Festive feasting
Get inspired with festive food suggestions and seasonal cooking tips from a small selection of Sheffield’s finest independents: Zed's Wholefoods, Beer Central and Regather.
This time of year can send us into a spending frenzy which lands us with enough food to feed a small country.
Why not try some new traditions this year? There’s a lot of alternative ideas you can experiment with, from preparing a Made in Sheffield food hamper for family to making an aromatic mulled apple juice to enjoy with friends.
If you are choosing to cook the traditional Christmas dinner, reduce the stress by getting organised and making elements ahead, like Yorkshire pudding batter, gravy and stuffing.
To inspire you with more festive suggestions and new traditions bring in, here’s our selection from three of Sheffield’s finest independents, in their own words. Happy feasting!
Regather
My name is Rachel and I work at Regather Co-operative. We provide local, seasonal and organic fruit and veg boxes, and at this time of the year lots of Sheffield products which make wonderful gifts.
Our Sheffield Christmas hampers are back this year, featuring the best of Sheffield's bakers, brewers and producers. They are available for delivery nationwide and you can tailor make them by adding in Abbeydale beer, Locksley gin and a mini Henderson’s Relish.
My absolute favourite thing to cook at Christmas is braised red cabbage, and this year there is a chance that I might be able to cook a cabbage grown from my allotment. A very first for me!
I love this dish because it’s something I would eat with my family on Christmas day. I like the subtle spices and the fruit. It’s a perfect celebration of seasonal veg.
Apart from my own cabbage, I will be enjoying the veg from my veg box. During Christmas week Regather will be offering a bumper selection including potato, carrot, onion, parsnips, swede, sprouts, red cabbage, leeks and beetroot.
My festive cooking tip would be to embrace eating seasonally. Sprouts are available now in our veg boxes and don't have to be reserved for Christmas. If you're lacking inspiration, we have several sprout recipes on our website.
Beer Central
I’m Sean and I run Beer Central. We sell a great range of real ales, modern craft beers, cider and mead.
My Christmas gift suggestions would have to be beer, of course. Our three beer gift boxes are our most popular Christmas special (from £9.95). We also sell a range of handmade beer crates, perfect for that special someone this Christmas (£15).
This Christmas we will be cooking traditional turkey with plenty of veg, Yorkshire puddings and tasty gravy.
My festive cooking tip would be to use a local beer for an extra tasty gravy – something like Kelham Island Riders on the Storm amber ale. It gives a real depth of flavour and Yorkshire puddings love it.
Zed’s Wholefoods
My name is Nicola and I’m the owner-manager of Zed’s Wholefoods in Nether Edge.
At Zed’s, we’re super enthusiastic about selling loads of fruit and vegetables, alongside over 2,000 lines of general food and household goods.
We stock everything from day-to-day store cupboard essentials to locally produced specialty goods.
During the festive season we get a lot busier. Customers stock up on food for themselves and extra treats to share with others.
We sell a lot of delicious foods you can give as gifts and luxurious hampers wrapped in beautiful reusable fabric.
My festive cooking tip would be to go off piste. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. Some people like to stick to the traditional menu but if you are bored of that, do what you like. It's your Christmas dinner - no one else’s!
Where else should I try?
V OR V restaurant at Kelham Island have launched their Christmas menu and there’s so many exciting dishes. Think traditional with a sophisticated twist. To give you a flavour, there’s brussel sprout kimchi fritters, parsnip tempura and brandy bread and butter pudding with Bullion chocolate and mince pie ice cream.
Kollective Kitchen on Brown Street have opened their Christmas shop and you can pre-order festive selections for collection via their website. Treat your loved ones with a sweet tooth to Baileys and biscoff cheesecake, peppermint tiffin, mince pie blondies and mulled wine and plum friands.
Porter Brook Deli has plenty of Christmas food treats to get you through the festive season: Christmas puddings, Tuscan biscotti, Seven Hills bakery cardamom fudge and a great selection of cheeses for your Christmas board.
Dyson Place are running pop-up Christmas markets every Saturday (9am-1pm) in the run up to Christmas. Go and have a mooch and get your loved ones presents from local independents.
