How to plan your Christmas food shop

Don’t leave everything to the last minute. Two to three weeks before the big day, stock up on store cupboard treats which will make the big shop a little easier. Think festive drinks – the usual wine, beer and fizz, as well as some special festive additions like our Mince Pie Liqueur and Marksologist pre-mixed cocktails. Buy your Christmas pudding, Christmas cake and mince pies, and stock your storecupboard with festive flavour boosters like our Roast Potato Seasoning which will make cooking easier. Now’s also a good time to make a batch of mince pies to stash in the freezer, as well as frozen festive food to help you get ahead.

Our fresh desserts will land in store today, in date for your Christmas-day feast. Whether you’re serving up a beautiful Collection Chocolate and Hazelnut Buche, Our Best Ever Yule Log – a chocolate sponge filled with Madagascan vanilla whipped cream and rich chocolate ganache – or an elegant Raspberry and Vanilla Panna Cotta, this year’s puddings are worthy of a top French patisserie. You’ll also find magical Christmas cakes in store today, like our almost-too-cute-to-slice speculoos and white chocolate Christmas Cabin Cake and, of course, our iconic Christmas Colin, who’s made with 30% more chocolate than the original this year.

Our fresh turkeys are all in store this week, with the full range available from 20 December. So whether you’re hosting an early Christmas get-together or planning ahead for Christmas day, you can pick up a deliciously succulent bird. All our turkeys are sourced from trusted M&S Select Farms, who rear the birds slowly to allow them to develop a fuller flavour. Want to go fuss-free? Choose an option where we’ve done the hard work, like Our Best Ever Slow Cooked Turkey, brined with buttermilk, topped with a rich chestnut and pork stuffing and finished with oak and applewood smoked bacon – it’s 100% foolproof and guaranteed to stay perfectly tender. While you’re at it, don’t forget some double-wrapped Pigs in Blankets to accompany your bird – this year, we’ve wrapped them all in a whole rasher of outdoor-bred streaky bacon, so they’re guaranteed to stay cosy.

There’s always something you’ve forgotten, so in between peeling spuds and prepping tomorrow’s dinner, check your original list and pop out for those last-minute essentials. Maybe it’s some extra gravy granules or bread sauce, or some frozen croissants, top-quality Cornish Gold Butter, fresh fruit, smoked salmon and bagels for a special Christmas breakfast. Whatever you’re shopping for, you’lll get the very best quality at M&S.