Independent Food Festivities

We’ve heard it said many times in recent weeks: ‘Christmas is going to be different this year.’

Whatever you’re planning, it’s important to take some time to recharge and look at alternative ideas, whether that’s trying new recipes, swapping turkey for curry or making homemade gifts.

Don't follow that image of a ‘perfect Christmas’ portrayed by advertising executives. Think about how you’d like to spend the festive time – taking into account any socialising restrictions and weighing up the risks – and look for ways to keep stress to a minimum.

Many independent traders have had to adapt to online retail and are now offering options for home delivery or click and collect. This year, support your local shops, cafes and restaurants when making wish lists for loved ones or for yourself. Everyone needs a ‘me’ present; it’s one of my own traditions and I’m never disappointed.

Here’s our roundup of festive food and drink suggestions to suit all budgets and tastes.

Eating in is the new eating out

If you want to take a night off cooking, you can order a takeout meal as a gift to yourself, for now or nearer to Christmas. There are many places offering cook-at-home meal kits which you can put together easily in your own kitchen.

You can pre-book a meal box from NoName in Crookes or Luke’s Place on Infirmary Road. All meals come with instructions and are available to collect. Alternatively, you can sign up for a plant-based Asian-inspired tiffin box from Dishidrop.

The Mowbray are offering meat and veggie Christmas dinners for collection on Christmas Eve at £50 for two. Their feasts are scalable. You can go big on the starters or go all-in for the cheese course. Everything will be chilled, ready to cook when you are. You could be tucking into your turkey and all the trimmings within 30 minutes.

V|OR|V have announced their plant-based Christmas home menu. Collections are available on 23 and 24 December. For details on ordering and what you can look forward to, check out their Instagram.

Give a hamper

If you want to give a hamper as a gift, you really are spoilt for options this year. 4eyespatisserie are supporting Sheffield Children's Hospital by making a donation for every hamper sold. Each includes a selection of their finest goods: cherry panettoncino, dark chocolate truffles and salted caramel. Deliveries are available from 1 December.

Ginger in Broomhill have a range of hampers available from their Christmas shop to suit the foodie in your life. There’s the deluxe hamper, which features indulgent Welbeck Christmas pudding, Sheffield honey and Sheffield dry gin, or you can go local and choose a Sheffield-themed box with Abbeydale’s Moonshine pale ale, Hedgerow preserving chutney and Bullion chocolate bars.

For a taste of the Mediterranean, try IberiCo on Hickmott Road. They have Spanish hampers available to order, including a vegan one packed with olive oil, natural wine, fried beans, honey, asparagus and chickpeas.

Something for dessert

Beanies Wholefoods are stocking Probios’ organic panettone, authentic Italian chocolate cake made with dark chocolate chips, spelt flour and a sourdough starter.

For something different, consider Swedish Pepperkaker biscuits or Snebolde marzipan snowballs. You can order traditional Scandinavian festive baked goods and gifts from Smorgas during December.

What are you drinking?

Pick up a gift box of beers from Turner’s Bottle & Tap or choose your own selection with ales from local breweries like Kelham Island, Abbeydale and Saint Mars of the Desert, or those further afield. There’s something for every beer lover from gluten-free and low ABV to sours, IPAs and stouts.

Hop Hideout at Kommune is also taking orders for home delivery, with lots of unique options available.

Smith St. Coffee have created a great range of Christmas products for the coffee lover, starting at £8 for their Christmas coffee blend, called White Peak, which features festive artwork by Katie Mellor of Ownway. They’re donating £2 from each bag sold to the local charity Roundabout, which provides shelter and support for young people at risk of homelessness. You can order online or pop into their coffee shop on Scotland Street.

Feeling indecisive?

...then go along to The Green Shop on Wadsley Lane. They’re running pop-up stalls during November and December, featuring producers selling products ranging from tea to art prints.

Or take a trip to Flask End village shop in Bradfield. They’ve provided a home for the local makers and artists who were showcasing their goodies in John Lewis until they had to shut for lockdown 2.0.

Kollective Kitchen’s online Christmas shop has just gone live. You’ll find gift ideas among their range of festive treats, all made in-house, and you can pre-order these to enjoy as part of your seasonal celebrations.

Don’t forget food banks

Demand for food bank services is high and charities across the city are collecting food in the lead up to Christmas. If you would like to make a donation or find out more about what items to donate, take a look at the following links.

• Sheffield Food Bank
• S2 Foodbank
• S6 Foodbank
• Grace Foodbank