With Christmas Day just around the corner, the day before can often be a little neglected.
All the good stuff is reserved for the big day, with labels in the fridge warning: DO NOT TOUCH.
But what about Christmas Eve?
It’s a celebration in its own right – sometimes even trumping Christmas Day – but a hefty dinner isn’t always advisable.
This year, we’ve put together a round-up of the best picks to get you through a delicious day of eats – from cheese to chocs, bubbly to pop and meal kits to keep things simple.
MERRY CHEESEMAS
Starting strong – because it wouldn’t be Christmas without a cheeseboard – we’ve tried some of the best festive offerings to get your hands on.
Fancy sampling an array of cheeses from independent brands? Nourished Communities are offering a range of hampers this year, including one with all things cheese inside.
The selection includes a Green’s of Glastonbury Twanger, Hampshire Cheese Co Tunworth camembert, Longmans Comté, and a Whitelake Cheese driftwood goat cheese.
Also included are a trio of Peter’s Yard crackers – cheese board lovers, IYKYK – and a pear and walnut chutney by From Dorset With Love.
Meanwhile if blue cheese is more your thing, Shepherd’s Purse has you sorted with their A Bit of Blue gift selection.
The kit comes with one Yorkshire blue, one Harrogate blue, one Northern blue and one Bluemin White, as well as a fig and honey chutney by Shaws which perfectly complements them with a sweet kick.
Priced at £22, it’s a perfect way to find your favourite blue cheese – and still have plenty to offer the rest of the family!
Last up for our cheese offering, if you prefer a hot cheese to keep you warm for the festive period, Castle MacLellan has launched two new fondues: both featuring Scottish cheddar cheese, one with red chilli pepper, and the other with smoky chorizo sausage.
Available in Iceland stores, are ideal for a fuss-free Christmas Eve buffet, with no cutting needed – just some bread, crackers or crudites to dip.
Finally for our savoury offerings, if you prefer to have a substantial dinner the night before Christmas, a meal kit might be the best choice.
For the meat lovers, The Beefy Boys offer DIY burger kits to recreate their top menu picks from home.
There are a few to choose from, including a pastrami box and a ‘cowboy’ box, but we’d recommend the ‘small beefy boy’ option for your first taste.
This comes with the classics: cheeses, bacon, beef patties, pickles, sauces, burger buns and – of course – their classic burger seasoning.
It’s not so huge that it’ll bloat you out before the big day, but it’s a sure-fire way to satisfy the taste buds before a roast on Christmas.
SWEET TREATS
It wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without indulging in a few chocolates, and while the bog standard selection boxes are great, it’s always nice to shop independent – and Catherine’s Originals truly has something for everyone.
The selection box is both vegan and gluten free, and comes with nine flavours to keep the whole family happy.
Perfect for cracking out while watching your Christmas Eve movie, highlights include a coffee truffle, lavender and chamomile sweet, cookies and cream cube, and hazelnut praline bite.
Meanwhile if you want to bag a few baker points without actually lifting a finger, Doughlicious has a range of ready-to-bake cookie dough balls individually portioned.
Flavours include matcha and white chocolate, salted caramel and dark chocolate chip, and – our personal fave – the blondie.
When in doubt, whack a chocolate bar out – and we’re going to put forward another vegan-friendly option with H!P’s latest festive treat: the ‘Figs in Blankets’ bar.
The bar was invented by Louise Coutinho who entered a competition with Amazon and The King’s Trust to create the chocolate with H!P.
The flavour profile is pretty unique, with sweet figs and salty plant-based bacon flavouring, and 15% of the £3.50 purchase price on Amazon will be donated to The King’s Trust.
HEALTHY HIT
While Christmas is no time to worry about calories, it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on your nutrient levels – particularly if you’re indulging in some of our boozy offerings (coming up…).
If you want a dose of health in possibly the most convenient form, Aeon’s Nature’s Gift bone broth comes in handy sachets to add hot water to.
These little packets are chock full of nutrients, including zinc, selenium, collagen and amino acids.
FIZZ
Many of us indulge in a few drinks over the festive period, and Christmas Eve is rarely an exception – but what to choose?
Whether you’ve got expensive taste in champagne, or you’re alcohol-free but enjoy bubbles, or spirits and cocktails are more your speed, we’ve handpicked some top choices below.
For those with upmarket taste around the holidays, we’ve tried some of the best bubblies and wine on the market, with a few notable top contenders.
If you enjoy a glass of fizz on Christmas Eve, there are two champagnes to choose from, depending on your taste.
For sweeter palettes, the Mumm RSRV Cuvee champagne has gorgeous notes of juicy peaches, sweet marmalade, honey, nougat and vanilla, with undertones of roasted coffee beans.
Meanwhile for those with drier taste in bubbles, the Taittinger Brut Réserve is hard to beat.
Light and delicate with fruity hints, the elegant drink pairs perfectly with Christmas canapés as a way to toast to the holidays.
If you’re on more of a budget, Crémants is perfect for sparkling wine lovers and is made using the same method as champagne, but isn’t produced in the region.
For white wine buffs, the Arthur Metz Crémant d’Alsace is a great choice, with tasting nbotes of citrus, apples and pears.
Meanwhile if you prefer a rosé, a personal favourite to recommend is the François Martenot Crémant de Bourgogne – pale pink in colour and full of bubbles, this is the perfect fizz to enjoy alongside snacks, as it isn’t too heavy.
For those of us who don’t drink, or are lowering their intake, Nozeco is the tried and true favourite to still feel a part of celebrations, with the brand offering a sparkling white and a sparkling rosé to pop.
COCKTAILS
If popping a bottle of fizz isn’t for you, there are a range of cocktails out on the market this season – from pre-made cans to kits and spirits to DIY your favourite drink.
Mixtons Canned Cocktails has launched a festive drink called Holy Baubles, a holiday-themed take on a margarita with tequila, lime, watermelon and chilli – a perfect pre-dinner tipple.
Meanwhile MOIST has also followed suit with Christmassy canned cocktail offerings, including the ‘Naughty or Spiced’ margarita (10/10!), the ‘Yellow Snow’ passionfruit daiquiri, and ‘Slay Ride’ pink gin cosmo.
For more classic cocktail choices, MOTH has come out with a gift set with four of their bestselling cocktails, as well as a martini glass to enjoy them in – perfect for a pre-Christmas gift to yourself to crack on Christmas Eve.
If you like to get a bit more DIY with your drinks, but still follow a recipe, Disaronno has a set featuring their original flavour, and the creamy velvet flavour, alongside glasses and instructions on how to turn them into holiday-ready tipples.
Or if you like to get really hands on, James May the ‘ginpreneur’, has launched his James Gin Big Book of Cocktails which can be made with his spirits, including the Asian Parsnip, London Drizzle, and California Dreamgin’.
The stocking filler is perfect to crack open on Christmas Eve and get practising for your holiday cocktails before the big day.
Whatever you choose – enjoy!
