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The Exact Best Date To Do Your Christmas Food Shop In 2025
Former chef to the royal family, Darren McGrady, previously spoke to HuffPost UK about how to make the perfect roast potatoes and moist turkey for your Christmas dinner.
But when should we actually bring the food in? That balance – between ensuring nothing goes off, and avoiding a last-minute supermarket dash – can be a hard one to strike.
Luckily, McGrady is full of his usual culinary wisdom. Working with Smooth Spins, the chef shared his ideal timeframe for grabbing your Christmas food shop.
When should I do my Christmas food shop?
“Christmas Day this year is on a Thursday, so for me, it makes sense to go ahead and get the turkey the weekend before and put it in the fridge – so either December 20th or 21st,” the chef said.
This applies whether you’re putting it in the freezer or the fridge, he added.
“If you’re buying a frozen one, that gives it a chance to thaw out and be ready for roasting.
“If you’re buying it fresh, even so, buy it at the weekend so it’s ready for cooking, and it will be perfect. You can buy all your vegetables on the weekend, too.”
Whatever day you choose, though, McGrady warned that avoiding the Christmas rush is key.
“Make sure you get everything ready in advance… Make a list of fresh and dry ingredients so on the Saturday you can buy all the food and get everything in place,” he advised.
“Then you can look at this and say, alright, what am I doing each day?”
When should I make each part of my Christmas dinner?
“If you’re making mince pies, you can start making those on Monday,” McGrady shared.
“Your plum pudding, if you’re making one, should have been made several months before, the same with the Christmas cake” – though personally, I like a non-alcoholic Christmas pudding, which can be made a week before the big day.
“All your vegetables can be peeled and prepared on Christmas Eve, so they’re ready for the next day for the big event,” he ended.
This is our favourite trick for fluffy, crispy roast potatoes.
After all, “Christmas is stressful for people, especially the homemaker, so the more you can get organised and prep ahead, the better,” the chef said.
