The Ultimate Christmas Soiree
Food unites us during the Christmas period as we indulge and bond with others in its presence. Levanah Reyes-Wainwright shares her picks for the ultimate Christmas soiree.
When guests arrive hand them a glass of the new prestige cuvee Champagne Jacquart Alpha 2005 (£99.95, Harrods). This magnificent vintage unites equal parts the power
of Pinot Noir sourced from the Montagne de Reims and the freshness of Chardonnay from Premiers Crus. Before your main meal Joe & Sephs Gourmet Popcorn (from £4, joeandsephs.co.uk) is a fabulous light snack. Goat’s Cheese and Black Pepper and Madras Curry with Black Onion Seed & Lime are just two of the amazing flavours on offer.
For the main meal help is at hand courtesy of The Recipe Kit (£155, therecipekit.co.uk). This exciting new recipe delivery service uses seasonal British ingredients sourced directly from farms across the UK. Step by step recipe cards along with pre-measured ingredients allow you to whip up unique restaurant-quality dishes. Choose from either a Classic British, Mediterranean, Nordic or a Vegetarian feast this yuletide. With anything you serve, no table would be complete without a helping of Maille’s exquisite Chablis Mustard with Black Truffle (from £29, maille.com). Then to finish off dinner with a flourish, French bakery Paul’s suggests Bûche Roulée Café Yule Log (from £16.95, paul-uk.com) with coffee cream and crunchy nougat crumbs. Aromatic and intense, this is definitely one for the grown ups.
After dinner drinks should be as seasonal and sophisticated as possible. A very rare cask-aged Scion Tawny Port from Taylor’s (£2,500, Hedonism) is the perfect festive fodder to accompany the smooth taste of Seed & Bean’s Chocolate Bars in their Ultimate Box of Chocolate (£80, seedandbean.co.uk). Handmade in small batches in England using Fairtrade and Soil Association approved ingredients; this hamper would also make a great gift that can be distributed among unexpected guests. If port and chocolate aren’t your thing, buy a show stopping bottle of Royal Salute Tribute to Honour Whisky (£150,000, whiskyshop.com) embellished with 413 flawless white and black diamonds, gold and silver. Inside is a blend of the most exquisite, precious and scare whiskies aged at least 45 years old; to ensure that this golden liquid is not diluted and chilled perfectly, pop in a couple of frozen hand cut soapstone Teroforma Whisky Stones (£20, Selfridges.com). For those on driving duty or who dislike mulled wine, bottlegreen have developed the world’s first Blackcurrant & Coffee Cordial (£3.15, Waitrose). The coffee’s smooth and smoky notes enhance the juicy blackcurrant flavour, perfect enjoyed hot on cold winter nights.
Whether you’re a seasoned hand or a novice hosting guests for the first time, this selection of food and drink is sure to elicit appreciative tones from family, friends and colleagues alike.
