Festive feasting: it's time to plan your Christmas menu

It's never too early to think about Christmas as customers look for new takes on classics. Alice Peacock looks at what's on the menu

As the season of indulgence inches closer, hospitality operators are looking at how to diversify their festive menus to cater for customers with differing tastes, consciences and budgets.

Research commissioned by Bidfood, one of the UK's leading foodservice providers, illustrated that in spite of the cost of living crisis, 44% of consumers planned to go out for food and drink at least once a week over the upcoming festive season. In fact, one in three respondents to the survey said food and drink was typically their main way of socialising and catching up with loved ones over this period.

While the desire for dining out of home is there, value for money is important to consumers deciding where and what to eat out, with 57% of people labelling cost as the biggest factor. Bidfood's research and insights manager Holly Rogers says with value being first on everyone's minds, people don't want to pay for an experience they feel they could have easily had at home.

Balancing value with quality and a touch of decadence will ensure customer satisfaction is high and this festive season is profitable.

Get the fizz flowing

While Champagne doesn't seem likely to go out of vogue any time soon, English sparkling wine is increasingly being featured on menus as an alternative celebratory fizz. A growth in the English sparkling wine market is good news both for operators looking to add to their range of premium products, as well as those looking for a cheaper substitute.

Martin Dibben, head of Champagne at Searcys, which launched its first English sparkling in 2022, says: "If you're a person that will have a glass of Prosecco when you're out, you're going to be comfortable moving to English sparkling, because it's fairly similar – it's got that freshness and the lightness.

"But equally, if you are a seasoned Champagne drinker, you can be very easily tempted to start going for the very fine second fermentation sparkling wines that we make."

"With more French houses opening in the UK, there is likely to be sparkling wine being launched from these heavyweights. We will be looking to champion these and other great English sparkling wines," Dibben adds.

Greyfriars Vineyard, located on the Surrey Hills, is another English brand producing award-winning sparkling wine, from its "entry priced" NV Cuvée and Rosé Reserve to the premium Prestige Cuvée Royale.

Sarah Strangeway, direct to consumer, tourism, events and marketing manager, says the festive season offers an opportunity to share Greyfriars wines with more people. "We produce some incredible wines reflecting our unique Surrey Hills soil climate with flavours of our English fruits and hedgerows," she says.

Low and no options

Festive gatherings don't equate to the popping of corks for everyone, and it's important as an operator to ensure you are catering to consumers who are teetotal or looking for a night off.

Bex Wilkins, marketing director of Peach Pubs, is anticipating a continued demand for non-alcoholic choices at Christmas, after sales of mocktails and non-alcoholic beers increased by 84% from 2019 to 2022.

"We will review our range, looking at non-alcoholic sparkling, and we are trialling Lucky Saint on draught. Both would extend our offering of non-alcoholic choices for those preferring to avoid alcohol," Wilkins says.

Luke Boase, founder of Lucky Saint, says the report shows that moderation is not just for January, but rather is becoming ingrained in people's lives throughout the year.

"With people in the UK actively seeking ways to moderate their alcohol intake, making quality alcohol-free options more widely available plays a critical role," Boase says.

Don't be a turkey

Choice is key to customers dining out over the festive season, bearing in mind very few people want to eat ham, turkey and pigs in blankets all December long. Bidfood has launched more than 70 new products across a variety of categories for its festive range, which includes a number of ‘winter warmers', such as hearty slow-cooked lamb and root vegetable stew.

"We've seen in our consumer survey that people want their Christmas favourites, but they also want something a bit different," Rogers says. "There also is a growing awareness and demand for healthy options out of home. There is definitely an opportunity for operators to hone in on that and to offer fun, limited-edition or festive specials in a lower-calorie or high-protein version to cater to health-conscious consumers."

The foodservice provider recognises the need to offer vegan and vegetarian options and has incorporated dishes such as a wild mushroom and confit onion tartlet, and butternut squash and lentil and almond wellington.

Better Nature Tempeh, made from soybeans, water and a starter culture, also serves as a natural and nutritious alternative to meat, says chief marketing officer and co-founder Elin Roberts.

"Caterers who are new to tempeh may be surprised at just how easy it is to cook. With its firm, meaty texture, it can be pan-fried or oven-baked to create a tasty, nutritious Christmas dish in a matter of minutes," Roberts says. "Plus, it doesn't require pressing or marinating for hours – five minutes will do."

Mix and mingle with finger food

With customers increasingly focusing on the value of out-of-home experiences, there is a growing place for drinks and nibbles, as well as brunches and lunches, as an alternative to a dinner occasion.

Philip Turner, founder and chief executive of Chestnut Group, which owns a collection of inns, pubs and restaurants across East Anglia, is putting together a series of offers for bowl food and small bites to be rolled out across the venues for Christmas parties.

"The dynamic of the Christmas party is changing. It's becoming less formal, with people standing, walking around the room and sharing food, rather than the traditional sit-down dinner," he says.

Gordon Lauder, managing director of frozen food distributor Central Foods, says the company sells a range of moreish morsels that are perfect for buffets, bar snacks and finger foods.

"Bao buns remain a street food favourite, so if you're looking to update your festive menu and give it a modern twist, why not fill bao buns with pulled turkey, cranberry sauce, shredded sprouts and gravy for a fun Christmas street food option," he says.

"With the KaterBake bao buns available in 30g or 50g options, there are sizes to fit different serving occasions."

Meat substitute mainstay Quorn has a range of products easily adapted for the festive season, including meat-free roasts as well as its ChiQin crispy wings, buttermilk-style burger, vegan strips and a vegan fillet that are well suited to become starters or canapés.

Phil Thornborrow, Quorn's foodservice director, says meat-free diners shouldn't need to compromise. "They can enjoy indulgent and delicious vegan and vegetarian food that closely replicates the tastes and textures they know from traditional meat dishes."

Sauce it up

With the power to elevate or add a twist to a classic dish, condiments are another way operators can shake up their menus. Premier Foods' sauce and seasoning brand Bisto has tapped into the building trend of Americana food with its new Southern Style gravy; a lightly peppered, country-style gravy with a creamy texture (see panel). Premier Foods foodservice marketing manager Sarah Robb says the gravy brings a new level of comfort to dishes and pairs well with roast meats, plant-based alternatives and even as a dip with fries.

"Its balanced flavour profile means it complements a variety of dishes, making it a versatile option for chefs," she says.

"The fact that it is also suitable for vegans makes it an attractive product as chefs can incorporate this gravy into their festive menu offerings, knowing it can cater to a wider range of dietary preferences and enhance the dining experience."

Sweet endings

When it comes to the Christmas dessert menu, classic dishes made from premium ingredients reign supreme, with even the most health-conscious customers not wanting to sacrifice indulgence or taste.

LillyPuds offers an award-winning range of luxury puddings, with its 120g portion Christmas pudding that is naturally sweet in taste with a mix of vine fruits, apples, apricots, almonds and ginger. The puddings are made with a locally-sourced gluten-free and vegan ale from the Brentwood Brewing Company and come in a gluten-free and vegan version, too.

"Our puddings make any Christmas meal complete, whether you're a pub, restaurant or caterer," says Alison Lilly, owner and founder of LillyPuds.

"We work hard to ensure our products are free from unnatural ingredients wherever possible and pride ourselves on light and fruity puddings that have no mixed peel and less than 5% added sugar, giving your customers a rich, moist pudding without the heaviness of traditional puddings."

Maybe you can have your Christmas pudding and eat it too.

A US-style Christmas feast

The Poets Ale and Smoke House pub in Hove in East Sussex has turned traditional dish development on its head by designing four meals for its specials board to work with Bisto's new Southern Style gravy.

As the product is vegan, the gravy pairs well with dishes such as Cheddar, jalapeño, and wild garlic cornbread muffins or Charlston shrimp ‘n' grits.

The pub's head chef, Robin Elwell, plans to incorporate the gravy with its flavour profile of warm spices into the pub's festive menu. "You can also add ingredients to help it tie into the dish," he says. "I've made a bacon and mushroom fricassee sauce with a pork chop dish, and the fat, the bacon and the smokiness carry quite well with the gravy.

"To make it more festive, I'll do a pork loin wrapped in bacon, stuffed with a festive spice stuffing and again, using the Southern Style gravy as a base for a nice fricassee sauce. That would work quite nicely."