Eat, drink and be merry: the best Christmas food & drink from local independents
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Last updated Dec 8, 2021

Christmas is the season to eat, drink and be merry. But it’s easy to get caught up in planning your Christmas dinner and forget about the rest of the food and drink you need.

Here’s our round-up of some of the very best local businesses with the food and drink you’ll need over the whole Christmas period.


Beer from Rooster’s Brewing Co.

Rooster’s Brewing Co. make a range of beers that cover a variety of styles, from pale ales and IPA’s to best bitters, stouts and sour beers, all brewed on Harrogate’s Hornbeam Park.

What’s more, Roosters offers a free local delivery service within Harrogate and Knaresborough*, as well as a ‘Cluck & Collect’ service from the brewery and onsite Taproom!

Find your new favourite beer here.

*Minimum spend applies, please see website for specific areas covered.


Cheese from The Cheeseboard

Is Christmas even Christmas if you don’t eat lots of delicious cheese? Save the hassle of collating an assortment of individual cheeses with a ready packed hamper from The Cheeseboard. 

To keep things local, try the ‘Luxury Yorkshire Hamper’. It contains traditional Wensleydale, mature Yorkshire cheddar, Flat Capper brie, blue Wensleydale, Yorkshire halloumi, Stottie goat’s milk camembert, strawberry jam, lemon and ginger marmalade and Wensleydale chutney from Rosebud Preserves, Blueberry preserves lime curd, and of course, traditional fruit cake.

You can order your Luxury Yorkshire cheese hamper here. 


Gin from Whittaker’s Winter Solstice Gin

This delicious Whittaker’s gin is a smooth winter spice and fruity 42% London dry gin, an ideal fireside tipple for cold winter nights. Featuring juniper and coriander gently overlaid with signature botanicals of dried bitter orange and currants, it’s perfect as a gift… or a treat for yourself.

It’s best served over ice, with either ginger beer, ginger ale or simply with a plain regular tonic – but don’t be shy with your measure of gin. Add a slice of orange, or for a warming alternative add a star anise and use a cinnamon stick as a stirrer.

Get a bottle of Whittaker’s Winter Solstice Gin here. 


Fish from Mackenzie’s Smokehouse

Smoked right here in the Harrogate district at Mackenzie’s Smokehouse in Blubberhouses, the Trawler hamper is perfect for anyone wanting a luxury fish-feasting experience.

Inside you’ll find traditional oak smoked salmon, oak roast hot smoked salmon, kippers, mackerel fillets, smoked salmon pate and mackerel pate.

Order the Trawler hamper here.


Wine from Yorkshire Vintners

The Yorkshire Vintners Ultimate Wine Lover’s Christmas Hamper really does have it all when it comes to exploring wines.

It’s a journey through the various styles and prominent origins of wines, starting with a renowned English sparkling Nyetimber, followed by a classic chablis and standout Australian red blend. Moving on, there’s a sauternes, then 10-year-old tawny port, finishing with a wonderfully smooth cream liqueur from an emerging distiller here in Yorkshire.

Also included is a Nyetimber bottle stopper, Grahams Port decanter and corkscrew.

Order the Yorkshire Vintners Ultimate Wine Lover’s Christmas Hamper here. Order before 15 December to guarantee for Christmas.


Just so you know, all of the local businesses featured here were selected on their own merit, but some have paid to be featured in this article. 


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