Peggy's Christmas Crackers
Three bloody people we had in the bar last night. A new low. One of them had the cheek to nurse half a pint of bitter and a bag of scratchings for an hour, and then moan about the sorry state of my baubles.
I was about to insert a plastic light-up Santa where the sun don't shine, but he redeemed himself by booking a Christmas buffet for his bowls team. There are, finally, a few Christmas parties crawling out of the woodwork, so it's time I stocked up the fridge and freezer.
Anyway, my baubles may have seen some wear and tear over the years, but they still look pretty good under the mistletoe when the lighting's right.
Seafood Solutions Bleiker's Smokehouse salmon
It's not Christmas without a bit of salmon, is it? The smell reminds me of my gran - I mean, it reminds me
of Christmas at her house. 3G Food Service & Seafood Solutions now stocks smoked Scottish salmon from Bleiker's Smokehouse - including malt whisky smoked salmon, which sounds like a good way to start a festive dinner.
3G 0870 850 5213
www.3gfoodservice.co.uk
Pieminister Christmas Pies
Who was that bloke who stuck his thumb in the pie? Little Jack Horner - what a twit. I like to give my beef and ale a rest at this time of year, so I'm going to offer the two new Christmas pies from Pieminister. The Crimbo Bimbo pie combines British turkey, West Country chipolatas and streaky bacon with cranberries, chestnuts and seasonal spices steeped in ruby port. For the veggies there's Crimbo Cracker pie made with sticky honeyed parsnips, pearl onions, Wensleydale cheese and cheddar with chestnuts, white port and orange. And no thumbs.
Pieminister 0117 942 3303
www.pieminister.co.uk
Major Apricot and Walnut stuffing
Altogether now - 'who needs stuffing?' You have to keep festive traditions going, and that's one that never fails to raise a laugh around here. There's nothing wrong with sage and onion, but it's fun to experiment, and this year I'm having a crack at apricot and walnut stuffing made with Major International's Turkey Stock Base. There are plenty more recipes available free of charge online at www.majorint.com. I just hope my gravy does them justice.
Major 01933 440711 www.majorint.com
Big D Nuts
That poor girl on the Big D cards will catch her death of cold in this weather - I've always worked on the basis that you should show enough to keep them interested, but keep something back until he's paid for dinner and a few double G&Ts. Nuts are a good way to persuade the Christmas one-drink-after-work crowd to hang around a bit longer though, and there are some new backing cards featuring Malene the 'Big D Babe' out in time for the festive season.
Trigon Snacks 0151 522 2307 www.trigon-snacks.co.uk
Pritchitts Roselle Supreme
I still have to whip up a few more puds, and Pritchitts Roselle Supreme is an ideal cream alternative for hot or cold Christmas desserts, including brandy snaps, trifle and Christmas pudding. It whips up to three times its volume, which is 50 per cent more than dairy cream, and also keeps its shape longer. If only there were more things in life that reliable.
Pritchitts 0845 1300 307 www.pritchitts.com
Click on the link on the right for a recipe for gourmet brandy sauce using Pritchitts Millac Gold
