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.
This article is sponsored by Yorkshire Vintners.
As the festive season draws closer, you might find yourself wondering what to gift that awkward relative – or even how to impress your in-laws with the ‘correct’ wine for each course of your Christmas dinner. Ripon-based wine merchant, Yorkshire Vintners, is here to help ease that stress.
Since launching over a decade ago, Yorkshire Vintners has been supplying Michelin Star restaurants, pubs, bars, hotels and event venues with wine and spirits. The experienced team offers a professional, knowledgeable, and friendly service at the store on Ripon Business Park – with free off-street parking and even a tasting room!
Yorkshire Vintners is now open every Saturday until Christmas, giving you even more chance to discover your new favourite drink. Saturday shoppers will also receive a complimentary glass of mulled wine.
With over 1000 wines and spirits on offer, there’s a lot to choose from – so here are Yorkshire Vintners’ top Christmas picks.
Christmas Wine Cases
From £95 for six bottles
Sorting out Christmas food is stressful enough; ditch the hassle of also picking your tipple with an expertly curated Yorkshire Vintners Christmas wine case.
Each case contains six bottles of either red or white wine from around the world, and a tasting sheet with great Christmas food pairing suggestions.
With three price levels of cases, each made up of six bottles, you’ll be free to enjoy your celebrations. Prices are £60 for an Everyday case, £95 for the Discovery case, or £150 for the Classic Christmas case.
Within the Red Discovery case, you’ll find the Queulat Cinsault Gran Reserva 2016 Ventisquero, with aromas of wild berries and spices, which is delicious with roasted turkey.
Or if you prefer a white wine, why not pair your cheeseboard with the White Discovery case’s Riesling ‘Riverbank’ Wente Vinyards, USA dry white wine, which features fresh aromatics of pear and honeysuckle.
Order your Christmas wine case here.
Nyetimber
The Nyetimber range
From £29 for a classic cuvee bottle
The full range of Nyetimber English sparkling wine is available at Yorkshire Vintners. Situated in the rural heart of the South of England, Nyetimber uses only the finest estate-grown fruit to craft these award-winning, world-renowned wines.
Classic Cuvee, Nyetimber’s signature wine, is a classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier and offers a balance of elegance and intensity. It’s perfect when paired with delicious seafood, especially smoked salmon or scallops.
When you buy six bottles of Nyetimber (including mixed cases), you’ll receive a free Nyetimber ice bucket.
Maple Falls Mulled Wine
Maple Falls mulled wine
£4.95 per bottle, or a case of six for £27
This aromatic, fruity and spicy mulled wine is rich in orange, lemon and hints of red berry fruits balanced with traditional spice aromas of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. It’s a Christmas classic that’s delicious served warm for a traditional mulled wine infusion, or cold as an ideal base for seasonal punch.
Top tip: pour a few bottles into a slow cooker, add some halved oranges with cloves pushed into the skin, some cinnamon sticks, rosemary, and a dash of fresh orange juice. Leave to slowly heat up (making sure not to boil), then ladle into glasses or mugs and enjoy on a cold evening.
Order the Maple Falls mulled wine here.
Spirit of Yorkshire Cream Liqueur
£29 per bottle
As a rich, luxurious, and warming, award-winning Cream Liqueur, this is a fantastic local alternative to Baileys.
Yorkshire single malt whisky and single malt spirit (made with 100% homegrown barley) have been gently married together with the richest dairy cream to create a beautifully balanced and complex cream liqueur of exceptional quality and flavour.
It’s best enjoyed on its own, either straight-up or over ice – so simply pour generously. The stunning bottle also makes it a fantastic Christmas gift.
Order Spirit of Yorkshire’s cream liqueur here.
Graham’s Tawny Port
Graham’s Tawny Port
From £7.50 for a 200ml bottle
With its nutty character and fruity bouquet, tawny port is a fabulous pairing for dark chocolate, fruit cake, or sweet deserts like apple pie or creme brûlée. In the 200ml size, prices start at £7.50 for the 10-year-old, £10.50 for the 20-year-old, or £16.50 for a 30-year-old. For a perfect present, try the gift set which includes one of each age at the discounted price of £32. If you really want to impress, there’s also a 4.5litre bottle of Graham’s 10-year-old Tawny port in a wooden box, priced at £235.
Discover Yorkshire Vintners’ range of Graham’s Tawny Port here.