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A food expert has shared her top tips for perfecting the Christmas food shop, including what to stock up on to avoid last-minute disappointment.
Marks and Spencer’s has already been whetting the appetites of its customers with the release of 400 new Christmas food items – including new and improved flavours.
But according to Kathryn Turner, M&S Director of Product Development, shoppers shouldn’t forget to stock up on cupboard essentials if they want to avoid a culinary calamity.
Now, Kathryn has provided a 12-piece list of cupboard ingredients, many of which can easily be forgotten in the run-up to the big day.
From cheese crackers, table sauce staples, and frozen goods that can easily be stowed away in advance, Kathryn has made the big Christmas shop a breeze.
First is the retailer’s Big Mix Tin of chocolates, which comes in a huge 1.2kg container costing £12.
Inspired by Quality Street, tubs are packed with chocolate-covered toffees, caramels and creams, with classic flavours and textures to tempt the whole family.
Among those, the luxury British retailer, M&S has already been whetting the appetites of it’s customers with the release of 400 new Christmas food items, including some improved older favourites. Stock image
Next, another container of sweet treats that will ensure harmony throughout the festive period Marks and Spencer’s Outrageously Chocolatey Milk, Dark and White Chocolate Biscuit Selection, priced at £6.50.
The weighty 450g tin holds a range of decadent, chocolate-covered biscuits with an assortment of mouth-watering coatings and fillings.
For those who prefer a biscuit without the chocolate layer, Kathryn recommended stashing away an assortment tin of All Butter Scottish Shortbread.
Baked in Edinburgh, the treats are crafted using the finest quality butter to offer the most decadent, salty and full-flavoured biscuit.
Priced at £7.50 a box, the melt-in-the-mouth all-butter biscuits are bound to be a crowd pleaser.
Topping up on booze, Kathryn suggested shoppers get their hands on a bottle of Classics Crémant de Bourgogne, a sparkling wine from the esteemed Côte d’Or region in France, priced at £12.
Adding the collection, she suggested a bottle of Montepulciano D’Abruzz, a full-bodied red wine that’s known for ‘its vibrant freshness and peppery bite.’
Moving onto savoury essentials, the food expert encouraged shoppers to pick up a portion of frozen cauliflower cheese to save time on the big day.
Next, another container of sweet treats that will ensure harmony throughout the festive period, Marks and Spencer’s Outrageously Chocolatey Milk, Dark and White Chocolate Biscuit Selection.
For those who prefer a biscuit without the chocolate layer, Kathryn recommended stashing away an assortment tin of All Butter Scottish Shortbread
Costing a mere £3.50 to feed the entire family, the super cheesy spectacle will both help save time and taste delicious. Packed with tender cauliflower florets and cheddar cheese, the 750g family portion is bound to be a winner.
Offering another time-saving bite, she recommended stocking up on a 250g pack of Sage and Red Onion Stuffing from the retailer.
With sweet red and white dried onions, breadcrumbs, and fragrant sage, the packaged stuffing costs £2.40 and will free up even more time to enjoy with family come Christmas Day.
Ensuring the table is fully decked with all the necessary trimmings and accompaniments, Kathryn told buyers to grab a jar of cranberry sauce.
Just £1, the sauce is made with plump, ripe cranberries for a tangy, sweet flavour and comes in a handy 200g jar.
Cooks looking to elevate their roasts should be sure to include a jar of M&S’s goose fat in their baskets.
Known for its ability to transform drab roasties into plump, golden pockets of joy, those heading the big meal should be sure to pick up a jar, which comes in a 320g jar and costs £3.
And as the big meal comes to a close, there will doubt by a few peckish gannets that go looking for a cheese and biscuit snack.
Topping up on booze, Kathryn suggested shoppers get their hands on a bottle of Classics Crémant de Bourgogne, a sparkling wine from the esteemed Côte d’Or region in France.
Adding the collection, she suggested a bottle of Montepulciano D’Abruzz, a full-bodied red wine that’s known for ‘its vibrant freshness and peppery bite’
She suggested the Collection Festive Chutney which contained a rich blend of apples, dried vine fruits, oranges and date paste. They come in 225g jars and cost £2.50
Ensuring there is plenty of choice for snackers, Kathryn also recommended the retailer’s Collection Sticky Fig & Hot Honey Chutney, which blends ripe figs with crisp apples and a dash of hot honey
Cooks looking to elevate their roasts should be sure to include a jar of M&S’s goose fat in their baskets
Ensuring the table is fully decked with all the necessary trimmings and accompaniments, Kathryn told buyers to grab a jar of cranberry sauce
Offering another time-saving bite, she recommended stocking up on a 250g pack of Sage and Red Onion Stuffing from the retailer
Moving onto savoury essentials, the food expert encouraged shoppers to pick up a portion of frozen cauliflower cheese to save time on the big day
Luckily, M&S have created a Biscuits For Cheese box containing 55 different options across eight distinctive varieties, each crafted to complement a range of cheeses from creamy brie to tangy stilton.
Available in 300g containers, the biscuit selection box will cost customers just £2.75 for a whopping 55 biscuits.
Kathryn also recommended people top up their chutney selection, to give late-night cheese munchers a base for their favourite fromages.
She suggested the Collection Festive Chutney which contained a rich blend of apples, dried vine fruits, oranges, and date paste. They come in 225g jars and cost £2.50.
Ensuring there is plenty of choice for snackers, Kathryn also recommended the retailer’s Collection Sticky Fig & Hot Honey Chutney, which blends ripe figs with crisp apples and a dash of hot honey.
It’s not just Kathryn inspiring people to top up their cupboard supplies for Christmas as a number of food influencers have also shared videos of their kitchens full to the brim with goodies.
An emerging online trend has seen shoppers stocking up on jars, tins, snacks and fizz far earlier than usual.
On the retailer’s own social media pages, content posted under the hashtag ‘pop it away’ has already seen more than 1.5 million impressions.
Dozens of Brits have taken to social media to share photos of their cupboards brimming with long-shelf-life ingredients, such as stuffing, goose fat, and chutneys, as well as tasty snackable treats.
Now, a food expert has revealed a delicious list of essential ingredients for shoppers to buy ahead of the big day.
Reflecting on the new trend, M&S Director of Product Development, Kathryn Turner, said: ‘Our customers have been telling us they want a more relaxed Christmas this year, and getting organised earlier will play a big part in this.
‘With 79 per cent of customers on social telling us they are either getting organised or starting to think about what they need to plan to get prepped for the festive season.’
In response to the trend, the retailer will now be strategically placing displays around stores to make it as easy as possible for customers to get their fill of food essentials ahead of the big day.
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