Time to think about your Christmas food

Most of us won’t have heard of it, but this Sunday is ‘Stir Up Sunday’. It’s the last Sunday before Advent. During Church of England services this Sunday one of the readings will have the words “Stir up, we beseech thee O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people”.

In years gone by this was a reminder that now is the time to start making the matured Christmas pudding.

It is the time when the family gets together in the kitchen and mixes up the pudding. Everyone has a stir of the mixture and makes a wish for the coming season. The kitchen fills up with the smells of Christmas as the pudding is steamed.

We know that not everyone is a fan, but let’s face it - Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a figgy pudding.

There are numerous recipes out there for Christmas puddings. Our favourite is this one from Mary Berry, which can be found here.

If you’re anything likes us, you might not have time (or even want) to cook a Christmas pudding. This is when shop-bought puddings come into their own.

There are plenty to choose from and most major supermarket stock their own versions of this Christmas classic.

Here’s a list of the main ones;

• Aldi Specially Selected Golden Topped Christmas Pudding, 907g: £7.99*, Aldi (Serves 8)
• Iceland Luxury Christmas Pudding with a Brandy Sauce Centre, 907g: £6, Iceland (Serves 8)
• Lidl Deluxe 24 Month Matured Christmas Pudding, 907g: £11.99, Lidl (Serves 8)
• Morrisons The Best Pear and Pedro Ximenez Sherry Christmas Pudding, 800g: £8, Morrisons (Serves 8)
• Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Cognac Laced 18 Month Matured Christmas Pudding, 450g: £5, Sainsbury’s (Serves 4)
• Heston from Waitrose Persian Spiced Christmas Pudding, 800g: £14, Waitrose (Serves 8)

And while you’re thinking about your Christmas pudding it’s an idea to think about what else you’re going to serve on the big day. Will it be turkey, goose – or something novel? Keep an eye on our blog over the coming weeks as we pull together some tips to help you create the perfect Christmas.


*Prices may vary