Booths 2015 Christmas Book

“CHRISTMAS IS MY FAVOURITE TIME OF THE YEAR” A MESSAGE FROM EDWIN BOOTH

For me, it is the season of fellowship; sharing food with loved ones is the highlight of my year.

We’ve worked intensively all year long to get every detail right, from our amazing range, to securing supplies of local produce and ensuring we get this all to you in the best possible condition. Our best people are on the case and I’m proud to invite you into store, or to our website, to place an order for your festive favourites. We can deliver to your door anywhere throughout the UK mainland, so whether you want to take Booths with you when you visit friends and family around the country or send a gift with a northern flavour, we have just what you need.

If you’re cooking for the family you’ll love our Christmas boxes, we’ve done all the hard work selecting the perfect mix of ingredients. So, all you need to do is place your order and hope someone will help you to peel the potatoes!

With my very best wishes,

EDWIN BOOTH, CHAIRMAN

WELCOME TO THE BOOTHS CHRISTMAS BOOK This year, we’re celebrating the joys of the Great Northern Christmas. Whatever that means to you – an intimate family feast or a no-holds barred party, glamorous dinners, a pie and a pint after a snowy walk, or all that and more - it’s certain that delicious food and drink is at the heart of the festivities. So you’ve come to the right place.

Inside these pages, you’ll meet some of our favourite Northern suppliers and find out their top Christmas cookery tips and how they’ve been working to bring the best of Booths Country to your table. We’ve filled it with delicious, original recipes for you to try and ideas for classic cocktails that you can share with friends and family over the festive fortnight.

And of course you’ll find all the carefully-sourced food and drink you could dream of as well as present ideas for the hardest-to-please. There’s a handy order booklet included for when you’ve made your choices; simply bring it into store to place your order with our Christmas team or order online from the comfort of your own home.

Put your feet up and have a browse. We’ve got your Christmas covered.

ORDER ONLINE www.orders.booths.co.uk www.hampers.booths.co.uk ORDER INSTORE Our dedicated Christmas team will be on hand to help make your Christmas and New Year special

CONTENTS

THE GREAT NORTHERN CHRISTMAS | 6 - 7 CHRISTMAS DAY | 10 - 87 BOXING DAY | 88 - 103 NEW YEAR’S EVE | 104 - 119 CHRISTMAS TREATS AND GIFTS | 120 - 147 THE CHRISTMAS PARTY | 148 - 173 CHRISTMAS DRINKS | 174 - 187

RECIPES Cumbrian Chimney Pot Pie with Herdwick Mutton | 8 - 9 Herb-crusted Fillet of Beef with roasted winter roots and a red wine reduction | 50 - 51 Gluten Free Winter Vegetable and Feta Tart | 64 - 65 Pulled Pork with Fennel and Mustard and a quick crunchy coleslaw | 93 Ossobuco | 119 Christmas decorated red sponge cupcakes | 126 - 127 Two zesty fruit mocktails | 158 Three easy buffet salads | 162 - 163 The Perfect Manhattan | 181 The Classic Martini | 185

THE GREAT NORTHERN CHRISTMAS

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By tea-time these days, the sky is dark. On the bleakly beautiful expanses of the fells, the sheep huddle together for warmth, presenting their woolly backsides to the wind. Down on the flatlands, the farmers pull on their waders for another long day of harvesting their vegetables.

Above the heather-speckled North Yorkshire moors, the rooks tumble on the wind with raucous cries, meeting to quarrel in the bare branches of the trees.

In the crevices of hills, the snow has frozen solid; it will stay here, a chilly guest, until the spring lambs are back.

Come inside. Here, all is warmth and plenty. In their cosy sheds, the Christmas geese fatten themselves on the summer’s grain. Lights twinkle in the farmhouses that nestle lower down the valleys. In our cities, the shop windows blaze with light, colour and movement, while the crowd outside presses its nose to the glass, lost in

childlike wonder. Across the region, the Christmas markets are in full swing, the scent of roasting nuts battling for supremacy with spiced wine, tunes old and new carried on the chilly air.

We brave the weather with our bulging carrier bags and secret smiles. Trees are ferried slowly home, tied to the roofs of cars to be put up in the sitting room. The box of decorations is unearthed and old favourites pulled out with cries of recognition. Fairy lights twinkle inside and out.

Looking under the bed, or perhaps inside the stair cupboard, is suddenly out of bounds. Every day brings a new handful of cards for display on the mantelpiece, each bearing its message of seasonal friendship and cheer. It’s time to unearth those pastry cutters and bake a batch of mince pies, or, if you’re the hardy type, to pull on a wetsuit and brave the bitter North Sea for a charity swim.

In every store, in every theatre and primary school, Father

Christmas is expected in his scarlet robes.

There’s the big gathering on Christmas Eve, the walk to the pub for a foaming pint or two, then on to Church for Midnight Mass and a good sing-song.

For those with young children, Christmas Day starts in darkness with the breathless excitement of a heavy stocking discovered at the end of the bed, seams straining. Beside the fireplace, ta carrot-top is all that’s left of the snack you put out for Rudolph and friends. Then the day really gets going: a traditional cooked breakfast or a sliver of smoked salmon and rich scrambled eggs, and then it’s already time to get the oven on for the roast.

Someone’s peeling potatoes – we should have done it yesterday! – someone else is laying the table and there’s already wrapping paper all over the room. The family’s all here now, with all the ingredients that make your Christmas special: maybe it’s

what you put in the trifle, or the favourite wine you always buy, or the fact that there has to be mash as well as roasties on the table, or that you always eat your Christmas pudding while the Queen’s speech is on – and you have it with ice cream.

When it’s over, and the credits are rolling on the Christmas film, there’s no time for anticlimax, for tomorrow is Boxing Day, and that means more family, more food, a winter walk to blow away the cobwebs and ponder on the resolutions you might, or might not make, ready for the no-holds-barred party that is New Year’s Eve. Our shared Northern heritage means a lot to us at Booths. It’s where we started, in 1847, with a single Blackpool tea seller, and it’s where we’re staying. Over the years, we’ve tracked down the finest suppliers, helped to support local farmers and tried to bring the region’s great forgotten foods back to our plates.

We know how privileged we are to be based right here – for the beauty of the landscape, the warmth of its inhabitants, and for some of the world’s very finest foods, brought to us by people who have farmed the land for generations. From the tenderness and gamey flavour of Herdwick mutton – a natural result of slow-maturing on the heather and grasses of the fells – to the delicate, grassy flavour of a proper Wensleydale, made from local cows’ milk; from the rainfall that makes Lancashire’s vegetables so abundant to the rich pastures of Cheshire where we source some of our best dairy and beef, what we eat is all about where we are. So raise a glass to the Great Northern Christmas.

Because nobody does it better than we do.

WE KNOW HOW PRIVILEGED WE ARE TO BE BASED RIGHT HERE – FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE LANDSCAPE, THE WARMTH OF ITS INHABITANTS AND FOR SOME OF THE WORLD’S VERY FINEST FOODS, BROUGHT TO US BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE FARMED THE LAND FOR GENER ATIONS.

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CUMBRIAN CHIMNEY POT PIE Hearty, honest, warming and filling, it’s no wonder pies are considered a northern speciality. We think this spectacular recipe for a Cumbrian Chimney Pot Pie, made with our flavoursome, melt-in-the mouth Herdwick mutton, takes some beating. Cooked slowly until the meat is so tender it falls apart, it is topped with a crisp, rich pastry, and for a real talking point, we’ve used the mutton shank bone as the ‘chimney’ pie funnel - but it tastes great with a simple hole sliced in the top too. There’s no more delicious way to bring the Great Northern Christmas to your table.

Serves 6 to 8 Prep time 20 minutes Cook time 3 hours 35 minutes For the shortcrust pastry: 200g butter placed in the freezer 350g plain flour pinch of salt 6 tbsp chilled water For the filling: 50g plain flour 2-2.5kg 10 day dry aged Cumbrian Herdwick mutton or lamb (with or without the shank bone) 2 tbsp olive oil 4 onions quartered 8 cloves garlic 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary 600ml dark Cumbrian ale 300ml beef stock For the filling: Season the flour with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cut the mutton into large pieces and dust in the seasoned flour. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish and brown the pieces of mutton well all over. Remove from the dish after browning, add a little more oil and cook the onions for a few minutes then add the garlic and fresh rosemary and cook for just a minute. Tip in any remaining flour and cook for another minute then pour in the ale and stock and bring to a simmer. Return the mutton (including the bone) to the dish, turn down the heat and cover and cook over a very gentle heat for about 2½–3 hours until the meat falls apart and the sauce is rich and thickened. Remove the shank bone from the dish, reserving it for the pie and flake the meat into pieces. Leave to cool.

For the pastry: Sift the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Hold the frozen butter using a piece of greaseproof paper and grate it on a large coarse grater straight into the flour. Working quickly, stir the butter and flour together and then sprinkle on the chilled water and mix together to make a dough. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill.

Prepare the pie: Fill a 2½ litre pie dish with the cooled mutton filling. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick and about 2.5cm wider than the dish. Cut a 2cm strip from the pastry. Brush the rim of the dish with a little water and place the pastry strip around the rim, pressing it down.

Sit the reserved shank bone in the centre of the pie filling: this will act as a pie funnel, releasing the steam when the pie is baking and will also stop the pastry from sinking into the filling and becoming soggy.

Cut a slit in the remaining pastry for the shank bone. Place the pastry lid over the top and slide it over the bone. Press down the edges of the pastry to seal it. Trim off any excess pastry and crimp the edges with a fork or between your thumb and forefinger. Brush with beaten egg and bake at 180°C/Fan 160°C/gas mark 4 for 30–35 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.

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The decorations are up, the table is laid with the best china, and the family is all assembled. Whether you kick off the festivities with a plate of smoked salmon or a prawn cocktail; whether a plump turkey rules the roost on the dinner table, or perfectly-cooked beef is the way it’s done, every family has its own time-honoured traditions when it comes to Christmas Dinner. However you celebrate, you want to make sure you’re going to enjoy the finest food you’ve had all year. And that’s something we can all agree on.

IN THIS SECTION

SALMON SMOKED FISH SHELLFISH EASY ELEGANT STARTERS TURKEYS THREE BIRD ROASTS GEESE AND OTHER BIRDS BEEF VEGETABLES TRIMMINGS AND SAUCES VEGETARIAN FEASTS PUDDINGS CHEESE, FRUIT AND NUTS

CHRISTMAS DAY

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FORMAN’S LONDON CURE SMOKED SCOTTISH SALMON (144) Weight 900g Serves 10

£40

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START WITH SALMON Nothing kicks off the traditional Christmas feast like a simple but luxurious plate of smoked salmon.

We’ve got flavours to suit every palate, from Forman’s light, subtle London cure to Bleiker’s intense, apple-wood smoked Romanov salmon, marinated to a Russian recipe that pairs it with beetroot and dill.

FORMAN’S SALMON AND LANGOUSTINE TERRINE (152) Weight 1.1kg Serves 8 to 10

£35

FORMAN’S SMOKED SALMON PAUPIETTES (150) With crab and lobster.

Serves 2

£14

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BLEIKER’S WHOLE ROYAL FILLET OF UNSLICED APPLEWOOD SMOKED SCOTTISH ROMANOV SALMON (143) (Left) Weight 500g Serves 6 to 8

£30

FORMAN’S GRAVADLAX & CURED SALMON (146) (Bottom left) Weight 500g Serves 4 to 6

£29

FORMAN’S SCOTTISH SALMON CURED WITH GIN AND TONIC (145) (Bottom right) Weight 500g Serves 4 to 6

£28

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BLEIKER’S WHOLE ROYAL FILLET OF UNSLICED SCOTTISH OAK-SMOKED SALMON (142) Weight 500g Serves 6 to 8

£30 There’s no more delicious way to get the party going than with a plate of smoked salmon.

Arrange slices on a platter and scatter over some finely-sliced shallots or red onion, chopped fresh dill, a few teaspoons of small capers, a squeeze of lemon juice and a good grind of black pepper.

MORECAMBE BAY SHRIMPS Potted shrimps have been a traditional British delicacy for centuries, and some of the best shrimps in the world are found in Morecambe Bay. Renowned for their sweet, seaside flavour, our shrimps are cooked in creamy local butter and a secret mix of aromatic spices.

MORECAMBE BAY POTTED SHRIMPS (148) Weight 227g Serves 3 to 4

£12 MORECAMBE BAY POTTED SHRIMPS SIX PORTIONS (149) Weight 6x57g Serves 6

£17

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CLASSIC PRAWN COCKTAIL

Juicy prawns in a tangy Marie Rose sauce - it’s no wonder everyone loves a classic prawn cocktail.

Why not give the retro favourite a healthy modern update by serving it with crisp lettuce leaves for guests to load up?

FORMAN’S LARGE PRAWN COCKTAIL IN MARIE ROSE SAUCE (159) Weight 500g Serves 6 to 8

£18

POTTED SEAFOOD STARTER PACK (167) Morecambe Bay potted shrimps, salmon and shrimps terrine and luxury potted crabmeat.

Weight 342g Serves 4 to 6

£15

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SEAFOOD DELUXE For an extra luxurious start to Christmas dinner, serve this sumptuous crayfish cocktail studded with trout caviar on watercress and place in your favourite individual ramekins.

Or treat your friends and family to a ready-to-serve rich lobster dressed in a fresh mayonnaise with a hint of mustard.

FORMAN’S CRAYFISH COCKTAIL WITH CAVIAR (160) (Above) Weight 500g Serves 6 to 8

£18

FORMAN’S DRESSED LOBSTER (157) 2 halves of a dressed, ready-to-serve lobster (Opposite) Serves 2

£30 18

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FORMAN’S LOBSTER BISQUE (154) This rich lobster bisque from Forman’s makes a truly luxurious and trouble-free starter. Serve in individual cups with a swirl of cream.

Size 1.5ltr Serves 6

£12

TRUEFOODS CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT WITH SLOE GIN JELLY (292) Silky-smooth Goosnargh chicken liver parfaits are topped with a punchy sloe gin jelly. Beautifully presented in individual Kilner jars, they need no other accompaniment than fingers of crisp toast.

3 Pack

£10

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ELEGANT LITTLE STARTERS These lovely starters, made exclusively for Booths by Truefoods, make a fantastic introduction to the Christmas feast.

BOOTHS TRIO OF SMOKED SALMON TERRINE (252) (Top left) Weight 750g Serves 8

BOOTHS DUCK LIVER PARFAIT WITH CRANBERRY JELLY (255) (Top right) Weight 250g Serves 4

BOOTHS DUCK CONFIT WITH APRICOT AND PISTACHIO (253) (Middle left) Weight 400g Serves 4 to 6

BOOTHS GAME CONFIT WITH SLOE GIN (256) (Middle right) Weight 250g Serves 4

£20

£10

BOOTHS HARROGATE LOAF TERRINE (251) (Bottom left) Weight 400g Serves 4 to 6

£10

£8

£8

BOOTHS CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT WITH ORANGE JELLY (254) (Bottom right) Weight 250g Serves 4

£8

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WHY CHOOSE A BOOTHS TURKEY? “Sourcing Christmas turkeys for our customers is quite a responsibility,” says David Simons, our meat buyer. “Fortunately, working with trusted suppliers means I’m sure you’ll be delighted by our range and quality whatever you choose.”

“I’m looking for slow-growing, flavoursome breeds which have been farmed as naturally as possible. The less intensively a turkey is raised, the better it’s going to taste. A happy turkey is a tasty turkey.”

“All our birds are British and sourced from suppliers with the highest welfare standards, so you can buy from Booths with total confidence.”

DAVID’S TOP TURKEY TIPS How big should my turkey be?

As a rule of thumb, you should allow for up to 500g of turkey weight per person - so if you’ve got six people for Christmas, you need a 3kg bird - more, of course, if you want plenty of leftovers. Just make sure it will fit in your oven!

What kind of turkey should I choose?

It’s down to your budget and your personal preference.

Our bronze turkeys are game-hung for an old-fashioned, intense flavour, whereas our farm-assured white turkeys deliver plenty of pearly-white breast meat and consistent flavour. Organic free-range turkeys, supplied to us by Gressingham, are tasty and slow-growing. And if you want a turkey that’s easy to cook and carve, or you’re having a smaller feast, you could opt for a crown or joint instead of a whole bird.

BOOTHS FREE-RANGE BRONZE TURKEYS (002 - 007) Weight from 4kg FROM

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£52

How do I cook it?

This depends on the size of the bird, but, don’t worry, each of our turkeys come with full cooking instructions.

What can I do with the leftovers?

From Christmas night sandwiches to Boxing Day buffets. This versatile meat can be chopped into risottos, pasta sauces and salads or transformed into creamy pies and sizzling curries and don’t forget to use the bones as a base for a delicious, warming wintery soup.

These free-range, award-winning bronze turkeys, raised for us by Paul Kelly, are an ancient breed that’s raised to maturity over six months and allowed to forage freely in woods and pastures, before being dry-plucked and game-hung for maximum taste and tenderness. The ultimate turkey and the one David has on his Christmas table.

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FREE-RANGE BRONZE TURKEYS FROM ADLINGTON

ADLINGTON FREE-RANGE OAT-FED BRONZE TURKEYS (008 - 013) Weight from 4kg FROM 24

£47

Adlington’s free-range, rare-breed bronze turkeys are fattened slowly on an oat-rich diet for 22 weeks, then hung for a further fortnight to guarantee a full-flavoured, traditional tasting bird with dense meat and a juicy texture.

EASY TO COOK TURKEY JOINTS FROM ADLINGTON Fancy the delicious taste of turkey but can’t manage a whole bird?

These turkey joints are ready-rolled and easy to roast and slice.

TURKEY BREAST JOINT (041) Stuffed with sage and caramelised onion sausage meat stuffing.

Weight 1.5kg Serves 3 to 4

£27

TURKEY BREAST JOINT (042) Stuffed with spiced apple and cranberry sausage meat stuffing.

Weight 1.5kg Serves 3 to 4

£27

TURKEY BREAST JOINT TOPPED WITH BACON (043) Stuffed with honey, Tracklements mustard and British pancetta sausage meat, topped with streaky bacon.

Weight 2.5kg Serves 6 to 8

£37

TURKEY BREAST JOINT TOPPED WITH BACON (044) Stuffed with sage and caramelised onion sausage meat, topped with streaky bacon.

(Right) Weight 2.5kg Serves 6 to 8

£37

TURKEY BREAST JOINT (045) No stuffing so you can dress as you wish.

Weight 2.5kg Serves 6 to 8

£37

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ORGANIC TURKEYS FROM GRESSINGHAM

GRESSINGHAM ORGANIC BRONZE FREE-RANGE TURKEYS (025 - 030) Weight from 4kg FROM

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ÂŁ55

Gressingham are famous for their delicious ducks, and we think they rear a pretty fine turkey too.

These whole organic turkeys come from Red Tractor-assured British farms, where they are reared slowly and naturally on a diet of wheat and soya.

The result is a fully flavoured, tender bird that will rule the roost at Christmas dinner.

• G R E AT N O RTH E R N VA LU E • FROM BOOTHS

£25

THE ORGANIC VEGETABLE BOX Dreaming of a green Christmas? It’s so easy with our carefully chosen organic vegetable box. It’s got all the greens you need for a delicious Christmas feast, including sprouts, potatoes, red cabbage, broccoli, onions, cauliflower, carrots, parsnips and garlic.

THE ORGANIC VEGETABLE BOX (120) | SERVES 6 TO 8

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BOOTHS FARM-ASSURED WHITE TURKEYS This popular breed has a broad breast that carries plenty of creamy-fleshed meat, with a subtly delicious flavour and succulence. It’s also great value for money. Our white turkeys are grown by Gressingham on Red Tractor-assured farms in East Anglia.

BOOTHS FARM-ASSURED WHITE TURKEYS (014 - 024) Weight from 3.5kg FROM

£25

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TURKEY CROWNS A turkey crown is a great choice for a smaller feast and it’s easy to cook and carve. In fact, with bronze, white, organic and even bacon-latticed crowns available, your only difficulty is likely to be making your selection!

BOOTHS FARM-ASSURED WHITE TURKEY CROWN (034 - 037) Weight from 2kg FROM

£27

GRESSINGHAM ORGANIC BRONZE FREE-RANGE TURKEY CROWN (038 - 039) Weight from 2kg FROM

£50

ADLINGTON FREE-RANGE OAT-FED BRONZE TURKEY CROWN (032 - 033) Weight from 3kg FROM

£57

BOOTHS FREE-RANGE BRONZE TURKEY CROWN (031) Weight 3kg to 3.5kg Serves 8 to 9

£62

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GRESSINGHAM BACON LATTICE TURKEY CROWN (040) Free-range turkey crown wrapped in bacon and stuffed with a pork, chestnut, apple and cranberry stuffing.

Weight 2kg Serves 4 to 5

ÂŁ47

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APPLE-FED COCKEREL CUSHION

After an autumn feasting on windfall apples, Adlington’s Cotswold White cockerels are hung for extra tenderness and flavour. Then they’re formed into this spectacular cushion that’s as easy to carve and eat as it is to cook.

An eye-catching, delicious alternative to a traditional roast bird.

ADLINGTON APPLE-FED COCKEREL CUSHION (057) Stuffed with sage and onion sausage meat, topped with dry cured bacon.

Weight 2.5kg Serves 6 to 8

£45

THREE-BIRD ROASTS FROM FURNESS

If you’re having trouble making your mind up, then maybe this Christmas it’s time for a multi-bird roast. Typically combining a highly-flavoured game bird with a juicy duck or goose, a layered roast means you get the best of all worlds.

And they’re fantastically simple to cook and carve too. These delicious roasts come from one of our longest-standing suppliers, Furness in Grange-over-Sands.

WHOLE BONELESS CHICKEN STUFFED WITH PARTRIDGE AND VENISON (047) Wrapped in bacon and stuffed with wild mushroom sausage meat. (Opposite) Weight 1.9kg | Serves 4 to 6

£25 WHOLE BONELESS DUCK STUFFED WITH PHEASANT AND TURKEY MEAT (049) Layered with an apple cider sausage meat.

Weight 2kg | Serves 4 to 6

£32 BONELESS DUCK, PHEASANT AND PARTRIDGE BREAST (076) With a pork and cranberry sausage meat stuffing.

Weight 2.8kg | Serves 6 to 8

£40 BONELESS PHEASANT, MALLARD AND PARTRIDGE BREAST (084) Wrapped in smoked bacon and stuffed with venison, apricot and brandy sausage meat stuffing.

Weight 1.6kg | Serves 4 to 6

£34 BONELESS PHEASANT, PARTRIDGE AND PIGEON BREAST (085) Wrapped in bacon and stuffed with a venison, cranberry and apple sausage meat stuffing.

Weight 1.6kg | Serves 4 to 6

£34 34

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THREE-BIRD ROASTS FROM ADLINGTON

Combining our favourite Christmas birds with traditional stuffings of apricot, sausage meat, sage and onion, these three-bird roasts from Adlington are deliciously different and make a stunning centrepiece for the most important meal of the year.

DUCK, TURKEY AND GUINEA FOWL ROAST (074) Layered with pork, apple and apricot sausage meat.

Weight 2.5kg | Serves 6 to 8

£50 DUCK, TURKEY AND GUINEA FOWL ROAST (075) Layered with sage and caramelised onion sausage meat.

Weight 2.5kg | Serves 6 to 8

£50 GOOSE, CHICKEN AND PHEASANT ROAST (077) Layered with sage and caramelised onion sausage meat. (Opposite) Weight 4.5kg | Serves 8 to 10

£85 TURKEY, DUCK AND PHEASANT ROAST (078) Layered with sage and caramelised onion sausage meat.

Weight 5.5kg | Serves 10 to 12

£90 TURKEY, DUCK AND PHEASANT ROAST (079) Layered with pork, apple and apricot sausage meat.

Weight 5.5kg | Serves 10 to 12

£90

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TRADITIONAL WHOLE GEESE FROM GRESSINGHAM

For centuries, a rich-tasting goose was the traditional Christmas treat. Today, it makes a wonderfully tasty alternative to turkey. The fat content not only keeps the bird juicy in the oven, we think it also makes the best roast potatoes you’ll ever taste. These Gressingham geese are grown free-range on farms in East Anglia, before being traditionally dry-plucked, which helps retain the juices for an even more succulent roast.

GRESSINGHAM WHOLE FREE-RANGE GOOSE (050 - 051) (Above) Weight from 5kg FROM £67 GRESSINGHAM PART-BONED WHOLE GOOSE (053) With pork, apricot and orange stuffing.

Weight 3kg to 3.5kg Serves 8 to 10

£62

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WHOLE APPLE-FED COCKERELS FROM ADLINGTON These Cotswold White cockerels have been fed on apples grown by an artisan toffee-apple maker, then game hung for extra tenderness and sweet-tasting flesh.

ADLINGTON WHOLE APPLE-FED COCKERELS (054 - 056) Weight from 3kg FROM

ÂŁ32

GOOSNARGH’S GORGEOUS GEESE REG JOHNSON OF JOHNSON AND SWARBRICK ON HIS FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS BIRD

Ducks, chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl… for decades, Reg Johnson has reared all kinds of poultry at Swainson House, the family farm that overlooks the lush fells of the Ribble Valley. But there’s no doubting the bird closest to his heart. “Geese are definitely my favourite. They’re comical characters,” says Reg. “And they’re clever – and communityminded. They stay in a circle, but the ones in the middle gradually get pushed out, so that each one takes a turn on the outside. I’ve always found them more interesting than any other bird.” The Christmas geese arrive in May as day-old goslings. “They’re big, floppy things, you have to nurse them.”

Reg’s position as the producer of some of Britain’s tastiest poultry came about after top local chef Paul Heathcote asked him to produce an English corn-fed chicken since, at the time, they all had to be imported from France. The famous chefs who have clamoured to dish up Goosnargh poultry ever since include Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White and Raymond Blanc. What makes Reg’s birds so tasty is that they’re slow-grown and raised on his own special feed mix, without growth promoters, antibiotics or other additives.

They are dry-plucked for a crispy skin and hung to deepen the flavour.

At this time of year, the goose is Reg’s favourite on the table as well as off. “Goose is the ultimate in Christmas food,” he declares. “Lovely and luscious, with a gorgeous texture and so easy to cook. Rib of beef is delicious, but you can get it any time – goose is only available now. And the fat makes the best roasties you’ve ever tasted.”

Unfortunately, his geese have now become so popular that even Reg can’t always get hold of one. “We missed out last year because we sold them all,” he says with a rueful shrug. “We had to make do with turkey!”

As the resident poultry expert, Reg is in charge of manning the stoves on Christmas Day. “There are usually about 12 of us,” he says. “We’ll start with something like scallops in cream, or prawn cocktail and a leek and potato soup.” With his goose (if he can get one) he dishes up Brussels sprouts (he likes them “boiled to death”), roast potatoes – “we’ve got ’em down to a tee with the goose fat” – parsnips and marrowfat peas. “We always have a Booths Christmas pud and custard, washed down with Champagne.” After lunch, Reg takes a well-earned nap. After all, tomorrow he’ll be hard at work back on the farm.

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JOHNSON AND SWARBRICK WHOLE FREE-RANGE GOOSNARGH GOOSE (052) Weight 4kg to 5kg Serves 7 to 8

£59

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REG’S ROASTIES It’s not surprising that we’ve got our roasties off to a tee. The secret is in the goose fat. First, peel and chop your potatoes, then parboil them just enough to soften them slightly. Drain off the water and shake them around in the pan to roughen the edges a bit. Meanwhile, heat up your goose fat in an oven dish till it’s smoking. Carefully put the potatoes in the hot fat and turn them so they’re properly covered. You should definitely wear an oven glove for this bit! Put the dish into the oven and cook at a high temperature until the roasties are crunchy and golden. And eat them straightaway - if you keep them hanging around, they’ll go soggy. There’s nothing worse than a soggy roastie.

BOOTHS DUCK FAT (136) Weight 320g

£3.69 BOOTHS GOOSE FAT (137) Weight 320g

£3.69

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JOHNSON AND SWARBRICK WHOLE CORN-FED GOOSNARGH DUCK (048) Weight 2.2kg Serves 6 to 8

£18

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JOHNSON AND SWARBRICK WHOLE CORN-FED GOOSNARGH GUINEA FOWL (081) Weight 1.2kg Serves 2

JOHNSON AND SWARBRICK WHOLE CORN-FED GOOSNARGH CHICKEN (046) Weight 2.5kg Serves 6 to 8

£14

£15

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WHY CHOOSE BOOTHS BEEF? We’re proud of our beef at Booths. It’s sourced from traditional Hereford herds, raised on natural grassland in Booths Country and prized internationally for flavour and succulence. This delicious meat is produced to our specifications and dry-aged for us locally for up to five weeks for maximum tenderness and taste. Then we butcher it ourselves at our own butchery in Preston, so we can ensure only the best cuts make it to our shelves.

BOOTHS 35 DAY DRY-AGED BEEF To ensure an intense beef flavour and tender, buttery meat, we dry-age our prime beef on the bone for a full five weeks. By then, it will have developed a dark colour and a taste so gamey and satisfying, it simply doesn’t need clever cooking.

35 DAY AGED BEEF BONE-IN FORERIB (072 - 073) Plenty of marbling throughout the meat gives a rib of beef a deep, rich flavour that can’t be surpassed.

Weight from 2kg FROM

£50

35 DAY AGED BEEF BONE-IN SIRLOIN (070) The best of both worlds, bone-in sirloin looks as dramatic as a rib of beef, while being leaner and more tender.

Weight 2kg to 2.5kg Serves 5 to 6

£60 35 DAY AGED BEEF ROLLED SIRLOIN (071) As tender and mouthwatering as the bone-in version but quicker and easier to cook and carve.

Weight 2kg to 2.5kg Serves 10 to 12

£65 46

BOOTHS EXTRA-MATURED BEEF FORERIB OF BEEF (061 - 062) Marbled throughout the meat for a rich, deep flavour and presented with the bone in for a dramatic centrepiece.

Weight from 2kg FROM

£45

BONED AND ROLLED FORERIB OF BEEF (063 - 064) Matured on the bone for depth of flavour, then rolled for easy cooking and carving.

Weight from 2kg FROM

£50

BONE-IN SIRLOIN (065) The aristocrat of beef cuts, with the bone in so it looks as good as it tastes.

Weight 2kg to 2.5kg Serves 5 to 6

£55 BONED AND ROLLED SIRLOIN (066) Tender, lean meat that melts in the mouth. Served without the bone for quick cooking and easy carving.

Weight 2kg to 2.5kg Serves 7 to 10

£60 TOPSIDE (058 - 059) This classic roasting joint is lean, tasty and a family favourite.

Weight from 1.8kg FROM

£30

RUMP (060) This cut responds beautifully to the ageing period, developing a deep, almost gamey flavour and dense texture.

Weight 2kg to 2.5kg Serves 8 to 10

£40 48

TRADITIONAL WHOLE BEEF FILLET (069) Weight 1.8kg to 2.3kg Serves 5 to 6

£100

HERB-CRUSTED FILLET OF BEEF WITH ROASTED WINTER ROOTS AND A RED WINE REDUCTION

This impressive-looking dish is actually really achievable and straightforward.

When you are dealing with a beautiful cut of beef, it needs only the simplest cooking.

Serves 4 Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 30–35 minutes Ingredients: 1.5kg fillet of beef 3 tbsp olive oil 50g mixed herbs such as mint, rosemary, flat leaf parsley and thyme 50g breadcrumbs 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 12 shallots, peeled 300g baby beetroot or turnips, halved 200g baby leeks 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, roughly chopped 400ml red wine 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly 1 Remove the beef from the fridge at least two hours before cooking to let it come to room temperature.

2 Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180C/gas mark 6. Season the beef with a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.

Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan and brown the beef all over. Set aside.

3 Place the herbs and breadcrumbs in a food processor and blitz until you have a fine herby breadcrumb mixture. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the work surface and spread the breadcrumb mixture over the paper.

beetroot, turnips and baby leeks and scatter over the fresh thyme. Drizzle with the remaining oil and then roast for 25–30 minutes until medium-rare or 5–8 minutes longer if you prefer your beef well-done.

5 Meanwhile, heat the frying pan you have just cooked the beef in and pour in the red wine and redcurrant jelly.

Simmer for 15 minutes until reduced and sticky.

6 Remove the beef from the roasting tin onto a carving board and leave to rest before slicing. Serve with the roasted vegetables and the red wine sauce.

4 Spread the Dijon mustard all over the beef fillet, then roll in the herb and breadcrumb mixture until the beef is coated. Place the beef in a roasting tin along with the shallots,

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BRUSSELS SPROUTS? “THEY’RE A LITTLE BIT MISUNDERSTOOD” ALAN AND KATHRYN BUCK OF RIBBLE VIEW FARM

The Bucks have farmed the land around Ribble View Farm for over a century, raising cauliflowers, cabbages and kale on the rich black soil of Hesketh Bank. But sprouts have always been Alan’s pick of the crop, so no wonder he’s rather protective of the quintessential Christmas vegetable.

This will be the fourth Christmas that Alan and Kathryn have supplied Booths with Brussels sprouts. The preparations start in May, when 50 acres of sprouts are planted – about a third of the farm’s total acreage. Harvesting in December can mean 14hour days cutting stalks in the teeth of the salty winds blowing in from the Irish Sea. Fortunately, Alan is used to it. “I left school at 14 to go out picking sprouts all winter, under my dad’s watch,” he chuckles. “For 17 years, I spent all winter in waders, with my backside above my head.”

Meanwhile, Kathryn is preparing the orders which come thick and fast – it’s estimated that up to 80 per cent of total British sprouts sales take place in the festive fortnight.

Come Christmas Eve, though, the last sprout has been picked and packed, and it’s time for the Bucks to start their own Christmas festivities. “Christmas is always a great big family gathering,” says Kathryn. “And it’s even more of a celebration for us, because our younger son was born on Boxing Day, so that’s another party.” On Christmas Day, four generations of the family gather round the festive table for a huge spread that starts with prawn cocktail and melon and goes on to roast beef and Yorkshire pudding as well as roast turkey, finishing with Christmas pudding, cheese and biscuits, all washed down with Booths port. Not forgetting a huge heap of fresh sprouts, of course. “It just wouldn’t be Christmas without them,” says Alan. We feel the same way.

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ALAN’S SECRET FOR PERFECT SPROUTS FOR YOUR DINNER TABLE

“People who say they don’t like sprouts have probably never eaten them properly cooked,” says Alan. “They taste horrible if they’re boiled to a mush. Sprouts don’t need more than 10 minutes boiling – they should still be firm. I like to parboil them and finish them off with a bit of garlic and onion. The important thing is to change the water after five minutes’ boiling.

That way, any nitrogen in the sprouts will go down the sink - rather than into your stomach.”

BOOTHS FRUIT AND VEGETABLE BOXES

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Our mixed fruit and vegetable boxes are bursting with all the fresh produce you need for the family Christmas dinner. We’ve got boxes to suit everyone, from traditional fruit and vegetables to unusual heritage varieties. And we’re really proud of our new range of beautifully-presented great value fruit boxes, including mixed berries, a citrus box and a delicious assortment of several varieties of tree-ripened apples and pears.

THE STANDARD VEGETABLE BOX (118) Carrots, King Edward potatoes, parsnips, sprouts, brown onions, large garlic, cauliflower, cranberries, broccoli and red cabbage.

Serves 6 to 8

£16

• G R E AT N O RTH E R N VA LU E • FROM BOOTHS

£28

THE LARGE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE BOX Every year, this great value box of fresh produce is one of our best-sellers. Our locally grown sprouts, carrots and onions paired with the finest garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, Bramley apples, lemons, cranberries and clementines make the perfect Christmas dinner. Not to forget the 4kg of Lincolnshire King Edward potatoes - so there’s plenty of roasties to go around.

THE L ARGE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE BOX (119) | SERVES 8 TO 10

• G R E AT N O RTH E R N VA LU E • FROM BOOTHS

£35

THE HERITAGE VEGETABLE BOX From Roscoff pink onions and sweet Red Darling sprouts to peppery Golden Ball turnips and bright green Romanesco cauliflower, this selection of heritage vegetables is sure to be a talking point at the table. We’ve also crammed in some rose garlic, sand-grown French carrots, parsley root as a deliciously nutty alternative to parsnips, and Miss Blush potatoes, a red and white skinned variety with a buttery flesh that roasts up beautifully.

THE HERITAGE VEGETABLE BOX (121) | SERVES 6 TO 8

THE PREPARED VEGETABLE BOX FROM BOOTHS

£20 All the veggies you need for the festive feast, carefully prepared just the way you’d do it yourself if only you had the time. Our potatoes are peeled and rolled in duck fat and rosemary, our mash has been made with butter and black pepper, our baton carrots are swimming in a delicious caramelised orange glaze. We’ve also put in cabbage mixed with beetroot, onion and thyme, some tasty parsnips and some simple buttered Brussels sprouts. Just heat, serve and relax.

THE PREPARED VEGETABLE BOX (122) | SERVES 6 TO 8 57

BOOTHS PREMIUM GARNISH SELECTION (110) Serves 8

ÂŁ25

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A collection of your favourite accompaniments to sit perfectly with any Christmas dinner.

With so much to choose from, there’ll be plenty to go round. This selection includes chestnut smoked streaky bacon, pork, caramelised onion & thyme stuffing balls wrapped in drycured streaky bacon, Lakeland pigs in blankets, premium pork cocktail sausages and chestnut and pork stuffing loaf and pork, apricot & rosemary parcels.

Top row: TRUEFOODS BREAD SAUCE (134) Weight 250g

TRUEFOODS TURKEY GRAVY (133) Weight 250g

£2.50

£2.50

TRUEFOODS CRANBERRY SAUCE (135) Weight 250g

Middle row:

Bottom row:

BOOTHS SAUCES FOR MEAT (138) 3 jars of sauces ideal for serving alongside your roasts.

1x horseradish, 1x apple, 1x cranberry.

3 pack

BOOTHS SAUCES FOR FISH (139) 3 classic jars of sauces perfect for pairing with fish.

1x tartare, 1x hollandaise, 1x seafood.

3 pack

£4.49

£4.49

£2.50 59

CONVENIENTLY PREPARED VEGETABLES

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH CHESTNUTS, SAGE AND RED ONION (123) Weight 200g Serves 2

With so much to do on Christmas Day, we can all do with a bit of help with the vegetables.

BRAISED RED CABBAGE (124) With Bramley apples slowly braised in a red wine and redcurrant jelly.

Weight 250g Serves 2

Choose from the COOK!’s frozen prepared range or Forman’s fresh take on old favourites.

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£2.50

£2.25

HONEY-GLAZED CARROTS WITH THYME (125) Weight 230g Serves 2

£2.25

FORMAN’S CAULIFLOWER CHEESE (131) (Left) Weight 1kg Serves 4

£12 FORMAN’S BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH PANCETTA (132) (Below left) Weight 500g Serves 4

£8 FORMAN’S POTATO DAUPHINOISE (130) (Below right) Weight 1kg Serves 4

£8

LAYERED VEGETABLE TERRINE FROM FORMAN’S

£45 As gorgeous to eat as it is to look at, this vegetarian terrine is composed of layers of sliced cooked mushroom, aubergine, courgette and spinach interspersed with asparagus spears, then drizzled in truffle oil and wrapped in leeks. Simply slice, serve and enjoy.

L AYERED VEGETABLE TERRINE (112) | WEIGHT 1. 5KG | SERVES 6 TO 8 62

VEGETARIAN ALTERNATIVES Not everyone wants to stuff themselves with turkey on Christmas Day. If you don’t eat meat, or you simply fancy something lighter, here are some delicious vegetarian alternatives that everyone will want to try.

FORMAN’S VEGGIE SHEPHERDS PIE (111) Weight 450g Serves 1

£4.50

COOK! NUT LOAF (113) A blended loaf of toasted nuts, Madeira soaked apricots, mushrooms and herbs topped with red onion marmalade.

Weight 590g Serves 3

£4.99

COOK! MUSHROOM RISOTTO (116) Arborio rice with porcini, cup and chestnut mushrooms topped with a knob of lemon and sage butter.

Weight 340g Serves 1

£3.99

COOK! GOAT’S CHEESE AND MUSHROOM FILO PARCEL (114) With cranberries and truffle oil.

Weight 500g Serves 2

£11.95

COOK! ROAST VEGETABLE AND CHICKPEA CURRY (115) Oven roasted peppers and carrots with cauliflower, spinach and toasted cumin seeds in a chickpea and lentil sauce.

Weight 320g Serves 1

£2.99

COOK! INDONESIAN CURRY (117) An Indonesian yellow curry sauce with oven roasted vegetables, green beans and toasted cashew nuts.

Weight 270g Serves 1

£3.50

GLUTEN FREE WINTER VEGETABLE AND FETA TART This delicious vegetarian tart makes a spectacular alternative to the classic Christmas main course.

Instead of a traditional pastry, the base is made from a combination of cauliflower, eggs and ground almonds.

Serves 4 Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 40 minutes For the base: 1 large cauliflower, broken into florets, about 750g prepared weight 100g ground almonds 2 eggs, beaten For the topping: 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into wedges, about 750g prepared weight 2 red onions, cut into wedges 1 large red chilli, roughly chopped Small bunch fresh sage, roughly chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp passata 200g feta cheese, crumbled Small bunch fresh mint, roughly chopped 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6. Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor and blitz until coarsley chopped (you might need to do this in two batches). Place in a large bowl and cover with cling film and cook in a microwave on high for four minutes. Tip into a clean tea towel and squeeze out excess liquid. Tip back into a bowl and mix with the ground almonds, eggs and seasoning.

2 Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Tip the cauliflower mixture into the centre of the tray and press into a 30cm round to make the tart base - making it thicker at the edges to make a crust. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp at the edges.

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3 Meanwhile toss the butternut squash wedges with the red onion, chilli, sage and olive oil and spread out on another large baking tray and roast alongside the cauliflower for 15 minutes until starting to turn golden and tender.

4 Spoon the passata over the cauliflower base, then top with the squash and onion and finally scatter over the feta. Roast for a further 12–15 minutes until the vegetables and feta are golden and the base is crusty. Serve scattered with fresh mint and serve cut into wedges.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS FROM BOOTHS FROM

£6.49

Christmas dinner isn’t over till the pudding is aflame. Our extra-fruity Christmas puds come in sizes to suit any gathering. Or for a wickedly luxurious option, try our rather boozy Brandy, Port and Walnut pudding.

BOOTHS E X TR A FRUIT Y CHRISTMAS PUDDING (304 - 305) | WEIGHT 454G OR 907G BOOTHS BR ANDY, PORT & WALNUT CHRISTMAS PUDDING (306) | WEIGHT 908G 66

INDULGENT ALTERNATIVES BOOTHS BELGIAN CHOCOLATE SPONGE PUDDING (307) This chocolate sponge is an enticing alternative to the traditional fruity Christmas pudding. This light and fluffy sponge is topped with a Belgian ganache.

Weight 300g Serves 3 to 4

£3.69

BOOTHS SALTED CARAMEL SPONGE PUDDING (308) This light sponge is finished off with a sticky salted caramel sauce.

Weight 300g Serves 3 to 4

£3.69

OKEMOOR CHRISTMAS CAKE CHEESECAKE (170) Serves 12

£25

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BOOTHS MULLED WINE AND WINTER BERRY TRIFLE (177) (Top) Weight 650g Serves 10

£6.50

BOOTHS TIRAMISU (175) (Middle left) Weight 460g Serves 6

£5

BOOTHS SHERRY TRIFLE (176) (Middle right) Weight 600g Serves 6

£5

BOOTHS PEANUT BUTTER MILLIONAIRE DESSERT (173) (Bottom) Weight 500g Serves 6

£6

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FRUITY PUDDINGS Add a little zest to your dessert course with our mouthwatering range of fresh fruit puddings.

Dig in to a sinfully creamy raspberry, vanilla and cranberry terrine, or cut yourself a slice of tangy tarte au citron in buttery pastry.

BOOTHS WHITE CHOCOLATE AND SICILIAN LEMON MOUSSE (178) Weight 425g Serves 6

£5

OKEMOOR TARTE AU CITRON (172) Serves 12

£25

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DIDIER’S RASPBERRY, VANILLA AND CRANBERRY PANNA COTTA TERRINE (179) Weight 660g Serves 6

£12

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FORMAN’S PANETTONE AND BUTTER PUDDING WITH MARSALA (180) Weight 900g Serves 8

£15

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LATHAMS RASPBERRY PAVLOVA (190) An indulgent raspberry pavlova, hand-made in the heart of Lancashire.

Weight 620g Serves 6

£8.50

OKEMOOR CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE CHEESECAKE (171) Belgian chocolate and Mandarin orange cheesecake with a biscuit base.

Serves 12

£25 73

LATHAMS CHOCOLATE PROFITEROLES (189) 36 pack

£11

TRADITIONAL FAVOURITES FROM LATHAMS 74

LATHAMS CHOCOLATE FUDGE GÂTEAU (191) Weight 1.12kg Serves 12

£9.95

LATHAMS LEMON AND GINGER CRUNCH (192) Weight 870g Serves 8

£8.75

LATHAMS STRAWBERRY AND CHAMPAGNE CHEESECAKE (193) Weight 790g Serves 8

£9

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BOOTHS READY TO EAT FRESH FRUIT SALAD (129) Kiwis, strawberries, melon balls, pineapple chunks, red grapes, oranges and a separate pot of raspberry coulis.

Weight 1.2kg Serves 6 to 8

ÂŁ12 76

• G R E AT N O RTH E R N VA LU E • FROM BOOTHS

£10

THE MIXED BERRY BOX A scattering of bright berries instantly turns breakfast porridge into a treat, adds a finishing touch to any dessert, and is the perfect light sweet treat to nibble on when you feel you’ve overindulged – cream and sugar optional. Our brand new great value Christmas mixed berry box is overflowing with raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, so you’ve always got them on hand.

THE MIXED BERRY BOX (128) | WEIGHT 700G | SERVES 6 TO 8

WHY CHOOSE CHEESE FROM BOOTHS? We’re proud to offer over 100 of the world’s finest cheeses, from the cream of French fromages to the great territorial artisan cheeses from the North West counties where we have our stores.

Whatever it is you’re looking for, come in store for a taste, and let our cheesemongers put together a selection that’s guaranteed to finish off a delicious meal in fine style.

CHRISTMAS SHOWSTOPPERS Clockwise from top: CLASSIC CROPWELL BISHOP BLUE STILTON HALF RING (200) Weight 600g

£11 GODMINSTER VINTAGE ORGANIC CHEDDAR (203) Weight 1kg

£20 BRILLIAT-SAVARIN WITH TRUFFLES (201) Weight 500g

£19 SANDHAMS TRADITIONAL LANCASHIRE WRAPPED IN CLOTH (202) Weight 1kg

£12 QUICKES MATURE CHEDDAR TRUCKLE (204) Weight 550g

£18

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PARTY FAVOURITES If you’re planning a party, these well-loved cheeses are sure to earn their place on any buffet table.

Left:

Right:

WHOLE NORMANDY BRIE (199) Weight 1kg

QUICKES OAK SMOKED CHEDDAR (207) Weight 1.5kg

£14

£25

DEWLAY GARSTANG BLUE HALF MOON (197) Weight 750g

QUICKES TRADITIONAL RED LEICESTER (205) Weight 1.5kg

£12

£25

WHOLE DEWLAY GARSTANG SOFT WHITE (198) Weight 1kg

QUICKES TRADITIONAL DOUBLE GLOUCESTER (206) Weight 1.5kg

£15

£25

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CHEESE BOXES Whatever style of cheese you prefer, our cheesemongers have done the hard work for you.

Each one of our carefully chosen cheese boxes makes a perfectly balanced cheese board.

CLASSIC FOUR-PIECE CHEESEBOARD SELECTION (210) Montgomerys Cheddar, Le Rustique Brie, Cropwell Bishop Shropshire Blue, Wensleydale Creamery with Cranberries.

Weight 810g

£20

AWARD-WINNERS FIVE-PIECE CHEESEBOARD SELECTION (212) Montgomerys Cheddar, Brie de Meaux, Cropwell Bishop Blue Shropshire, Rosary Ash Goat’s Button, Le Cret Gruyère.

Weight 890g

£29

BEST OF REGION FOUR-PIECE CHEESEBOARD SELECTION (213) Booths Special Reserve Tasty Lancashire, Garstang White, Blacksticks Blue, Ribblesdale Mature Goat.

Weight 770g

£20

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ALL BRITISH FIVE-PIECE CHEESEBOARD SELECTION (211) Barbers 1833 Cheddar, Colston Bassett Blue Stilton, Cornish Yarg, Rosary Ash, Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire.

Weight 900g

£25

BOOTHS SET OF CHUTNEYS FOR CHEESE (140) 3 jars of chutney to serve with cheese.

1x Christmas chutney 1x Lancashire cheese relish 1x Red onion, cranberry and blood orange relish.

£4.49

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BOOTHS CHOCOLATE, FRUIT AND NUT SELECTION (216) A mixed selection of yoghurt and white chocolate coated cranberries, milk chocolate coated almonds, Brazil nuts and cashews nuts.

(Top left) Weight 320g

£8 82

BOOTHS FRUIT AND NUT SELECTION (215) A mixed selection of apricots, cranberries, raisins, almonds and roasted hazelnuts.

(Top right) Weight 300g

£6.50

BOOTHS CHRISTMAS NUT BASKET (214) A mixed basket of in-shell hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, Brazil and pecan nuts, complete with nutcracker.

(Bottom) Weight 550g

£7

• G R E AT N O RTH E R N VA LU E • FROM BOOTHS

£8

THE TREE RIPENED APPLE AND PEAR BOX Carefully packed and nestled, you’ll find a selection of our favourite British grown apples and pears, which have been allowed to ripen on the tree for the best flavour. This box contains Royal Gala, Opal, Cox’s and nutty-tasting Egremont Russet apples, alongside Concorde, Comice and Conference pears. Perfect for pairing with cheese and nuts.

THE TREE RIPENED APPLE AND PEAR BOX (126) | WEIGHT 2.2KG | SERVES 4 TO 6

THE CREAM OF THE COUNTY DAVID HARTLEY WENSLEYDALE CREAMERY

You couldn’t think of a famous food more closely associated with its surroundings than Wensleydale cheese. It’s been made in dairies around the waterfalls, limestone crags and lush fields of this Yorkshire dale for almost 1000 years, and its history is indivisible from that of its surroundings.

The story of Wensleydale began when Cistercian monks arrived in the 12th century from the Roquefort region of France, bringing with them the art of cheese-making, though their recipe was closer to Roquefort than to the Wensleydale we know today, being blue and made from sheep’s milk. After the dissolution of the monasteries, it was the local farmers who took over making the cheese, adapting the recipe to use cow’s milk instead of sheep. Grazing on the limestone pastures, they produced milk with a characteristic grassy flavour, and the area’s fame as a centre of dairy excellence began to spread. It’s said that the Buttertubs, the 20m deep limestone potholes that abut the road from Simonstone towards Thwaite, are so named because they were used as cold storage for the local farmers’ butter.

Wensleydale was not produced commercially until 1897, when Edward Chapman, a corn merchant from Hawes, grew dissatisfied with the variable quality of the farmhouse cheeses he bought for his customers. Instead, he decided to buy the milk, and make the cheese himself, opening a creamery in a former woollen mill in his home town. For decades the dairy provided stability for local farmers, who could be certain of a customer for their milk.

But in the 1930s, difficult trading conditions left it facing closure. The advent of the Milk Marketing Board in 1933, proved another threat to the survival of the ancient cheese when farmers were offered contracts to take Dales milk away from the area.

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Enter local businessman Kit Calvert. The son of a quarryman, he was a charismatic figure who spoke the North Riding dialect and always carried three pipes in his waistcoat pocket, lighting them by turn. Calvert recognised the need to keep the dairy production in Hawes as an important employer in the area. Rallying support from local farmers, he persuaded them to refuse the contracts and raised enough capital to rescue the dairy. “He fought to keep the dairy here at Hawes,” says David Hartley, MD of the Wensleydale Creamery. “If he hadn’t done that, then Wensleydale would have come to an end.”

But the march of history had by no means finished with Wensleydale. During the Second World War, it underwent another change when production had to speed up to meet demand. A new style of Wensleydale developed, containing more starter, making it higher in moisture and faster to mature – in short, the crumbly, light-coloured cheese that is most familiar today. The old-style Wensleydale, which is still made by the dairy and named after Kit Calvert, takes months to mature and has a texture that is more buttery than crumbly, with complex citrus flavours.

By the time Calvert sold his dairy to the Milk Marketing Board in the mid-1960s, he could be forgiven for thinking the future of Wensleydale was secure. But the creamery changed hands and was closed down in 1992, with the loss of all 59 jobs. Production of Wensleydale was to be transferred to Lancashire. The closure of Hawes’ largest employer had a devastating effect – over half of the children at the local primary school were directly affected. Fortunately, the next saviour of the cheese was already working at the Creamery – David Hartley himself. Then the Creamery’s production manager, David had worked on farms and in dairies since the day he left school at 16. For him, keeping the dairy going was not just of vital importance to the community: it was also about keeping Wensleydale where it belonged; in Yorkshire! Getting together with three colleagues and a local businessman, he led a management buyout. Today, the Creamery remains an important employer, and sources its milk from 45 local farms.

In 2013, the crumbly delicacy finally won its campaign for Protected Geographical Indication status. A recognition of its local importance that many of us feel is about 900 years overdue.

WENSLEYDALE KIT CALVERT (208) Weight 1kg to 1.2kg

£16

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Boxing Day is a time to unwind, to relax with family and friends.

It’s for blowy country walks, for cosying up in front of the big film and working together on the new Lego model. Nobody wants to be stuck in the kitchen, but, miraculously everyone still has an appetite.

Go for simple, hearty crowd-pleasing recipes: a good old-fashioned, golden-crusted meat pie, a rich stew, a joint of outdoor-bred pork with the crispiest crackling, a Yorkshire ham, or, if you can’t make your mind up, just set up a buffet table with all of them.

IN THIS SECTION

GAMMON PORK HAM HERDWICK MUTTON & LAMB LUXURY READY MEALS PIES

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BOXING DAY

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CHRISTMAS GAMMONS As our grandmothers knew, a gammon joint isn’t just decorative, it’s also a clever way to save both time and money at Christmas. Poached and glazed in advance, to a favourite family recipe, a gammon joint will continue to bring festive cheer to the table long after the big day is over.

Once they’re cooked, our gammon joints are equally delicious eaten either hot or cold. And they’re so easy for the family to carve for themselves when they fancy a little something to nibble on.

RIBBLETON DRY-CURED UNSMOKED WHOLE BONELESS GAMMON (099) Weight 3.5kg Serves 12 to 14

£35

RIBBLETON DRY-CURED SMOKED WHOLE BONELESS GAMMON (100) Weight 3.5kg Serves 12 to 14

RICHARD WOODHALL GAMMON JOINT (098) Richard Woodall Traditional Unsmoked Gammon Joint topped with chestnut smoked bacon & marmalade drizzle.

(Below) Weight 1.4kg Serves 4 to 5

£22

£35

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BOOTHS PORK

BONELESS PORK LOIN WITH STUFFING (095) Booths outdoor-bred boneless pork loin with sage and onion stuffing.

Weight 2.5kg to 3kg | Serves 10 to 12

£27 FRENCH TRIM RACK OF PORK LOIN (096) Booths outdoor-bred eight rib French trim rack of pork loin with added sea salt for crispy crackling.

Weight 2kg to 2.5kg | Serves 8 to 10

£27 OUTDOOR BRED BONELESS PORK LEG (097) Booths outdoor-bred whole boned and rolled leg of pork.

Weight 3kg to 4kg | Serves 12 to 14

£35 92

PULLED PORK WITH FENNEL AND MUSTARD AND QUICK CRUNCHY COLESLAW

The combination of the crunchy crackling, tender meat and sweet, spicy marinade make this pulled pork dish a moreish alternative to a traditional roast.

Serves 8 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 6–8 hours 3kg outdoor bred boneless pork leg, skin finely scored 100g dark Muscovado sugar 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tbsp fennel seeds 5cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped 2 tbsp dried mustard powder 2 tbsp groundnut oil 1 tsp sea salt 500ml dark ale For the coleslaw 1 large fennel, shredded finely 15g fresh dill, finely chopped 1 small red cabbage, finely shredded 2 carrots, finely shredded or grated Juice 2 lemons 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 Pat the pork dry with kitchen paper and place in an extra large roasting tin. Place the sugar, wholegrain mustard, garlic, fennel, ginger, mustard powder and groundnut oil in a bowl and mix together well to make a paste. Spread this all over the pork rubbing in well and then cover with cling film and set aside for about two hours or overnight, if you have time.

2 Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/Gas mark 7. Season the pork with sea salt and cook for 30 minutes, then pour the ale around the pork. Cover the pork with foil and turn the heat down to 120°C/fan 100°C/gas mark 1 and cook really slowly for six hours, basting now and again topping up with water or more ale to stop the base of the tin drying out.

3 Whilst the pork is cooking prepare the coleslaw by simply tossing all the vegetables and herbs together and mixing well. Whisk the lemon juice, Dijon mustard and oil in a bowl and then pour over and season with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper to taste.

4 Half an hour before the pork is ready, remove the foil and turn the heat up to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas mark 7 and cook for 30 minutes to crisp the skin. The meat should be succulent and falling apart at this stage. Remove from the oven and rest for at least 20 minutes, then pull the meat apart and mix with the juices in the bottom of the roasting tin. Serve in buns with the coleslaw and pickles.

93

BOOTHS DOUBLE ROASTED HAM (245) Roasted twice, this delicious ham is crispy on the outside and beautifully tender on the inside.

Weight 2.5kg Serves 10 to 12

ÂŁ32

Top left:

Bottom left:

Top right:

Bottom right:

BOOTHS ITALIAN HERB COATED ROAST HAM (244) Weight 2.5kg Serves 10 to 12

HAM HOCK AND PARSLEY TERRINE (249) A classic pressed ham terrine made in Forman’s kitchen with dry cured ham from freerange pigs, fresh parsley and a delicious ham stock jelly.

Weight 300g Serves 4

COOKED YORKSHIRE GAMMON HAM (246) Weight 2.5kg Serves 10 to 12

COOKED ROAST TOPSIDE OF BEEF (247) Weight 1.5kg Serves 6 to 8

£32

£32

£22

£10

95

HERDWICK MUTTON AND LAMB We’re proud to be the only major retailer to stock Herdwick mutton.

These rare-breed sheep roam free over the high Cumbrian fells, nibbling on heather, herbs and grasses, which gives their meat a rich, herby flavour and delicate texture.

This ancient breed is best cooked as it was reared - slowly. Try roasting it in a low oven studded with spikes of rosemary and garlic or simmer gently in a rich stew till the meat falls off the bone.

HERDWICK HAUNCH OF MUTTON (107) 10 day dry-aged Cumbrian Herdwick mutton leg.

Weight 2kg to 2.5kg Serves 6 to 8

£33 STUFFED HERDWICK MUTTON SADDLE (108) 10 day dry-aged Cumbrian Herdwick saddle of mutton with cranberry stuffing.

Weight 1.2kg to 1.8kg Serves 4 to 6

£35 LAMB SADDLE WITH CRANBERRY STUFFING (109) 10 day dry-aged Cumbrian Herdwick boneless saddle of lamb with cranberry stuffing. (Opposite) Weight 1.2kg to 1.8kg Serves 4 to 6

£35

96

FORMAN’S LARGE STEAK PIE (243) Lake District beef with carrots, rosemary and onions in red wine and veal stock encased in crispy puff pastry.

Serves 8 to 10

£45

FORMAN’S BEEF BOURGUIGNON (261) A French classic, English style.

Fantastic beef from Lake District farmers, with baby onions and button mushrooms in a rich red wine sauce.

Weight 1.5kg Serves 6 to 8

£28

98

FORMAN’S POTTED LOBSTER (155) Made with our finest fresh lobster in seasoned butter.

Serve at room temperature so the butter melts into your bread or toast.

Weight 225g Serves 3 to 5

£16

FORMAN’S GOURMET FISH PIE FILLING (158) This fantastic fish pie filling contains Dover sole, large mussels, tiger prawns, Scottish salmon and smoked haddock.

Simply top with creamy mashed potato and bake.

Size 1.5ltr Serves 6 to 8

£30

99

100

LARGE FAMILY PIES FROM OKEMOOR

Sometimes the simplest treats make the most satisfying feasts.

Like a slice or two of golden-crusted pie. Our generous hand-made pies are big enough for the whole family to share - and come back for seconds.

STEAK AND STILTON PIE (239) Weight 1.45kg | Serves 8

£27

STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE (237) Weight 1.45kg | Serves 8

£27

STEAK AND ALE PIE (234) Weight 1.45kg | Serves 8

LARGE STEAK AND ALE PIE (241) Weight 2.25kg | Serves 12 ( left)

CHICKEN AND LEEK PIE (236) Weight 1.45kg | Serves 8

SPINACH AND FETA IN FILO PASTRY (238) Weight 1.45kg | Serves 8 ( below)

CHICKEN AND HAM PIE (235) Weight 1.9kg | Serves 8

LARGE CHICKEN AND HAM PIE (242) Weight 2.25kg | Serves 12

£27

£27

£27

ARMENIAN LAMB IN FILO PASTRY (240) Weight 1.45kg | Serves 8

£27

£33

£27

£33

PORK AND GAME PIES FROM TOPPINGS

It’s been 25 years since Maggie Topping first started selling her tasty, home-made pies from the family’s butcher shop. Made to traditional recipes, some dating back to Victorian and even Tudor times, they proved an instant hit. They may be multi-award winning and internationally famous today, but Maggie’s pies are still handmade, with quality ingredients and the best locally-sourced, farm-assured pork. From large traditional gala pies to fillings of game or apricot and poultry, we’re sure you’ll find your own family favourite.

YORKSHIRE FARMERS MEDIUM PORK, CHICKEN AND HAM PIE (222) Weight 1.1kg | Serves 8

MEDIUM GAME AND POULTRY PORK PIE (223) Weight 1.1kg | Serves 8

MEDIUM HUNTSMAN PORK PIE (221) Weight 1.1kg | Serves 8

MEDIUM SCRUMPY, PORK, TURKEY AND CIDER RELISH PORK PIE (220) Weight 1.1kg | Serves 8

MEDIUM TRADITIONAL PORK PIE (219) Weight 920g | Serves 8

LARGE TRADITIONAL PORK PIE (218) Weight 2.2kg | Serves 16 to 18

MEDIUM APRICOT AND POULTRY PORK PIE (224) Weight 1.2kg | Serves 8

LARGE PORK AND EGG GALA PIE (217) Weight 2.7kg | Serves 12

£13

£13

£10

£18

£18

£13

£25

£20

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Tonight is the night to treat your guests to a dinner party menu of elegant gourmet delights. A heap of sweet langoustines or platefuls of hand-dived scallops make a light and luxurious starter. For the pièce de résistance, a rich beef Wellington, a haunch of venison, some local game or a delicately flavoured salt-baked sea bass will effortlessly impress. Polish the glasses, put the Champagne on ice and get your glad rags on. It’s going to be a wonderful 2016.

IN THIS SECTION

LUXURY SEAFOOD SALMON EN CROUTE BEEF WELLINGTON CHATEAUBRIAND VENISON AND WILD BOAR GAME VEAL

104

NEW YEAR’S EVE

105

FORMAN’S SALT-BAKED SEA BASS KIT WITH LEMON & HERBS (161) Serves 2

£18

LOBSTER THERMIDOR FROM FORMAN’S

£30 Our delicious Lobster Thermidor makes an indulgent and impressive main dish.

Fresh Scottish lobster is mixed into a rich Mornay sauce of cream, cheese and butter.

A spoonful of Dijon mustard, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a splash of local beer add an earthy kick. Then it’s topped with cheese and fresh parsley.

Just bake it in the oven till the cheese melts, and serve with a crisp green salad.

FORMAN’S LOBSTER THERMIDOR (156) | 2 HALVES | SERVES 2 107

FORMAN’S POACHED SALMON SIDE (153) Simple and elegant, our whole poached salmon has been perfectly cooked and is ready to serve. The perfect adornment to the buffet table.

Weight 1.1kg Serves 8 to 10

£25

108

ISLE OF MULL HAND-DIVED SCALLOPS (162) Our sweet, plump king scallops are lifted from the sea bed of the Inner Hebrides by hand.

Weight 1kg Serves 6 to 8

£50

• G R E AT N O RTH E R N VA LU E • FROM BOOTHS

£20

A KILO OF LANGOUSTINES A platter of langoustines makes a fabulously festive centrepiece for a sophisticated buffet or dinner party. Sold frozen for maximum freshness, this great value kilo of shellfish makes an elegant and easy starter, served with a home-made mayonnaise or simply heated and tossed in a garlicky butter.

WHOLE TAIL L ANGOUSTINES (166) | WEIGHT 1KG | SERVES 4 TO 6

SALMON EN CROÛTE FROM FORMAN’S

£35 It’s a dinner party classic with a difference – all the hard work has been done for you. This salmon en croûte from Forman’s has been made from the finest Scottish salmon fillets, wrapped up in a herb-crusted filo pastry.

Just bake, serve and accept the compliments.

FORMAN’S SALMON EN CROÛTE (151) | WEIGHT 1KG | SERVES 8 TO 10 110

BOOTHS BEEF WELLINGTON (068) Prime British beef fillet, with mushroom duxelles and chicken liver pâté wrapped in puff pastry.

Weight 1.2kg Serves 4 to 6

£50

BOOTHS BEEF CHATEAUBRIAND (067) British beef fillet with a garlic and chive butter and topped with fresh bay leaves.

Weight 500g Serves 2 to 3

£25

111

VENISON AND WILD BOAR FROM HOLME FARM

The dish of kings, venison has been the traditional centrepiece for New Year feasts for centuries. A lean, dense meat, it has a rich flavour which marries beautifully with sweet accompaniments including red cabbage, roasted apples and pears and fruity sauces like cranberry and redcurrant. Our venison comes from a herd of native red deer reared on natural parkland by Nigel Sampson of Holme Farm in North Yorkshire.

Nigel also supplies our British wild boar haunch joints. This equally traditional meat tastes like a rare-breed pork with a more intense flavour. He recommends cooking it slowly to keep it moist and bring out its natural sweetness.

WILD BOAR HAUNCH JOINT (094) Boned and rolled joint cut from the haunch. (Opposite) Weight 1.5kg Serves 6 to 8

£45

HOLME FARM BONELESS VENISON LOIN JOINT (088) Weight 500g Serves 2

£20

HOLME FARM BONELESS VENISON HAUNCH ROASTING JOINT (089 & 092) Weight from 1kg FROM £25 HOLME FARM FRENCH TRIM VENISON RACK (091) 8 rib rack of venison cut from the saddle. (Left) Weight 800g Serves 6 to 8

£40

STUFFED LAKELAND VENISON HAUNCH FROM FURNESS (090) Weight 1kg Serves 3 to 4

£30

112

113

THE VENISON BOX FROM FURNESS

£45 Fans of this flavoursome, healthy meat need look no further than Furness’ mixed venison box. Our great-value box contains a haunch joint, four loin medallions for a fuss-free family supper, diced venison for a hearty stew and venison and cranberry sausage meat.

THE VENISON BOX (093) | WEIGHT 2.3KG | SERVES 4 TO 6 114

• G R E AT N O RTH E R N VA LU E • FROM BOOTHS

£40

THE GAME BOX FROM FURNESS

There’s nothing more comforting than returning from a chilly walk to the rich aroma of roast pheasant or a game pie baking in the oven. Furness’s game box is crammed with wild game from estates in Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire. It includes a brace of plucked partridge and a brace of pheasant, four pheasant breasts which can be fried for a quick and luxurious supper, game mix for making a pie or stew, and tasty venison and apricot sausage meat for stuffings.

THE GAME BOX (086) | WEIGHT 2.5KG | SERVES 6 TO 8

MIXED GAME ROASTS READY TO COOK

Guests to impress but you’ve run out of ideas?

Those nice folk at Furness have the solution, with these stylish multi-game roasts. Already deboned, layered, stuffed and trussed, they just need the simplest of accompaniments.

If you’ve more mouths to feed, why not try our three-meat roast? A stunning combination of Herdwick mutton, wild Cumbrian venison and aged beef sirloin, butchered and rolled by us, it’s simply the best of Booths Country on a plate.

VENISON, MUTTON AND BEEF THREE-MEAT ROAST (087) A loin of 10 day dry-aged Cumbrian Herdwick mutton wrapped in a wild Cumbrian venison loin, and covered with 21 day dry-aged boneless sirloin.

Weight 2.5kg | Serves 10 to 12

£65

PHEASANT ROYALE (083) Boneless pheasant stuffed with venison, cranberry and rosemary sausage meat and wrapped in smoked bacon.

Weight 1.2kg | Serves 4 to 5

£16

LAKELAND GAME ROULADE (080) Wild venison fillet layered with pheasant and pigeon breast stuffed with plum & mulled wine venison sausage meat and wrapped in bacon.

Weight 750g | Serves 3 to 4

£25

GUINEA FOWL ROYALE (082) Boneless guinea fowl stuffed with wild boar sausage meat and wrapped in bacon.

Weight 1.2kg | Serves 4 to 5

£18

116

BOOTHS ROSÉ VEAL

Pale pink in colour, tender in texture and delicate in flavour, it’s no wonder that rosé veal is becoming ever more popular. A lighter alternative to beef, rosé veal tastes excellent cooked simply, but stands up to stronger sauces too. All of our young bullocks grow up on Red Tractor-assured farms, and we butcher the meat ourselves in Preston.

ROSÉ VEAL TENDERLOIN FILLET (105) Weight 1.3kg Serves 4 to 5

£45

ROSÉ VEAL ROASTING JOINT (102) Weight 1.5kg Serves 4 to 5

£32

ROSÉ VEAL CARVERY RIB JOINT (101) Weight 1.8kg Serves 4 to 5

£32

ROLLED SIRLOIN OF ROSÉ VEAL (104) Weight 1.8kg Serves 5 to 6

£40

BONE-IN SIRLOIN OF ROSÉ VEAL (103) Weight 1.8kg Serves 5-6

£35

BOOTHS VEAL SHIN FOR OSSOBUCO RECIPE (106) Traditional Italian cross cuts (4 slices minimum) of veal shin bones.

Weight 1kg Serves 4

£12.50 118

OSSOBUCO This classic Milanese speciality is made by slowly stewing cross-cut veal shin, then topping them with lemon, herbs and garlic. The combination of melting meat, rich bone marrow and zesty seasoning is truly memorable.

Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 1.5 hours 4 cross cut veal shin, complete with marrow 25g plain flour 2 tbsp olive oil 30g butter 1 small onion finely chopped 1 celery stick finely diced 1 carrot, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, sliced Glass dry white wine 100ml passata 300ml hot chicken stock For the gremolata Zest 1 lemon 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 1 Place the flour in a shallow dish and season with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper.

Coat the veal shin pieces in the seasoned flour.

Heat the oil in a large casserole dish, add the meat and brown on all sides. Set aside.

2 Turn the heat right down and add the butter, when melted, tip in the onion, celery and carrot plus a little salt and cook for about five minutes until softened.

Add the garlic and cook for just a minute.

3 Turn up the heat and add the wine and simmer rapidly until reduced a little. Pour in the passata and the stock and bubble for just a few minutes. Return the meat to the pan and cover and simmer on a very gentle heat for 1.5 hours carefully turning the meat every 30 minutes.

4 Meanwhile mix together the gremolata ingredients in a small bowl.

5 Serve the veal sprinkled with the gremolata and with an accompaniment of either risotto, polenta or creamy mashed potato.

119

If you can’t spoil yourself and those closest to you at Christmas time, when can you? So whether it’s a simple bite of deliciously festive Christmas cake, or giving the foodie in your family the hamper of their dreams, we’ve got it all covered this year. From beautifully packaged smoked fish to Stilton and port, you’ll find gift boxes that will delight the hardest-to-please. And after all that generosity to others, there’s really no better way to relax than with a plateful of our bite-sized goodies.

IN THIS SECTION

CHRISTMAS CAKES MINCE PIES CONTINENTAL CAKES CHAMPAGNE AND TRUFFLES CHOCOLATES TEA AND COFFEE HAMPERS GIFTS BEER AND WINE BOXES FLOWERS

120

CHRISTMAS TREATS & GIFTS

121

Clockwise from top left: BOOTHS ICED CHRISTMAS CAKE BAR (320) Serves 8

£3.99 BOOTHS FRUIT TOPPED CHRISTMAS CAKE (329) Serves 16

£15.99 BOOTHS ICED CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE (330) Serves 16

£24.99 ROYAL ICED FRUIT CAKE (327) Serves 25 to 30

£35 BOOTHS ICED CHRISTMAS CAKE BITES (321) 12 pack

£2.99 BOOTHS ICED CHRISTMAS CAKE SLICES (322) 5 pack

£2.99 CHRISTMAS CAKE SELECTION (326) 4 Pack

£8 SNOWMAN SPONGE CAKE (328) Weight 950g Serves 8 to 10

£15

122

123

BOOTHS MINCE PIES (309) 4 pack

BOOTHS MINI MINCE TARTS (311) 9 pack

BOOTHS PECAN TARTS (314) 2 pack

BOOTHS ALL BUTTER MINCE PIES (310) 6 pack

£1.19

£1.99

BOOTHS MINI BROWNIE TARTS (313) 9 pack

£2.79

BOOTHS MINI MINCE TART SELECTION (312) 9 pack

£3.49

124

£2.79

£2.49

BOOTHS MINCE TARTS (315) 2 pack

£1.99

• G R E AT N O RTH E R N VA LU E • FROM BOOTHS

£12

THE TEATIME BOX Can’t decide what to munch on with that well-earned cup of tea?

We’ve taken the pain out of choosing with our brilliant value Teatime Box, bursting with traditional favourites including our famous Stollen bites, iced Christmas cake slices, rich brownies with an amaretto kick and mini Yule logs – not forgetting those essential mince pies!

THE TEATIME BOX (323) | SERVES 6 TO 8

CHRISTMAS DECORATED RED SPONGE CUPCAKES These gorgeous little cupcakes are perfect to make – and eat – with the children.

The decorations on top can be made up to a week in advance and left to dry.

Makes 12 Preparation time 40 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes For the red sponge filling 150g salted butter, very soft 150g caster sugar 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tsp vanilla extract 150g self-raising flour 1½ tsp red gel paste food colouring

For the buttercream topping 125g slightly salted butter - very soft 250g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2-3 tbsp milk

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4.

Fill a 12-hole muffin tin with 12 cupcake cases. Place the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and self-raising flour into a large bowl. Beat together with a whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Add the food colouring and mix until completely coloured.

The mixture should be thick and creamy but should drop easily from a spoon. If it’s too thick, add a little milk and beat briefly to mix. Using a tablespoon or ice cream scoop, divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases.

2 Bake for 18–20 minutes until the sponge is golden brown, risen and springs back when pressed lightly with a finger.

Allow to cool in the tin for five minutes, then remove the cakes and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.

3 For the buttercream topping, place the softened butter and icing sugar in a large bowl and gently mix until combined.

Then add the milk and vanilla extract. Using an electric beater, whisk the mixture for 2–3 minutes or until the icing is pale, light and creamy.

To decorate: make up the royal icing according to pack instructions. Colour half of it with red food colouring, leaving the rest white. Spoon into two piping bags fitted with small round nozzles (no 2, ideally).

Generously dust the work surface with icing sugar. Roll out the green and red coloured fondant icing 3-4mm thick, along with the remaining white icing, turning frequently to prevent sticking. Then cut it into your preferred festive shapes: stars, snowflakes, baubles, parcels and wreaths. (To cut a wreath, use two different-sized fluted pastry cutters.)

126

For the decorations 1 x 500g packet white fondant icing 1 x 500g packet fondant icing 1 x 200g dark chocolate 1 x pack of coloured fondant icing Red food colouring paste 250g royal icing sugar Assorted star sprinkles / edible gold and red glimmer sugar / edible glitter

4 Ice the tops of each cupcake with a generous spoonful of buttercream, then use a small palette knife or butter knife to create a smooth, gently-domed top.

5 Generously dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out the white fondant until 4-5mm thick. Keep turning the icing as you roll to prevent it from sticking. Using an 8cm circular cutter, cut out six circles from the fondant icing. Any scraps of fondant can be kneaded together, wrapped in cling film and used for decorations. Melt the dark chocolate, mix with the fondant icing to create chocolate fondant icing and repeat the above, cutting out six more circles.

6 Gently place a disc of fondant on top of each cake and use your hands to gently smooth the icing into shape. Set aside ready for decorating.

For a glittery bauble or parcel: lightly dampen the surface of the fondant using a pastry brush dipped in boiled water. Sprinkle generously with edible glitter. Pipe on small polka dots (for a spotty bauble) or ‘ribbon’ (for a parcel) using royal icing in a contrasting colour. Alternatively, cut thin strips from the contrasting colour of fondant icing to create a ribbon and bow.

For a star or snowflake: to gild, dampen the surface as above before sprinkling with gold glimmer sugar, brushing away any excess. Pipe polka dots of royal icing in alternate colours along the edges.

For a garland bauble: Pipe four gently curved lines across the circle of fondant from one side to the other. Add dots of white icing to create little ‘lights’ dangling from the lines.

For a wreath: use the green fondant. Pipe on white polka dots and a red bow. If you like, you can use tiny amounts of royal icing to attach gold star sprinkles in between the polka dots.

Allow all decorations to dry. Then attach to the top of the cupcakes with small blobs of piped royal icing.

127

ITALIAN PANETTONE FROM THE FILIPPI FAMILY

ÂŁ12.99 An Italian Christmas tradition, our panettone is made for us by the Filippi family in the Veneto region of northern Italy. The bakery uses natural yeast and the finest ingredients, including candied Sicilian lemons, Calabrian oranges, free-range eggs and Italian acacia honey. Our panettone comes in classic and chocolate flavours and is a spectacular addition to any festive tea table. Serve dusted with icing sugar, warmed and spread with jam for an indulgent breakfast, or use it as the base for a rich panettone and butter pudding.

CL ASSIC PANET TONE (325) AND CHOCOL ATE PANET TONE (324) | WEIGHT 750G | SERVES 8 TO 10 128

BOOTHS STOLLEN BITES (319) (Top left) 12 pack

£2.99 BOOTHS RUM & RAISIN BROWNIE BITES (316) (Top right) 12 pack

£2.99 BOOTHS STOLLEN SLICES (318) (Right) 6 pack

£2.99 BOOTHS AMARETTI BROWNIE BITES (317) (Below) 12 pack

£2.99

129

BOOTHS CHAMPAGNE AND HANDMADE TRUFFLES GIFT BOX (343)

£35 BOOTHS PROSECCO AND HANDMADE TRUFFLES GIFT BOX (344)

£20

130

Clockwise from top left: HOLDSWORTH RENAISSANCE COLLECTION (334) Weight 200g

£15

CHARBONNEL ET WALKER PINK MARC DE CHAMPAGNE TRUFFLES (337) Weight 135g

HOLDSWORTH ASSORTMENT OF EXQUISITE CHOCOLATES (333) Weight 200g

ARTISAN DU CHOCOLAT CANDIED GINGER AND DARK CHOCOLATE (336) Weight 125g

£15

£12

ARTISAN DU CHOCOLAT ORANGETTES AND DARK CHOCOLATE (335) Weight 125g

£10

CHARBONNEL ET WALKER MILK SEA SALT CARAMEL TRUFFLES (338) Weight 120g

£12

£10

131

TALKING TEA WITH HENRY BOOTH

Henry Booth is passionate about tea. Having trained as a tea taster and blender and then worked as a tea and coffee buyer, he certainly knows how to make a perfect cuppa. But there’s more to his enthusiasm.

“Tea is literally the foundation of the family business,” he explains.

one for the pot. Most of the tea we blend is designed to be drunk with milk.”

“I think a really good cup of tea is a crucial part of everyday life. You’d struggle to find a purer pleasure than standing outside on a crisp winter’s morning with a hot cup of tea in your hand. It’s the perfect way to start Christmas morning.”

E.H. Booth & Co. Ltd was founded in June 1847 when 19-year-old tea dealer Edwin Henry Booth – Henry’s For Henry, who is the son of Graham Booth, the great-great-great grandfather - opened a shop called company’s director of proper ties, Christmas is The China House in Blackpool, where he sold the quality focused on food and family. “Our Christmas is a cosy, teas and coffees he travelled to find. The network of intimate affair, with just eight of us – my parents, my Booths stores across the North West all sprang from grandparents and my siblings. For us, it’s not about the that original tea shop, founded almost 170 years ago. decorations, or the tree, or even the presents.

“Tea is a core part of the business today,” says Henry, an in-store specialist manager, who joined Booths in “We’ve normally done some of the meal preparation on 2012 as a graduate trainee. “We still blend and pack Christmas Eve. My mother our loose leaf tea and is definitely in charge but roast our coffee in-house. we’re at her beck and call That’s a link with the past “YOU’D STRUGGLE TO FIND for peeling vegetables and which is really important washing up.” to me.” The blends are A PURER PLEASURE made to specifications THAN STANDING OUTSIDE Christmas Day begins handed down through with a bracing walk generations and the tea ON A CLEAN WINTER’S through the rolling samples were weighed MORNING WITH A HOT CUP Cumbrian hills around using a sixpence as this the family home. was closest to a Rupee OF TEA IN YOUR HAND.” used in original tastings “Not too long after that, in India. my grandparents arrive, and that’s when the eating starts.” Henry’s Christmas “We used to run an old advertisement saying that dinner starts with smoked salmon and goes on to our tea is “blended by experts in Lancashire to suit turkey, sprouts, roast potatoes, devils on horseback Lancashire people,” says Henry. “That holds just as true and pigs in blankets. That’s followed by mince pies and today. We create our blends to suit the water of the Christmas pudding – “and there’s normally a summer North West, which is very high quality, soft, with low pudding as well, made from fruit that’s grown in the minerality and acidity.” garden.” Otherwise, all the ingredients come from Booths, of course.

So what’s the secret to the perfect brew? “Freshness is a priority. The tea needs to be good quality and have Boxing Day is a similar affair, with a longer walk, a family been properly looked after. And loose leaf is always game, and time to eat up the leftovers. “It’s quite a superior to a tea bag.” quiet and unassuming event, but that’s what symbolises the great Northern Christmas for me,” says Henry. “It’s “A cup of tea is mostly water, so if you don’t have lovely not big or ostentatious, it’s about the people and the Lake District water, it’s important to use a filter or food is the centrepiece. Modern life means we’re all so bottled water. After that, the taste is down to how it’s busy and so scattered, the real treat is seeing everyone prepared: ideally, with freshly-boiled water poured into together at once.” a warm tea pot, with a spoon of tea for each person and

133

HAMPERS AND GIFT BOXES

From traditional wicker hampers full of treats to our beautifully presented ribbon wrapped mini boxes, these gifts are ideal to warm up those winter evenings.

THE TEA AND COFFEE BOX (341) Includes our hand-roasted all day blend coffee and invigorating loose leaf English breakfast tea, along with a handy coffee scoop, stainless steel owl tea infuser and Booths tea towel. (Above left)

£15

THE TEA BOX (339) Includes our invigorating loose leaf English breakfast tea, a pack of sweet and crumbly Farmhouse shortbread rings and a stainless steel owl tea infuser. (Above)

£8

THE COFFEE BOX (340) Includes our hand-roasted all day blend coffee, a pack of sweet and crumbly Farmhouse shortbread rings, a handy coffee scoop and a Booths four counties bag. (Left)

£10

THE INDULGENCE HAMPER Including our Brandy, Port and Walnut Christmas pudding, rosemary almonds, all butter shortbread, selection of festive chocolate bars and English Artisan chocolate assortment box. (Opposite top)

£40

THE TRADITIONAL HAMPER Including our winter tea and Christmas coffee, Christmas cake bar, extra fruity Christmas pudding, all butter shortbread, selection of chocolate bars with a seasonal twist, cranberry sauce, Christmas chutney and goose fat for those perfect roast potatoes. Not forgetting the Booths tea towel and oven glove set. (Opposite bottom)

£50 134

THE INDULGENCE HAMPER

£40 Order online at www.hampers.booths.co.uk

THE TRADITIONAL HAMPER

£50

135

BOOTHS WINE BOXES

£20

FROM (See page 144 for details) BOOTHS BRANDY, PORT & WALNUT CHRISTMAS PUDDING (306) Weight 908g

£12.49 BOOTHS POTTED BLUE STILTON FROM CROPWELL BISHOP (209) Made with traditional rennet.

Weight 300g Serves 4 to 6

£12

136

THE LARGE TRADITIONAL HAMPER FROM BOOTHS

ÂŁ100 Is there anything more exciting than burrowing for treats inside a beautifully packed wicker hamper? Our expertly curated Large Traditional Hamper is bursting with seasonal gourmet goodies, including a selection of wines, Christmassy cakes, biscuits and puddings, artisan chocolates and assorted sauces and relishes.

The perfect gift for sharing with family and friends.

ORDER ONLINE AT www.hampers.booths.co.uk 137

PAXTON AND WHITFIELD GIFT BOX (353) Stilton, quince and Graham’s port.

Serves 4 to 6

£27

CARTMEL GIFT BOX (352) Hamper containing sticky toffee cheese, sticky toffee pudding, sticky toffee chocolates, Christmas pudding, sticky toffee sauce and a mug.

£35

BOOTHS HERDY GIFT BOX (342) An iconic herdy gift box including a mug, a coaster and Booths loose leaf English breakfast tea all packaged up as a beautiful gift for your herdy lover friends.

£15

138

WHOLE IBERICO HAM (248) A show-stopping, popular ham known for it’s mouth-watering aroma and superior quality. You’ll experience a mild and delicate flavour, then a slightly sweet taste followed by the moist rosacea golden fat melting on the palate.

The gift box comes with a knife, sharpener and display stand perfect for slicing and serving.

Weight 6.5kg

£120 BLEIKER’S ROPE HUNG SMOKED SALMON SIDE (141) Bleiker’s rope-hung side of freedom food Scottish salmon in wooden box (sliced).

Weight 800g Serves 10

£30

139

THE SMOKED FISH HAMPER FROM SEVERN & WYE SMOKERY

ÂŁ67 This smoked fish selection box is bursting with an exciting range of treats.

Prepared for us by the famed Severn and Wye smokery, it includes succulent hot-smoked salmon and peppered mackerel, marinated gravadlax for your breakfast eggs, haddock for a sumptuous kedgeree, and a medley of delicate smoked tuna, swordfish and marlin for effortlessly sophisticated starters.

THE SMOKED FISH HAMPER (168) | WEIGHT 1.6KG | SERVES 6 TO 8 140

FORMAN’S KETA CAVIAR (163) Forman’s Keta Trout Caviar - the Japanese call it ikura, Forman’s use trout roe which is smaller, giving more of a pop. Perfect for canapés or flavouring sauces.

Weight 100g Serves 6 to 8

£11 CARELIAN CAVIAR (164) Luxurious sturgeon roe farmed in the beautiful, lake-filled Savonia region of Finland. Discover the secrets of a caviar that is environmentally sustainable.

Weight 30g Serves 4 to 6

£45 BELUGA CAVIAR WITH SPOON (165) Kings Beluga Caviar with Mother of Pearl spoon The word Beluga epitomises the best. Steely grey in colour, this Beluga caviar has an unusually delicate egg. The taste is legendarily subtle with a hint of walnut, the texture being soft and creamy.

Weight 30g Serves 4 to 6

£145

MATT CLARKE – HEAD BREWER AT HAWKSHEAD How did you start brewing?

I didn’t plan to end up here! I’m from New Zealand originally, but I took a couple of years out, came over, met a girl and bought a house. Now we’ve been together for 15 years and we’ve got two children. I’d always had an interest in food and drink, and it was a time when people were just starting to appreciate different styles in beer. I took a postgraduate diploma in brewing and joined Hawkshead in 2005.

In 2009, Alex Brodie handed over the job of Head Brewer to me.

What’s your favourite beer?

It changes daily, but my desert island beer is Windermere Pale, which we sell exclusively through Booths. It cuts through anything, and it’s great with a cheeseboard or white meat.

What do you like about working with Booths?

We’re quite a niche brewery, and we’re working at capacity. It’s good to supply a company like Booths, where we can maintain the supply without stretching ourselves too much. And like Booths, Hawkshead is a family business, so our values are compatible.

We’re still a micro-brewery and it’s very hands-on here. All the hops are broken up by hand, and the process is quite labour-intensive. Some of the bigger breweries have a much more automated approach and it’s all laboratory controlled, whereas our small scale means we can do a lot of experimenting.

What does Christmas mean to you?

Christmas starts when the decorations go up, and that’s when I’m allowed to open my bottle of port.

Growing up in New Zealand, I’m used to Christmas in 30-degree heat and sitting down to a barbecue in the evening. But it’s definitely more festive over here. Michele, my partner, is a chef, so she cooks and I don’t get a look-in. We do it traditionally: turkey, three kinds of stuffing, pigs in blankets which we fight over, and all the condiments we can get on the table. Of course I miss my family, but it’s much easier with Skype and social media. We watch them having their Christmas morning, and by the time they’re finishing up in the evening, we’re getting up.

It’s like having two bites of the cherry.

142

THE LANCASHIRE BEER BOX (349) Our favourite Lancashire beers, beautifully packaged together in a gift box, including: Crafty Dan Pale Ale, Moorhouse’s Blond Witch, Mr Trotter’s Ale, Lancaster Red. 4 pack

£10 THE YORKSHIRE BEER BOX (348) Our favourite Yorkshire beers beautifully packaged together in a gift box, including: Saltaire Pale Ale, Ilkley Pale Ale, Landlord Strong Pale Ale, Wold Top Scarborough Fair.

4 pack

£10

143

THE CUMBRIA BEER BOX (350) Our favourite Cumbria beers beautifully packaged together in a gift box, including: Stringers IPA, Coniston Bluebird, Hawskhead Windermere Pale Ale, Jennings Snecklifter.

4 x 500ml

THE SPARKLING WINE BOX (345) Booths Cava Rosado and Booths Prosecco.

2 x 75cl

£20

£10

THE CLASSIC WINE BOX (346) Booths Chablis and Booths Rioja Reserva.

2 x 75cl

£30

THE CHESHIRE BEER BOX (351) Our favourite Cheshire beers beautifully packaged together in a gift box, including: Beartown Kodiak Gold, Mobberley Whirlybird, Tatton Gold Ale and Robinsons Cheshire Unicorn Black.

4 x 500ml

£10

THE ELEGANT WINE BOX (347) Booths Gavi di Gavi and Booths Pinot Noir.

2 x 75cl

£25

144

Each wine selection (opposite) comes perfectly packaged in a Booths wooden gift box.

145

BOOTHS AMARYLLIS ARRANGEMENT (415) Tasteful table arrangement using cut white Amaryllis, Avalanche roses and white freesia complete in a modern square vase.

£50 BOOTHS FESTIVE BOUQUET (414) A cut flower bouquet including Grand Prix red roses, gerberas and a selection of natural berries and pinecones, complete with a stylish glass vase.

£50

146

VINTAGE BOUQUET IN VASE FROM BOOTHS

£50 Deck the halls in style with some seasonal greenery. We’ve got stunning fresh bouquets of Christmassy blooms and berries in classic shades of crimson and white. In store you will find our Christmas trees and handmade spruce wreaths which come in colours to suit every décor, simply adorned with frosted pine cones, or baubles and ribbon in contrasting shades.

BOOTHS VINTAGE BOUQUET IN VASE (413) A selection of Nightingale and Athena roses dressed with Eucalyptus and Alibiflora presented in a clear glass vase.

147

If you’re planning a hearty buffet for family and friends, having the neighbours round for a glass or two of their favourite tipple or planning an elegant evening of cocktails and canapés, we’ve got everything you need to make your event go with a swing. Stock your table with our giant sharing quiches, bowls of antipasti and gourmet terrines. Impress your guests with our stylish canapés - from mini peppered steak pies to duck confit spring rolls. We’ve done all the hard work for you, so all you have to do is get dressed up, open the bottles and enjoy yourself.

IN THIS SECTION

CANAPÉS & ANTIPASTI FRESH FRUIT PIES, PÂTÉS AND SAUSAGE ROLLS SALADS QUICHES PARTY PUDDINGS PETITS FOURS

148

THE CHRISTMAS PARTY

TRULY SCRUMPTIOUS MITCH AND JACK MITCHELL OF TRUEFOODS Andrew “Mitch” Mitchell, the founder of Truefoods, knows how to make food fit for a king. For three years, Mitch was the personal chef to King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan. During that time, he cooked for American presidents and royalty from across the world. He even flipped burgers for Jane Fonda – though he failed to win Queen Noor over to the delights of haggis. “She told me never to serve it to her ever again,” he laughs.

Subsequently, Mitch worked closely with Linda McCartney on the development of her vegetarian food range, an experience that got him interested in commercial food production. When he decided to set up on his own, he came up with the idea for a company that would make restaurant-quality stocks and sauces for chefs and home cooks who no longer had the time to make their own. Since then, Truefoods has branched out into gourmet terrines, pâtés and pies, and is a real family affair, with Mitch’s wife Jack working as a director and their younger son Simon in their sales department.

Christmas is a traditional affair for the Mitchells. They are joined in their Harrogate home by their two sons, as well as relatives from Scotland. “I think Yorkshire does Christmas better than Scotland – there’s more of an effort made down here,” says Mitch.

“We start with a big fried breakfast. Lunch is usually carrot and coriander soup, turkey and Christmas pudding,” says Mitch, who mans the stove for the occasion. Jack, meanwhile, is responsible for the trifle.

At 8pm, there’s a buffet of Truefoods delicacies.

“We’ll usually do some chicken liver pâté and some salmon terrine, with local cheeses and chutney.” On Boxing Day, Mitch dishes up a steak and kidney pie, and for New Year’s Eve, it’s usually Beef Wellington or a salmon en croûte.

But although he’s such a gourmet, for Mitch, Christmas isn’t just about what’s on the menu. “The part I love the best is giving the presents, Frank Sinatra in the background and seeing people’s faces when they undo the wrapping. I get quite emotional about it. There’s just something special about that moment – it’s beautiful.”

150

True Foods’ gourmet terrines, Pâtés, soups and pies are made without flavour enhancers or additives – in fact, the way you’d do it yourself. And they are made for Booths using the best local ingredients. “Apart from the odd Spanish onion, we buy everything from within Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria,” says Mitch. “From Morecambe Bay shrimps to Whitby smoked haddock and kippers. We’ve got some fantastic producers, so why go anywhere else?”

3 FOR 2 ON OUR CHILLED PART Y FOOD PACKS BOOTHS HARROGATE BLUE CHEESE, BACON & LEEK TARTLETS (275) (Top left) 6 pack

£6.99 BOOTHS GOOSNARGH DUCK CONFIT ROLLS WITH PLUM SAUCE (270) (Top right) 8 pack

£6.99 BOOTHS MACKENZIES HOT SMOKED SALMON WITH HOLLANDAISE & LEEK TARTLETS (274) (Centre right) 6 pack

£6.99 BOOTHS CHERRY TOMATO, RICOTTA & BASIL TARTLETS (273) (Centre left) 6 pack

£6.99 BOOTHS RIBBLESDALE GOAT’S CHEESE & CHERRY COMPOTE TARTLETS (272) (Bottom right) 6 pack

£6.99 BOOTHS GLOUCESTER OLD SPOT SAUSAGE ROLLS WITH RED ONION CHUTNEY (271) (Bottom left) 16 pack

£6.99

151

ANTIPASTO PLATTER Bring a Mediterranean flavour to your table with a generous spread of Spanish and Italian delicacies. Bowls of baby peppers stuffed with cream cheese, jumbo olives with a spicy kick of pimento and jalapeño peppers, mini salamis and tomato & Mozarella are sure to please every palate. Our great-value antipasto selection pack offers all these and more.

ANTIPASTO PLATTER (257) Booths Christmas Olive and Antipasto Selection includes: citrus olive mix, cream cheese stuffed peppers, double stuffed olives with pimentos & jalapeños, nocellara & alfonso olive mix, mini salamis and tomato & Mozarella mix.

Weight 815g Serves 4 to 6

£12

152

FORMAN’S SMOKED SALMON BLINI KIT (147) Hand-made buckwheat blinis, crème fraîche, chopped shallots and capers. Each kit makes 18 Canapés.

18 Pack

£20

FRANK DALE MINI PEPPERED STEAK PIES (297) British minced steak in red wine and green peppercorn gravy encased in shortcrust pastry and topped with puff pastry and black pepper.

12 Pack

£6 154

FRANK DALE MINI SAUSAGE & MASH CANAPÉ (299) Rustic wholegrain mustard mash base with onion gravy and a delicious mini pork and leek sausage.

12 Pack

£6

FRANK DALE MINI BEEF YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS (300) Light, mini Yorkshire puddings filled with strips of tender roast beef in a traditional horseradish cream sauce.

12 Pack

FRANK DALE MINI SHEPHERDS PIES (295) Lean minced beef in rich gravy, topped with a Parmesan cheese and chive potato mash and served in a crisp pastry case.

12 Pack

£6

£6

FRANK DALE MINI FISH & PEA ROSTI (298) Mini Cheddar cheese potato rostis topped with pea purée and a fillet of tempura battered cod.

12 Pack

£6

MOREISH MINI MOUTHFULS A selection of freshly-frozen bite-sized favourites.

FRANK DALE MINI QUICHE SELECTION (296) A selection of traditional mini quiches including: tomato & basil, cheese, onion & chive, Stilton & broccoli, mushroom & Cheddar all encased in stone-oven baked, golden, shortcrust pastry.

12 Pack

£5

FRANK DALE MINI SMOKED SALMON BAGELS (293) Mini bagels, generously filled with cream cheese and a roll of smoked salmon.

8 Pack

£5 FRANK DALE MINI CHEESEBURGERS (294) Baked baguette slices topped with tangy tomato relish, succulent beef patty and finished with mature Cheddar cheese and chives.

8 Pack

£5

• G R E AT N O RTH E R N VA LU E • FROM BOOTHS

3 FOR 2 ON OUR CHILLED PARTY FOOD PACKS

LANCASHIRE CHEESE AND MAPLE CURED BACON VOL-AU-VENT

BRIE DE MEAUX & CRANBERRY FILO TART

MOZARELLA, PESTO & CHERRY TOMATO CROSTINI

PRAWN SELECTION - SWEET CHILLI & CORIANDER PRAWN PASTRY PARCELS, HOT AND SPICY KING PRAWNS, COCONUT KING PRAWNS WITH A SWEET CHILLI DIP

BOOTHS PARTY FOOD Our range of mouthwatering mini-morsels makes party entertaining so simple.

We’ve got it all, from local specialities, like Lancashire and damson jelly parcels to continental treats and exotic Oriental and Indian selections. There’s also a great range of traditional favourites, from mushroom vol-au-vents to prawn toast, in dainty bite-size portions.

CHILLED PART Y FOOD (SEE ORDER BOOKLET. ITEM NUMBERS 262-269 AND 276 -288) | FROM £4 TO £7

MONTEREY JACK & CHORIZO CROSTINI

MUSHROOM VOL-AU-VENTS

CHICKEN TIKKA STICKS WITH A MINT RAITA DIP

LANCASHIRE CHEESE & DAMSON JELLY PARCEL

SMOKED SALMON CANAPÉS

RED ONION MARMALADE & GOAT’S CHEESE CROSTINI

ORIENTAL SELECTION - THAI FISH CAKE, PRAWN TOAST, RED THAI VEGETABLE PASTRY BALL WITH A SWEET CHILLI DIP

INDIAN SELECTION - COCONUT & CORIANDER ONION BHAJI, SPINACH PAKORA, VEGETABLE SAMOSA

157

FRESH AND FRUITY These refreshing citrussy concoctions make delicious non-alcoholic cocktails – and you can easily spice them up with a shot of your favourite tipple too.

A great way to use your Citrus Box.

CLEMENTINE AND CRANBERRY COOLER - makes six glasses

LEMON AND MINT QUENCHER - makes six glasses

Simmer 75g of fresh cranberries with 50g of caster sugar and a few tablespoons of water. Cool and strain. Juice six clementines, remove the skin and pith from the other two. Mix the cranberry juice and clementines juice together and add the chopped clementines. Serve over ice topped up with soda, extra cranberries and clementines slices. Use Prosecco rather than soda for a Christmassy alternative to Bucks Fizz.

Simmer the zest of 2 lemons with 100g of caster sugar (to make sugar syrup) in 300ml of water for 6-8 minutes. Leave to cool.

Juice a lemon and pour into a large jug with ice. Add together the zest, your pre-made sugar syrup and 25g of finely chopped fresh mint. Serve over ice with a sprig of fresh mint. To make an alcoholic cocktail, just add a shot of white rum.

• G R E AT N O RTH E R N VA LU E • FROM BOOTHS

£10

THE CITRUS BOX Aromatic orange and lemons, juicy limes, fresh tangerines and clementines for the dinner table and red and white grapefruit for a healthy start to the day. We’ve put together all the citrus fruits you’ll need for Christmas in one great value package.

THE CITRUS BOX (127) | WEIGHT 4KG | SERVES 6 TO 8

160

BOOTHS CHRISTMAS DELI SALAD SELECTION (258) Harvard beetroot, mixed cous cous, orzo & red pepper, pea, bean & mint salad, potato salad, red cabbage coleslaw.

Weight 3.95kg Serves 8 to 10

TOULOUSE SAUSAGE ROLL (259) Rare breed pork & Toulouse sausage with diced rabbit, parsley, thyme & garlic, wrapped in sliced pancetta and all-butter puff pastry.

Weight 1kg Serves 6 to 8

£15

£12

BOOTHS PORK PIE SELECTION CRANBERRY AND STILTON (289) 2x Cranberry topped and 2x Stilton topped.

4 Pack

£5.99

BOOTHS PORK PIE SELECTION PICKLE AND APRICOT (290) 2x Pickle & Wensleydale and sultana & apricot chutney 2x Apple, sultana & apricot chutney.

4 Pack

£5.99

PORK & BLACK PUDDING SAUSAGE ROLL (260) Free-range pork mince, with traditional Bury-blood sausage, diced onion, sage & grated Bramley apple, wrapped in sliced English ham and all-butter puff pastry.

Weight 1kg Serves 6 to 8

FINDLATER’S CHICKEN LIVER AND BRANDY PÂTÉ (250) Weight 600g Serves 6 to 8

£15

£12

161

THREE EASY SALADS No buffet is complete without a fresh, zesty salad to add crunch and colour to the spread.

Here are three quick, easy and tasty recipes to try.

KALE, APPLE AND WALNUT SALAD Perfect with cold roast beef and ham.

PUY LENTIL AND ROASTED BEETROOT SALAD This hearty salad is almost a meal in itself. The only cooking involved is roasting the beetroot; otherwise, it’s just a matter of assembly.

ORANGE, RED CHICORY AND RADISH SALAD A light refreshing salad, delicious with fish such as salmon and smoked mackerel.

Serves 4 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 10 - 15 minutes

Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 45 minutes

Serves 4 Preparation time 10 minutes No cooking

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 6cm long batons 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp rapeseed oil 50g pumpkin seeds 50g walnuts 350g prepared curly kale 2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into matchsticks 1tbsp cider vinegar 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

450g raw beetroot, topped and tailed and quartered 2 red onions, cut into wedges 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 2 tbsp olive oil 250g pouch ready-cooked Puy lentils 100g watercress 100g baby spinach leaves

3 medium oranges 4 heads red chicory, separated into leaves 100g rocket leaves 1 bunch radish, topped and tailed and sliced thinly

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/gas mark 4. Place the carrots in a bowl and toss with the cumin seeds and rapeseed oil. Spread out on a large roasting tray and roast for five minutes then add the seeds and walnuts and roast for a further 2–3 minutes until toasted and golden.

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6. Place a sheet of tin foil on a baking tray and arrange the beetroot quarters, red onion, garlic and thyme on top. Drizzle over the olive oil and then wrap to create a parcel. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes until the beetroot is tender.

Set aside to cool a little.

2 Add the kale to the roasting tray and toss well with the carrots and seeds and roast for a further eight minutes until the kale is crispy.

3 Remove from the heat and toss in the apple. Whisk together the cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and drizzle over the salad, tossing together well. Season with a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.

162

For the dressing: Juice of one lemon 1tsp Dijon mustard 2–3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Place the Puy lentils in a large bowl and toss with the watercress, spinach and the roasted beetroot.

Mix together the dressing ingredients and pour over. Why not stir through crumbled goat’s cheese?

For the dressing: 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (we used white vinegar) Sea salt and pepper

1 Peel the oranges with a sharp knife removing all the white pith, then cut into 1cm thick rounds and arrange on a serving plate or platter.

2 Scatter over the chicory, rocket and finely sliced radish. Whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then season with a pinch of sea salt and a little ground black pepper. Drizzle over the top to finish.

163

DELICIOUS, HAND-MADE QUICHES FROM OKEMOOR

Delicious either hot or cold, a creamy quiche in buttery pastry is an essential addition to any buffet table. Our generous sharing quiches are hand-made by Okemoor, using only the finest fresh ingredients sourced locally from the best suppliers – just the way you’d make them yourself.

BROCCOLI AND STILTON QUICHE (225) Weight 1.3kg | Serves 8 to 10

CHEDDAR AND LEEK QUICHE (226) Weight 1.3kg | Serves 8 to 10

SALMON AND BROCCOLI QUICHE (227) Weight 1.3kg | Serves 8 to 10

TOMATO AND HAM QUICHE (228) Weight 1.3kg | Serves 8 to 10

QUICHE LORRAINE (229) Weight 1.3kg | Serves 8 to 10

CHEESE AND ONION QUICHE (230) Weight 1.3kg | Serves 8 to 10

GOAT’S CHEESE AND PEPPER QUICHE (231) (Opposite) Weight 1.3kg | Serves 8 to 10

BRIE AND ONION QUICHE (232) Weight 1.3kg | Serves 8 to 10

£20

£20

£20

£20

£20

£20

£20

£20

SPINACH AND BACON QUICHE (233) Weight 1.3kg | Serves 8 to 10

£20

165

MINI FROZEN DESSERT CANAPÉS MINI VICTORIA SPONGES (301) Victoria sponge cakes dusted with icing sugar and filled with raspberry jam and fresh double cream.

12 Pack

£3.99

MINI BLACK FORESTS (302) Chocolate sponge cakes filled with fresh double cream, topped with sour cherry jam, cream and sprinkled with dark chocolate.

12 Pack

£3.99

MINI STRAWBERRY CREAM SCONE (303) Light scone bases topped with strawberry jam, a rosette of fresh double cream and finished with a slice of strawberry.

12 Pack

£3.99

166

PARTY TREAT SELECTIONS FROM BECKLEBERRY’S

£12 These bite-sized portions of perfection are made for us in Northumbria by Beckleberry’s.

The award-winning family business produces our pâtisserie in small batches, using traditional recipes and methods. This indulgent selection of favourites includes a sweet raspberry frangipane, a classic Gâteau Opera, a hazelnut choux bun, a chocolate Feuilletine tart, a baby chocolate cupcake and a tiffin baton.

BECKLEBERRY’S CHOCOL ATE SELECTION (181) 12 PACK BECKLEBERRY’S PART Y SELECTION (182) 12 PACK 167

LATHAMS LUXURY DESSERT SELECTION (196) 3 slices each of Banoffee Pie, Black Forest Cheesecake, Raspberry Brownie and Lemon Crunch.

Weight 1.79kg Serves 12

ÂŁ20 168

OKEMOOR CHEESECAKE ASSORTMENT (184) Individual cheesecake assortment - 2 x Lemon Swirls & 2 x Turkish Delight topped with pink and white rosewater jelly.

4 Pack

£16 OKEMOOR PANNA COTTA ASSORTMENT (183) Individual panna cotta assortment in ramekins 2 x white chocolate & 2 x raspberry.

4 Pack

£16 LATHAMS BOOZY CHRISTMAS DESSERTS (195) 2 x Irish Cheesecake, 2 x Tiramisu, 2 x Double Chocolate Brandy, 3 x Christmas Cheesecake all adorned with decorative chocolate toppings.

9 Pack

£14

169

PETITS FOURS FROM FORMAN’S

£20 Crisp, chewy macaroons, creamy fudge, rich chocolate truffles, nougat bursting with nuts - these tempting little morsels, hand-made by an award-winning pâtissier, are the perfect bite-size treats for handing round or for finishing off a splendid meal in style.

FORMANS PETITS FOURS (185) | 16 PACK 170

READY-TO-SERVE SMALL DESSERTS LEMON MERINGUE PIE (186) A Sicilian lemon filled pastry topped with brulee’d Italian meringue.

Weight 500g Serves 4 to 6

£5

DULCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE (188) Vanilla cheesecake on a biscuit base with a dulce de leche finish.

Weight 500g Serves 4 to 6

£5

BECKLEBERRY STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE (187) Vanilla cheesecake on a biscuit base with a strawberry compote topping.

Weight 500g Serves 4 to 6

£5

171

OKEMOOR CHOCOLATE LOG (169) Chocolate Log Size 8" Serves 12

£25

172

LATHAMS FROZEN BLACK FOREST GÂTEAU (194) Size 9" Serves 8

£18

Mouth-watering food needs something equally delicious to wash it down. We’ve made it easy this year with our pick of fine wines to accompany every event, from the dinner itself to a great-value selection for parties. Over the following pages, you’ll also find perfectly-aged whiskies, speciality gins and artisan beers, along with our favourite recipes for a cheeky cocktail or two. And remember, you can always come into store and let our experts pick the perfect accompaniments to match your meal. Cheers!

IN THIS SECTION

WINE WHISKY BEER GIN CHAMPAGNE

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CHRISTMAS DRINKS

What do you look for when selecting wines for Booths?

“First and foremost, it’s about quality. I taste thousands of different wines every year to pick out the wines that offer the best quality and value. I particularly like to hunt for little gems from up-andcoming regions, and to work with smaller producers and family growers. It resonates with our values at Booths, and enables me to access smaller and unique parcels of wine. I also sometimes work with producers to tweak the blend to make it more appealing to our customers' tastes.

We have a huge range of around 800 wines, so there’s bound to be something that will please every palate and I'm always refreshing the range which means we've always got something new to offer.”

How did you get into wine buying?

“I did a degree in languages and history and spent a year living in Spain which really sparked my interest in wine. Having decided I wanted to get into the industry, I began working for a fine wine merchant in London, honing my knowledge and buying wine from around the world. It was here that I gained my Diploma from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

I’ve been at Booths for two years now.”

How do you celebrate Christmas with your family?

“I come from a very big Lancashire family and we’ve always celebrated traditionally with turkey, trimmings and everything home-made from scratch. The preparation begins many weeks in advance by each of us making a wish while stirring my Mum's legendary Christmas pudding mixture. Of course I’m in charge of choosing the wine!

Since marrying an Italian, I’ve also learned to embrace the best of their traditions - like a softly-sparkling, fruity Prosecco with a slice of panettone.”

What bottle would you like to find under the Christmas tree?

“A top-quality Barolo would go down very well.”

How do you choose the best wines to match your meal?

“My personal philosophy is just to drink what you enjoy. However, a good rule of thumb is that a region’s wine will usually go well with the local cuisine. And of course if you want some advice, just come into your local Booths and ask the experts.”

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VICTORIA’S RECOMMENDATIONS A CHAT WITH WINE BUYER, VICTORIA DI MUCCIO

MY FAVOURITE Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest Riesling, Elgin, South Africa

WHAT TO DRINK WITH TURKEY Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay, Auckland, New Zealand

This stunning sweet wine hails from the cool climate region of Elgin in South Africa, and is grown on an estate which forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The estate was established in 1944 and is now run by the third generation of the Brajkovich family, in the cool climate near the Tasman Sea. If you like Burgundy but not the prices associated with it, then this is definitely one to try. The producer has come up trumps in blind tastings against top Burgundian whites and this is widely regarded as some of the best Chardonnay in New Zealand.

The Riesling is made from grapes affected with botrytis and harvested late, so that the grapes shrivel, concentrating the sugars and flavour. This gives it complex aromas of apricot, orange blossom, passion fruit and honey. The wine has amazing balance and a luscious, creamy palate with a zippy Riesling finish.

This would go beautifully with an apricot or mango-based dish, and I especially love it with soft blue cheese or even just a glass on its own instead of pudding – it’s enough of a show-stopper.

MODERN CHOICE The Crossings Pinot Gris, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand Sometimes it’s good to be reminded that New Zealand is not all about Sauvignon Blanc. This Pinot Gris is produced in a cool, dry, windy area of Marlborough, where it’s a common sight to see sheep grazing the vineyards to keep down the grass and weeds. Here, the warm, sunny days and cool nights give the perfect growing conditions to ensure maximum ripening and intense flavours.

The result is a wine full of fruity flavours of white peach, pear and melon with some delicate honey characters. It pairs well with creamy chicken and seafood dishes and strong, hard cheeses such as parmesan.

TRADITIONAL CHOICE Pol Roger Brut Réserve NV, Champagne You can’t get more traditional than a glass of Champagne at Christmas and this one is a personal favourite. Pol Roger has been producing exceptional Champagne for 160 years, and remains a small, family-owned and fiercely independent Champagne House.

It’s the depth of their cellars which makes their Champagne so special: the deepest is 34m below ground, with a natural temperature of 9°C or less (a normal cellar temperature is 11-12°C). This prolongs fermentation and contributes to the quality and the famously fine bubbles.

All of the Champagnes are still riddled (the process of moving the sediment into the neck of the bottle) by hand, a process which can take up to 10 weeks.

The Estate Chardonnay has flavours of apples and lemons with a touch of peach and hazelnuts, giving it a richness that makes it the perfect partner to roast turkey with all the trimmings. It’s also exceptional value.

WHAT TO DRINK WITH BEEF Rustenberg RM Nicholson, Stellenbosch, South Africa Founded in 1682, this estate in fact outdates Bordeaux in terms of winemaking history. Run by the Barlow family, it sits in the premium South African wine growing region of Stellenbosch.

The RM Nicholson is a beautiful wine which will appeal to Bordeaux and South Africa lovers alike. It’s made from Bordeaux varietals with some Syrah in the blend to add softness. The flavour is pure and vibrant, full of blackcurrant with notes of dried herbs and black pepper. This is a robust wine with tannins to match up with any piece of quality beef.

WHAT TO DRINK WITH GAME Gevrey Chambertin Clos de La Justice, Vallet Frères, Burgundy, France ‘Clos de la Justice’ is a single, walled vineyard, wholly owned by the Vallet family. This stunning example of Pinot Noir couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than Burgundy. Very traditional in style, it has cherry and plum fruits, with an earthy, underlying spice interwoven and a delicate perfume. Layered, complex, indulgent, it pairs well with game birds, in particular richer ones such as grouse, pheasant and duck.

WHAT TO DRINK WITH FISH AND SEAFOOD Lagar de Cervera Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain Albariño is a distinctive high quality, aromatic grape mostly grown in Galicia where it thrives in the cool, damp, maritime climate. This wine has an aromatic nose, some tropical aromas, ripe citrus fruits and quince. Fresh and lively on the palate with a creamy and complex finish, pairing it with seafood, especially shellfish, makes it really sing.

The three grape varieties used are perfectly balanced: Pinot Noir brings structure, body and power, Pinot Meunier ensures freshness, roundness and fruitiness, and the Chardonnay grape adds aromatic complexity, finesse and elegance.

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VICTORIA’S TOP TEN CHRISTMAS WINES

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CAVE SAINT-VERNY, PUY DE DÔME PINOT NOIR Auvergne, France (369) 75cl

PAUL CLUVER, NOBLE LATE HARVEST RIESLING Elgin, South Africa (362) 37.5cl

£8.99

£14.75

LAGAR DE CERVERA, ALBARIÑO Galicia, Spain (366) 75cl

THE CROSSINGS PINOT GRIS Marlborough, New Zealand (364) 75cl

£12.99

£10.99

VALLET FRÈRES, GEVREY CHAMBERTIN ‘CLOS DE LA JUSTICE’ Burgundy, France (367) 75cl

RUSTENBERG RM NICHOLSON Stellenbosch, South Africa (371) 75cl

£35.99

£11.99

TERRE DA VINO, BAROLO ESSENZE Piedmont, Italy (370) 75cl

£24.99 BELE CASEL, PROSECCO EXTRA DRY NV Veneto, Italy (359) 75cl

£12.49 KUMEU RIVER ESTATE CHARDONNAY Auckland, New Zealand (360) 75cl

£18.99 POL ROGER BRUT RÉSERVE NV Champagne, France (354) 75cl

£39.99

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FINE WHISKIES

CAOL ILA 12 YEAR OLD ISLAY MALT (395) 70cl

From top left clockwise:

BALVENIE DOUBLEWOOD SINGLE MALT (393) 70cl

CHIVAS REGAL 18 YEAR OLD SCOTCH (402) 70cl

£50 OCTOMORE ISLAY SINGLE MALT (397) 70cl

£130

180

£39

£40

ROYAL SALUTE 21 YEAR OLD SCOTCH (398) 70cl

PORT CHARLOTTE ISLAY BARLEY SINGLE MALT (396) 70cl

£113

£48

WOODFORD RESERVE KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON (401) 70cl

OLD PULTENEY NAVIGATOR SINGLE MALT (394) 70cl

£34

£30

THE PERFECT MANHATTAN THE ULTIMATE WINTER WARMER

Rich, spicy and sweet, the Manhattan has remained popular for over a century.

There are hundreds of variations on this cocktail classic, but we prefer ours made with Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon RECIPE FOR THE PERFECT MANHATTAN

Ingredients: 3 parts Woodford Reserve, 1 part sweet red vermouth, 2 dashes of bitters, Âź tsp maraschino cherry syrup, 1 cherry Method: Stir over ice till the mixture is well chilled, then strain into an iced Martini glass with a cherry at the bottom.

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CRAFT BEERS LANCASTER BLONDE (374) 500ml

£1.79 HARBOUR AMBER ALE (377) 500ml

£2.15 GEM ALE (382) 500ml

£1.89 BREWDOG PUNK IPA (383) 330ml

£1.79 BREWDOG JACK HAMMER (384) 330ml

£2.39 VEDETT IPA (386) 330ml

£1.79 ANCHOR STEAM BEER (387) 355ml

£1.95 WILD BEER CO SOURDOUGH (388) 330ml

£2.25 BEAVERTOWN GAMMA RAY CAN (389) 330ml

£2.25 FOUNDERS ALL DAY IPA CAN (390) 355ml

£1.85 BROOKLYN EIPA CAN (391) 355ml

£1.99

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WINES FOR A PARTY Taken from our wider in-store range, here are our favourite party wines so that you can get the evening started in style without blowing your budget. This carefully chosen range of crowd-pleasers includes the intensely fruity Finca Constancia, versatile, crisp Villa Wolf Pinot Gris, and if you’re pushing the boat out, our delicately spicy rosé Champagne.

BOOTHS TOURAINE SAUVIGNON BLANC Loire, France (365) 75cl

£7.39 VALENTIN DUC, FAUGÈRES Languedoc, France (368) 75cl

£6.99 BOOTHS ROSÉ NV CHAMPAGNE Champagne, France (357) 75cl

£24.99 BOOTHS PROSECCO BRUT Veneto, Italy (358) 75cl

£8.99 VILLA WOLF PINOT GRIS Pfalz, Germany (363) 75cl

£8.49 FINCA CONSTANCIA Castilla, Spain (361) 75cl

£8.99

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GINSPIRATION WHITLEY NEILL GIN (403) 70cl

MARTIN MILLERS GIN (406) 70cl

£25

£21

THE BOTANIST (404) 70cl

BLOOM GIN (407) 70cl

£30

£24

CAORUNN SCOTTISH GIN (405) 70cl

OPIHR ORIENTAL SPICED GIN (408) 70cl

£27

£23

TANQUERAY RANGPUR (409) 70cl

BRECON BOTANICALS WELSH GIN (411) 70cl

6 O’CLOCK GIN (410) 70cl

BECKETTS LONDON DRY GIN (412) 70cl

£27

£26

£23

£27

THE CLASSIC MARTINI GET IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Shaken or stirred? Gin or vodka? Olives or lemon? A good slug of vermouth, or the merest whisper?

The martini is the simplest and most adaptable of cocktails. But there are two unbreakable rules.

All the ingredients and even the glassware must be icy cold. And the dangerously delicious result should be sipped slowly.

RECIPE FOR A CLASSIC MARTINI

Ingredients: Gin, Dry Vermouth, a twist of lemon or an olive.

Method: Put a teaspoon of dry vermouth into your frozen glass. Pour on 100ml gin. Add an olive.

If you want a twist, peel a long, thin strip from the lemon and squeeze the skin over the glass to extract the oils. Rim the glass with the lemon oil, then drop into the mixture.

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CHAMPAGNES FROM BOOTHS

It wouldn’t be a proper celebration without a glass or two of chilled Champagne.

Our light, crisp non-vintage bubbly is a blend of Grand and Premier Cru Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Elegant, zesty and light, it makes a lovely aperitif and is the perfect partner to food. Our vintage Champagne, made from the expressive 2006 harvest, has a rich, toasty complexity which makes it the perfect partner to roast turkey or creamy fish dishes, while our rosé brut is bursting with the flavour of summer berries, vanilla and sweet spices. It’s made for us by Duval-Leroy, one of the last Champagne houses to be entirely family-owned.

186

BOOTHS ROSÉ NV CHAMPAGNE (357) 75cl

BOOTHS VINTAGE 2006 CHAMPAGNE (356) 75cl

BOOTHS BRUT NV CHAMPAGNE (355) 75cl

£24.99

£33.99

£21.99

187

TA’ VERY MUCH

“Thank” & “you” are two little words that are pretty easy to say but when truly meant bring a tear to one’s eye.

I have the pleasure of sharing a few right now.

It seems natural to begin with you, our customers; all of this is for you. Without your loyalty and passion for Booths this would not be possible. My team and I truly hope that you have a very Merry Christmas.

Thank you for letting us play a part in your celebrations.

Thank you to the team who’ve made this book happen, to the sweat, blood and tears that goes into creating this thing of beauty. Thanks for going the extra mile. Your obsession and enthusiasm is inspirational.

So, thank you for not just delivering this book but bringing Christmas to life on every page. Huge thanks to: Helen, Hannah, Gemma, Laura, Louise, Jakki, Kath, Abby, Jane, Matt, John and Jacq. I’d also like to say thank you to two people who are behind the scenes, to Chris and Kevin – you inspire greatness.

Thank you Richard and Debrah, you’re a class act of the highest order. Your talent is as infectious and loveable as you are. Angela and Craig and your wonderful team, Tom and Nick, thank you for being calm and creative.

You are a huge pleasure to work with. Cai and Kyn, you are skilled craftsmen that achieve both style and substance.

Lydia, you are a genius of the written word, thank you for bringing our stories to life.

Thank you to all of our wonderful suppliers for supporting the production of this book, your passion, dedication and care for food is greatly admired and appreciated. Thanks especially for supplying samples to our photoshoot.

Finally last but by no means least, thank you to all of our colleagues, for your dedication and understanding.

I raise a toast to the very best Christmas ever for our customers and the wider Booths family.

With grateful thanks, Julie x Booths Marketing Director

THE CREDITS

Smith &+ Village Lydia Slater Angela Boggiano and Craig Robertson - The Biscuit Collective Kelly and the team at Mohn Media Cai and Kyn Book cover by Sanna Annukka Our team of in-house magicians