Eager to carve a big slice of the Christmas market, Lidl has gone all out to promote its seasonal offering.

The German discounter has launched its first-ever smartphone app, as well as a ‘Lidl Bit of Magic’ festive website. The Christmas-themed app, free to download, includes recipes and cooking videos by celebrity chef Nick Nairn, recipe shopping lists and a turkey cooking calculator. The website features interactive Christmas brochures and a prize draw to win an Audi car, holidays to Lapland and vouchers.

Lidl is also touring the UK in a Christmas-themed converted double decker bus. Downstairs is a Santa’s grotto, while upstairs has been converted into a bar. An elf will hand out treats from the discounter’s Christmas range.

“We will park up and invite people on board for a drink, and the kids can meet Santa,” said a Lidl spokeswoman. “We are starting in London and then heading off around the country. People can try our range and then go into our stores and pick up the ones they liked.”

Lidl’s Christmas range includes frozen 4.4kg self-basting turkeys with pop-up timers for £9.99, luxury Christmas puddings for £2.99 and bottles of sparkling wine for £1 each. This week, Lidl’s turkey was hailed by the Good Housekeeping Institute as the best value turkey in stores this Christmas.

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