of festive flavours (Chris Terry/PA)</p>
Recipes

Jamie Oliver’s Christmas recipes: Tasty twists on festive classics

<p>The chef at home, proving even the pros don’t need a picture-perfect bird to pull off the perfect Christmas feast</p>
Recipes

Rick Stein’s foolproof guide to the perfect Christmas dinner

<p>Proof that a weeknight dinner can feel like a seaside holiday</p>
Recipes

Four easy pasta recipes for cosy winter cooking

Budget Bites

<p>Golden-topped comfort food for every kind of autumn evening</p>
Recipes

Three golden, budget-friendly bakes for cosy autumn nights

Recipes

Three golden, budget-friendly bakes for cosy autumn nights

<p>Golden-topped comfort food for every kind of autumn evening</p>
<p>Low on carbs, high on flavour – three quick, budget-friendly meals worth making on repeat</p>
Recipes

Three easy low-carb recipes that won’t break the bank

<p>Proof that picnic food doesn’t need pastry faff to impress</p>
Recipes

8 quick summer recipes for easy lunches and picnics

<p>Three meals, one shop: these recipes are designed to work harder for your wallet and your weeknight schedule</p>
Recipes

Three budget dinners with one shopping list to cut food costs

<p>Three ways to do dinner better this spring – fresh, fast and full of veg, these budget-friendly plates are made to share (or not)</p>
Recipes

Three easy spring dinners that look fancier than they are

<p>Three ways to do dinner better this spring – fresh, fast and full of veg, these budget-friendly plates are made to share (or not)</p>
Recipes

Three easy spring dinners that look fancier than they are

<p>Three spring-ready fish recipes that are big on flavour, light on cost – and even lighter on washing-up</p>
Recipes

Spring dinners for under £10? These three fish recipes deliver

<p>Spring on a plate – three easy, budget-friendly recipes that make the most of the season’s best</p>
Recipes

Three budget-friendly spring recipes you’ll want to make this week

Restaurants

<p>Where Ancoats’ industrial past meets playful Italian energy – Bruco’s counter is the best seat in the house for watching the drama unfold</p>
IndyEats

Bruco, Manchester, restaurant review: Small plates, supersized flavour

<p>A set menu with just enough choice – Margaret’s lets the ingredients do the talking</p>
IndyEats

Cambridge’s new candlelit bistro is quietly brilliant

<p>A tale of two stars: Aulis’s Cumbrian trick door in Soho vs Gorse’s calm Cardiff corner – same Michelin badge, wildly different bills</p>
IndyEats

Fine and Dime: When does a Michelin star really earn its keep?

<p>Two bistros, one postcode, zero resemblance – Marylebone’s newest rivals could hardly be more different</p>
IndyEats

Fine and Dime: One neighbourhood, two bistros, totally different vibes

Chefs

<p>(From top left, clockwise) Ian Boden, Christina Tosi, Chetan Shetty and Scott Conant share their recipes with ‘The Independent’</p>
Food and Drink

Chefs share Christmas dishes they cook for their own families

Food and Drink

Chefs share Christmas dishes they cook for their own families

<p>(From top left, clockwise) Ian Boden, Christina Tosi, Chetan Shetty and Scott Conant share their recipes with ‘The Independent’</p>
<p>Martin in his home kitchen, where ‘Saturday Morning’ is filmed – and where his mum’s style critiques still keep him in check</p>
Recipes

James Martin: ‘My mum always tells me off for the shirts I wear on TV’

<p>McKenna says her secret to staying energised at 50 is meditation, dancing – and eating food that makes her feel good</p>
Recipes

Clodagh Mckenna: ‘At 50, I’m happier and healthier than in my 30s’

<p>Proof that greens belong in a toastie – Genevieve Taylor’s rainbow chard version is a smoky, cheesy revelation</p>
Recipes

Toasties, croques, Reubens: The best ever sandwich recipes

<p>Getting the perfect sear starts long before the pan hits the heat – and no, supermarket beef won’t cut it</p>
Features

The foolproof guide to cooking perfect steak every time

<p>Getting the perfect sear starts long before the pan hits the heat – and no, supermarket beef won’t cut it</p>
Features

The foolproof guide to cooking perfect steak every time

<p>At 90, Mary Berry shows no sign of slowing down — her new cookbook and TV series prove she’s still the nation’s favourite cook</p>
Recipes

Mary Berry at 90: Three recipes from a lifetime of cooking

<p>Ruth Rogers is set to open the River Cafe Cafe, a more affordable sister eaterie </p>
Food and Drink

Ruth Rogers on the River Cafe’s new affordable dining experience

Wine

<p>Aldi has previously won awards for its champagne </p>
Champagne, Prosecco & Sparkling Wine

Aldi’s Champagne is ‘nothing short of impressive’ – and it’s just £15

<p>All of the bottles chosen by our experts are less than £50</p>
Wine

The best supermarket champagne handpicked by experts

<p>Wine experts Katie Brook and Elly Owen turn their attentions to the Italian fizz</p>
Drink

Best supermarket prosecco, chosen by sommeliers and experts

<p>Look out for these bottles in your local</p>
Wine

Sommeliers reveal the best supermarket wines from Aldi, Tesco and more

<p>Our favourite festive tipple costs £6 a bottle</p>
Christmas

We blind taste-tested supermarket mulled wine – this one was the best

<p>Hall road-testing her way through the no/low aisle so you don’t have to</p>
Features

The best booze-free bottles to drink this Christmas

<p>Look out for these bottles in your local</p>
Wine

Sommeliers reveal the best supermarket wines from Aldi, Tesco and more

<p>Our favourite festive tipple costs £6 a bottle</p>
Christmas

We blind taste-tested supermarket mulled wine – this one was the best

<p>Hall road-testing her way through the no/low aisle so you don’t have to</p>
Features

The best booze-free bottles to drink this Christmas

IndyBest

<p>The deep-filled supermarket mince pies were a cut above the rest </p>
Christmas

We blind tasted every supermarket mince pie – there was a clear winner

Christmas

We blind tasted every supermarket mince pie – there was a clear winner

<p>The deep-filled supermarket mince pies were a cut above the rest </p>
<p>I saved on the washing up by cooking a festive feast in my air fryer</p>
Food & Drink

I cooked an entire Christmas dinner in an air fryer

<p>Shop the best spirits from Aldi, Tesco and more </p>
Spirits

Industry experts share the best supermarket whiskies

<p>There’s no cure for a hangover but these tips and products can help to take the edge off and support your wellbeing </p>
Food & Drink

How to avoid a hangover and the best cures, according to experts

<p>Decadent centerpieces, party food and desserts take the hassle out of hosting</p>
Christmas

Best supermarket Christmas food 2025, from M&S, Sainsbury’s and more

<p>Decadent centerpieces, party food and desserts take the hassle out of hosting</p>
Christmas

Best supermarket Christmas food 2025, from M&S, Sainsbury’s and more

<p>I’ve been testing hampers for three years, so I know what to look out for</p>
Food & Drink

Best hampers for luxury gifts in 2025

<p>All the oils in this review are extra virgin olive oil, which is the highest quality</p>
Food & Drink

I taste-tested supermarket olive oils – these are the best bottles

<p>Discover the best sparkling wine deals on champagne this Christmas</p>
Deals

Best champagne deals for Christmas 2025

<p>I tried own-brand supermarket loaves as well as higher-end bread options on supermarket shelves, to see which are worth their dough</p>
Food & Drink

I’ve found the best supermarket sourdough from Lidl, Asda and more

<p>The countdown to Christmas dinner is on, so here's where to find the best turkey in-store</p>
Food

Where to buy the best supermarket Christmas turkeys in 2025

<p>Chicken is a better-value centrepiece than turkey this year, say experts</p>
Food & Drink

The best ways to save money on Christmas dinner, according to experts

<p>Experts say chia seeds are an excellent source of fibre and are great for gut health too</p>
Promoted content

The health benefits of chia seeds, according to experts

<p>With these cookbooks in hand, you’ll be firing up the air fryer for breakfast, lunch and dinner </p>
Cookbooks

6 best air fryer cookbooks 2025, tried and tested

<p>Thanks to Prime delivery, the whisky will arrive the next day</p>
Spirits

An expert recommended this £23 whisky – and it’s perfect for gifting

<p>We’ve found offers on bottles recommended by wine experts</p>
Deals

Best wine deals for Christmas 2025

Food and drink deals

<p>Stock up with your favourite chocolate brands using these Easter egg deals</p>
Easter

Best Easter egg deals 2025: Cadbury, Hotel Chocolat and more

<p>Stock up on your favourite chocolate for less</p>
Deals

Hotel Chocolat discount code 2025: 15% off in December

<p>Get your next coffee fix for less with these Nespresso deals</p>
Deals

How to save 35% on Nespresso coffee machines and pods

<p>Did somebody say Just Eat deals? </p>
Deals

Get up to 50% off orders with these Just Eat discount codes

More

More food and drink features

<p>The program, which began in 2023, was initially intended to help grocers understand customer price sensitivity</p>
Food and Drink

Instacart ends controversial pricing program

Food and Drink

Instacart ends controversial pricing program

<p>The program, which began in 2023, was initially intended to help grocers understand customer price sensitivity</p>
<p>No one is safe from the scourge of cranberry sauce, not Boots sandwiches, Greggs pasties or posh Pret toasties</p>
Food and Drink

Cranberry sauce’s reign of terror over Christmas sandwiches must cease

<p>The Korean dish bibimbap</p>
Lifestyle

How to eat for immunity for superflu season

<p>Follow these festive food preparation rules to avoid being sick over Christmas</p>
Food and Drink

How to avoid the common causes of food poisoning this Christmas

<p>The classic Christmas side dish can be eaten raw</p>
Food and Drink

The Christmas vegetable you can eat raw for a health boost

<p>The classic Christmas side dish can be eaten raw</p>
Food and Drink

The Christmas vegetable you can eat raw for a health boost

Food and Drink

The superfood that’s fast becoming a ‘mainstay of the festive feast’

<p>Legumes ar back</p>
Food and Drink

Beans and bitter: The food trends that will be huge in 2026

<p>Lettuce is the first horticultural species on which such a detailed study has been carried out</p>
Food and Drink

Why does lettuce go bad so quickly? Scientists have the answer

<p>Chef Rick Stein</p>
Food and Drink

Rick Stein’s expert tips for cooking the perfect Christmas dinner

<p>Christmas dinner</p>
Christmas

The Christmas dinner classics you can prepare well in advance

<p>Food Standards Agency (FSA) has discovered ‘several’ Dubai-style chocolate in the UK that do not comply with crucial safety and labelling regulations</p>
Food and Drink

Major warning issued for Dubai-style chocolate over allergy risk

<p>Kefir contains natural probiotics like lacto and bifido bacterium</p>
Fitness and wellbeing

I drank kefir for a month and it made me feel like a superhuman

<p>Members of the Unite union have rejected what they deem an "inadequate" pay offer from the drinks giant</p>
Food and Drink

Fears grow over Christmas supply of Guinness 0.0 after pay dispute

<p>Mary Berry received an outstanding achievement award</p>
TV & Radio

Beloved TV chef receives prestigious award at London event

<p>Waitrose reported a change in buying habits</p>
Features

How Waitrose turned into middle-class Iceland

<p>The history of the Christmas Pudding goes back centuries</p>
Food and Drink

Christmas pudding isn’t just a dessert – it’s a relic of the Empire

<p>A chef prepares a vegan dish at Plates restaurant in London, Britain, November 21, 2025. REUTERS/Sam Tabahriti</p>
Food and Drink

Surprising fact about Britain’s first plant-based Michelin-star venue

<p>High street baker Greggs is launching its first range of Christmas cards that come complete with the gift of a sausage roll</p>
Food and Drink

Greggs unveils first-ever Christmas cards – with a free sausage roll

<p>Langoustine and lobsters are being targeted by organised gangs fuelling a Christmas crimewave</p>
Features

How high-end thieves are fuelling a festive food crime wave

<p>Guinness’s unlikely cultural renaissance has been building for a while</p>
Features

Has Gen Z’s Guinness obsession ruined the pint for the rest of us?

<p>In the hustle of a holiday kitchen, the risk of cross-contamination is real.</p>
Food and Drink

The vital Thanksgiving kitchen tools you need for a foolproof dinner

<p>Cranberry sauce is a thanksgiving staple.</p>
Food and Drink

Three quick and easy cranberry sauce recipes to try this Thanksgiving

<p>Turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid vital for melatonin production, which regulates sleep schedules.</p>
Food and Drink

The truth about Thanksgiving turkey and whether it makes you sleepy

Food and Drink

Why you shouldn’t trust a pop-up thermometer when cooking your turkey

<p>While open cup milkshakes and coffee drinks are exempt from the government’s latest sugar tax, their calorific content can still be a problem</p>
Lifestyle

How embarrassing is your coffee order?

<p>Top chefs reveal what they eat on Boxing Day</p>
Food and Drink

Top chefs reveal what they eat on Boxing Day – its not just leftovers

<p>Thanksgiving</p>
Food and Drink

The pros and cons of buying a frozen turkey this Thanksgiving

Food and Drink

The five most-hated side dishes to avoid this Thanksgiving

<p>Smiling woman cooking Thanksgiving meal while following recipe on digital tablet in the kitchen.</p>
Health & Families

The common Thanksgiving cooking mistakes that you should never make

Americans could find themselves paying more for certain staples, including turkey, this Thanksgiving. However, other items like bread and potatoes could cost less this year
Food and Drink

Here’s the real reason why turkey is served on Thanksgiving

<p>Thanksgiving</p>
Food and Drink

What to do with Thanksgiving leftovers? The French have a recipe

<p>Proof that the Christmas sandwich has finally broken from reality – and we’re still queueing for it</p>
Features

Why have Christmas sandwiches become so unhinged?

<p>Turkey populations in the US are at a 40-year low</p>
Food and Drink

Thanksgiving favorites under threat as costs soar

<p>Skye Gyngell</p>
Food and Drink

Skye Gyngell death: Pioneering Michelin-starred chef dies aged 62

<p>Almost overnight, this friendly pick-me-up seems to have become a nemesis</p>
Features

This is why you can’t handle coffee anymore

<p>A beautifully roasted Christmas turkey, golden and ready to be the star of your festive feast</p>
Food and Drink

How to avoid turkey disasters this Christmas according to top chefs

<p>A receipt with a shocking bottom line and a trolley that looks no fuller for it: the clearest sign that food inflation hasn’t followed the headline numbers down</p>
Features

Inflation is down – so why is your food shop getting more expensive?

<p>UPFs make up 56 per cent of the average UK diet – and a high proportion comes from snacks</p>
Lifestyle

One thing that could halve your UPF consumption in a week

<p>Rosamund Hall showcases the bottles proving Beaujolais Nouveau’s big comeback – from supermarket surprises to indie gems</p>
Features

Beaujolais Nouveau Day: The best reds hot off the (wine) presses

<p>Only one restaurant was awarded three stars </p>
Food and Drink

Michelin awards new stars in three US cities

<p>Learn to read packaging to make the healthiest choice without giving up on convenience</p>
Features

The 5 ultra-processed food ingredients to avoid at the supermarket

<p>A generation accused of being chronically online is now choosing to eat this way – elbow-to-elbow with strangerson purpose</p>
Lifestyle

Lonely and antisocial, why Gen Z are bringing communal dining back

<p>Love at first sip: Kylie Minogue raises a glass to her next act – proving that glamour and moderation can happily share the same bottle</p>
Features

From pop to wine: How Kylie invented a low-alcohol rosé by mistake

<p>Improving sleep quality can boost cognitive performance</p>
Features

The foods that could be ruining your sleep – and how to fix it

<p>British strawberries are all yer round</p>
Food and Drink

British-grown strawberries to be on Christmas menu for the first time

<p>Participants take part in historic festival dedicated to Viking combats, competitions and culture</p>
Food and Drink

Did the Vikings really drink mead? The truth may surprise you

<p>A vendor sorts sweets at a Baumkuchen store on its opening day in Tokyo</p>
Food and Drink

The German POW who gave Japan one of its most beloved cakes

<p>Madees Khoury (centre) with Brewgooder co-founders Alan Mahon (left) and James Hughes (right) (Brewgooder/PA)</p>
Food and Drink

Palestine beer brewer says Glasgow trip was ‘emotional’

<p>Foster’s alcohol content will decrease from 3.7 per cent to 3.4 per cent starting in February</p>
Food and Drink

Popular beer reduces alcohol percentage in response to slump in sales

<p>A speedy steak with a bold kick of coffee, chilli and lime butter – tender every time if you slice it right</p>
Recipes

Try this coffee and chilli butter steak recipe – and slice it properly

<p>The kind of one-tray wonder that makes autumn cooking feel effortless</p>
Recipes

Nine comforting autumn recipes to cook this season

<p>Olive oil producers can do much to create a premium product - but there are things outside their control, experts say</p>
Food and Drink

Experts explain how to find the best bottle of olive oil

<p>Borough Market may not have been built by social media, but in 2025, can it survive without it?</p>
Features

Borough Market vs The TikTokers: Hospitality’s Frankenstein moment

<p>As rough sleeping rises across the UK, StreetSmart’s £1 restaurant campaign is helping fund vital local projects</p>
Features

StreetSmart: How dining out can help the homeless this winter

<p>Devonshire Duplins an Cream</p>
Food and Drink

There’s more to Devon than cream first – from ‘squab pie’ to ‘thunder’

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