Articles & Recipes

Chestnuts and smoky bacon pair beautifully with aromatic thyme in this delicious stuffing.

Fresh pear, lemon zest and tangy cranberries lift this sausage-meat stuffing out of the ordinary. Serves 6-8 as part of a main course.

Moist and flavourful, thanks to its streaky-bacon wrapping, this little meatloaf is ideal for brunches, buffets and in-between meals. Great served hot or cold with pickles and chutneys, it will keep well in the fridge once cooked, and makes a particularly fine sandwich! Serves 4 as part of a spread.

This easy recipe is vegetarian-friendly, no-cook and fuss-free –and did we mention that it also tastes delicious, too? You can vary the nuts and cheese if you like (blue cheese is a delightful option), but do check that the cheese is not made with animal rennet if you need to keep the recipe vegetarian. Makes 16.

Traditional-style stuffing doesn’t always have to take centre stage; did you know that there are a quite a few alternatives you can use to add a tasty twist to your turkey? Here are some serving suggestions to try if you fancy something a little different this year:

Once you get the hang of butterflying the prawns, this is a pretty straightforward recipe that tastes even better than it looks. You can prepare the prawns ahead, if you like; when you have spread them with the garlic butter, just cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to put them in the oven. Serves 4 as a starter.

This gorgeous combo of garlic bread and oozy, melty camembert cheese was made for sharing with friends and family; just hand round the napkins, abandon all pretence of politeness and get stuck in! If you use a camembert made without animal rennet (see below), this is a vegetarian recipe. Serves 4-6 as a starter.

Sure to please your guests, this rich and delicious starter is host-friendly, too, as it can be made in advance, then refrigerated and cooked quickly when needed. It’s a vegetarian recipe if you use a hard cheese made without animal rennet – and don’t forget to serve with plenty of bread! Serves 6.

If you’ve gone to the trouble of roasting your own turkey and cooking all the trimmings, it seems a shame not to make your own gravy, too. It’s fairly straightforward (just be careful when straining off hot fat from the roasting tin); to get ahead, you can make the stock in advance and keep it in the fridge until needed. Makes just over 1L (about 2 pints).

Perhaps overlooked in favour of more glamorous cuts of meat, pork belly is actually great value for money, not to mention succulent, delicious and versatile! Here, we’ve used our own Belly Pork Slices for tasty little ‘bites’ that are just right for finger-food, canapes or party nibbles.

This great-tasting side dish is pretty flexible and can be tweaked according to the veg you have available – we’ve used parsnips and carrots here, but you could also use sweet potatoes, beetroots or even slices of butternut squash (cooking times may vary slightly). Serves 4 as a side dish.

Perfect fare for any buffet or festive gathering, we’re pretty sure that these moreish little honey-glazed sausages will disappear fast! Makes 20 sausages