Christmas dinner is the most important meal of the year, and the centrepiece deserves more thought than whatever is left in the chiller cabinet on the 23rd. Here's why ordering from your local butcher makes Christmas easier, and better.
You choose the exact size
Supermarket birds come in set weight bands, and the one you want is often the one that's sold out. Your butcher can match the bird to your table: tell us how many you're feeding and whether you want leftovers, and we'll recommend the right weight. Not sure how much you need? See our guide to how much meat to order per person.
You know where it came from
A butcher can tell you about the farm, the breed and how the birds were reared. Many families choose a free-range or bronze turkey for Christmas: slower-growing birds with a deeper flavour and a fuller texture than standard intensively reared turkeys. It's the one day of the year when that difference really shows.
Prepared the way you want it
Not everyone wants a whole bird. At the butcher's counter you can usually choose:
- a whole turkey, the traditional showpiece
- a turkey crown: just the breast on the bone, quicker to cook and easy to carve
- a boned and rolled joint, stuffed if you like, ideal for smaller gatherings
- beef, pork, lamb, goose or gammon for a change, or alongside the turkey
And everything else for the table: pigs in blankets, stuffing, sausage meat, bacon, gammon for Boxing Day. Often made in the shop, rather than on a production line.
Fresh, not frozen
Butchers' Christmas birds are sold fresh. No defrosting in the garage for four days, no wondering if it's thawed in the middle. Collect it, keep it in the fridge, and cook it on the day.
A time slot, not a scrum
Pre-ordering means your meat is reserved for you, and with a collection time booked you skip the Christmas Eve crush. Compare that with circling a supermarket car park on the 23rd, hoping there's still a turkey in your size.
Advice from someone who's cooked hundreds
Cooking times, resting, stuffing, gravy, how to fit everything in the oven: ask us. And when the day comes, our guide to how long to cook a turkey has the timings.
What about price?
We'll be honest: a free-range bird from a butcher can cost more per kilo than a supermarket's basic turkey. But you're comparing very different birds. What you're paying for is a better-reared animal, the right size so less goes to waste, and food prepared by skilled people who care how your Christmas dinner turns out.
Your Christmas money stays local
At Christmas we all spend more on food than at any other time of year. Spending it with a local butcher keeps that money in your community: local jobs, local farms and a high street shop. Here's why that matters.
Order early
The most popular sizes and cuts go first, and Christmas collection slots fill up quickly. See our Christmas range and place your order now. If you're unsure what to choose, get in touch and we'll help.
