Shopping for food at Christmas can take up a whole lot of time if you need to browse the aisles along with the world and her husband, or click and scan through lots of web pages. To cut down your workload this year, then, we’ve put in the time selecting the buys to which you’re going to want to treat nearest and dearest, leaving you more time to tick off the other items on your seasonal to-do list. One of the top places to shop is Waitrose, of course, and you’ll find our food and drink picks from the store here.
All you need to do? Scroll down, then write your list. And you can see all our recipes in one place, if you want more inspiration.
Waitrose Christmas dinner best buys
For maximum taste and minimum fuss, take a look at the Waitrose turkey breast joint with plum stuffing and plum glaze (opens in new tab). It’s covered with streaky bacon to help it retain the juices while it’s cooking.
What about a goose rather than a turkey at the centre of your Christmas spread? One of these birds certainly isn’t the budget option, but it does offer succulence and a rich gamey flavour many adore. If you’re tempted, we’d suggest pushing the boat out with Waitrose traditionally reared free range goose (opens in new tab). Mouthwatering.
All the trimmings should definitely include pigs in blankets, don’t you think? Waitrose No.1 free range pork chipolatas wrapped in air-dried bacon with sage leaf (opens in new tab) fit the bill tastily. The name says it all really, so we’ll just add that they’re a fabulous addition to your Christmas spread.
Waitrose Christmas pudding best buys
Traditional pud fans this one’s for you. Waitrose No.1 Christmas pudding (opens in new tab) is made with vine fruit and Courvoisier VSOP Cognac, plus cream and pecans. Delish. We love the fact that there’s a range of sizes as well – from 100g to 1.2kg – so you can shop to suit the number of pud lovers sitting at your table this year.
Want to offer something a little bit different after the main? The Heston from Waitrose golden delicious Christmas pudding (opens in new tab) should be a contender, we say. A fruited spiced dessert with fresh apple, cider and apple brandy, pine nuts and honey plus an apple brandy sauce centre is hard to turn down.
Waitrose mince pies best buy
Ring the mince pie changes with Heston from Waitrose spiced mince pies with lemon (opens in new tab). These generously sized spiced treats have a twist of lemon and they’re topped with a buttery crumble that gives them a wonderful texture.
Waitrose Christmas cake and bakery best buys
BBC Good Food gave the Waitrose No.1 richly fruited Christmas cake (opens in new tab) the winning seasonal cake spot in its 2019 taste tests, commending it for being ‘nutty, boozy, packed with plump fruit, heavy with citrus and nicely spiced’ as well as having ‘the perfect ratio of icing, marzipan and cake’. We can definitely second that.
If you like the idea of taking a break with your favourite brew and a slice of cake, Waitrose Christmas chocolate yule log (opens in new tab) won’t let you down. It looks suitably festive with its sugar-sparkling finish, but we don’t think you’ll be just looking for long. The Good Housekeeping Institute agreed, making this one of its top yule logs this year.
We’ve been mightily impressed by the brilliant bakery choices from Waitrose this Christmas, and another of our picks is the Heston from Waitrose pistachio stollen (opens in new tab). BBC Good Food acclaimed it the winner in its stollen category of the Christmas taste awards, too. The brioche dough is filled with sultanas, currants, apricots and cranberries and it’s flavoured with mixed spice and brandy. The filling is a pistachio marzipan, and it’s finished with apricot jam, sour cherries, pistachio flakes, and almond flakes. Mouth watering already?
Waitrose Christmas party food best buys
Bite-sized portions of paella made with chorizo, roasted peppers and seafood stock, and served in mussel-shaped shells? Yes, please. Waitrose chorizo paella pastry shells (opens in new tab) are sure to tempt your party guests just as much as they do us.
Made with vegan puff pastry and a topping of onion confit with balsamic vinegar and tomato, these party-sized Waitrose Christmas 12 caramelised onion & tomato tarte tatin (opens in new tab) will keep guests coming back to the table for more. Buy in extra is our advice.
You’ll need to order ahead – by five days – if you want Waitrose 50 mini Indian snacks (opens in new tab) but they’re worth the forward planning. There are both veggie nibbles, such as vegetable samosas and onion bhajis, and non-vegetarian options like chicken pakoras. There’s a mint raita and date and tamarind dipping sauce, too.
Waitrose Christmas wine and spirit best buys
Intimate Christmas and want a glass of Champagne each to mark the occasion? Waitrose Brut NV Champagne half bottle (opens in new tab) could suit down to the ground. This fizz has been acclaimed by experts, and at just £9.99, it’s well worth popping in the trolley.
You may have noticed our appreciation of many things Heston at Waitrose, and it extends to the Waitrose Heston citrus sherbet lazy gin (opens in new tab). This taste sensation is apple-based London dry gin with natural citrus botanicals. Chin, chin.
