The Dorset Meat Company
Make yours the perfect, free-range, grass-fed Christmas this year with the Dorset Meat Company. Whether you are after beef, ham, turkey, duck, bacon or sausages, these fellas have it covered. Working with 20 family-run farms in Dorset and Wiltshire, they believe in the sustainable, small-scale farming that is music to our ears these days. All of their meat is hand-prepared in the finest traditions of British craft butchery and delivered across the UK in specially designed, chill-safe packaging.
The Fine Cheese Co.
The Christmas table is not complete without a towering cheeseboard. Order delicious British and European artisanal cheeses from the Fine Cheese Company, based in Bath. Their exquisite selection boxes are wittily conceived. We are desperate for the “Christmas Cake” one, which comprises four tiers of cheese, serving 20 to 30 people, and indoor sparklers for extra festive fun. Also available on the elegant site is a tempting array of crackers, chutneys and English pickles.
Farmdrop
Excellent and well-established vegetable delivery companies include Abel & Cole and Riverford. But there are newer guys on the block that are worth checking out, too. Farmdrop delivers fresh, seasonal, local vegetables straight from its roster of producers to your door. Their cranberries, Medjool dates, clementines and organic Savoy cabbage look mouthwatering.
The Cornish Fishmonger
Don’t forget that lobster, crab and oysters make gorgeous, alternative Christmas treats. Fresh fish from the Cornish quayside markets ordered by 10am could be yours the next day via this experienced online fishmonger, who supplies many of the nation’s top chefs. Their couriers operate overnight for next-day delivery across the UK. What is more, their home-smoked salmon has won several awards.
Borough Kitchen
If it is foodie gifts you are after, this is the website for you. The offshoot of three London stores, it is nirvana for the at-home cook and host. Every item stocked adheres to the brand’s core values: function, durability and quality. Whether it is a pot, pan, knife, peeler, mug, vase or placemat, you can be sure it is a superior one.
We give full marks to the site’s ingenious list of the top 10 items for people hosting Christmas.
December 2018