Waitrose is unveiling its Christmas 2024 range featuring 554 festive lines, including 175 new dishes. The upmarket retailer is tapping into the latest food trends, offering everything from nostalgic classics with twists to luxury new creations.
The party food and sides range steps up the innovation this year with a reuben sandwich-inspired rarebit, crab & brown butter crumpets, and veggie Santa bao buns – all designed for the same temperature in the oven, making hosting a breeze.
“Food trends are constantly evolving and our customers love to be able to pick these up in brand-new innovations at Waitrose – Christmas is our chance to really have fun and bring as many of the latest trends as possible to our shelves,” says innovation manager Lizzie Haywood. “There is lots for our customers to explore and get excited about this Christmas.”
Waitrose is also taking a boozy twist in its NPD with limoncello as a key flavour, from White Stilton with Luxardo Limoncello to a Limoncello Fizz Panettone, infused with limoncello and a sparkling wine syrup, as well as new Golden Limoncello Stollen Bites with golden cherries and sultanas.
“We know our customers love panettone and a tipple at Christmas, so I’m delighted to introduce our Limoncello Fizz Panettone,” says bakery product developer Serena Jackson. “It comes with a fizzy sherbet lemon sugar and a stencil for our customers to add a final flourish at home. If you don’t love dried fruit, this is a panettone you can get stuck into.”
The Christmas range will roll out in phases, starting with frozen sides and party food in late September, and mains and chilled desserts following in mid-December.
Mains
No.1 British Wagyu Beef Sirloin Joint with a Beer Malt Glaze and Shallot, Herb & Garlic Crumb
Price tbc/950g
Wagyu beef with a brush of beer malt glaze and with shallot, herb, garlic and crispy onion crumb. Available from Waitrose Entertaining.
Glorious Treacle Glazed Stuffed Turkey Crown
Price tbc
Brined turkey breast on the bone with pork, chestnut and bacon stuffing, topped with treacle cured bacon and a sticky treacle glaze. Available from Waitrose Entertaining.
Beef Roasting Joint with a Honey & Mustard Dripping Melt
Price tbc/660g
A honey and mustard dripping on a British beef roasting joint. Available from Waitrose Entertaining.
Bacon, Leek & Winter Herb Stuffing Log
Price tbc/425g
British pork sausage meat seasoned with leek and winter herbs. Wrapped ‘ballotine style’ in smoked streaky bacon, ready for the oven.
Sweet Spiced Gammon with Citrus Glaze & Panettone Crumb
Price tbc/1.4kg
Sweet cured British gammon joint with a light panettone-style crumb and citrus glaze.
Plant-based
Chestnut & Thyme Plant-Based Turkey Roast and Gravy
Price tbc/668g
Plant-based turkey roast alternative, with thyme-scented chestnut and caramelised onion stuffing and served with a rich gravy – with flavours of cabernet sauvignon and redcurrant jelly.
Sides and starters
No.1 Wagyu Beef Roast Potatoes
£6/600g
Roast potatoes tumbled in wagyu beef fat, rapeseed oil and butter.
British Treacle Pigs in Blankets
Price tbc/252g, 12-pack
12 British pork cocktail sausages, seasoned with treacle spices and wrapped in spiced streaky bacon.
White Stilton with Luxardo Limoncello
£2/150g
White stilton cut with candied lemon peel and Italian Luxardo limoncello.
No.1 Lobster, Crab & Prawn Cocktails
Price tbc/two-pack
Brown and white crab meat layered with coldwater prawns and creamy marie rose sauce, with British lobster on top.
No.1 Seafood Shells
Price tbc
Shells filled with king prawns, poached salmon flakes and No.1 Scottish smoked salmon pieces.
No.1 Cured Pork Carpaccio
Price tbc/94g
Thinly sliced cured pork loin with shavings of parmigiano reggiano to scatter on top, and extra virgin olive oil and balsamic for drizzling. Made by a fourth-generation family producer using a unique breed of pig.
Reuben Rarebit
£6/180g
Ready-to-bake blend inspired by the flavours of a reuben sandwich. Emmental cheese, pastrami and pickled gherkins with ale, worcestershire sauce and mustard.
No.1 Pistachio & Apricot Pork Terrine
£4/120g
Coarse-cut pork with crunchy pistachios, apricots and a dash of cognac.
Party food
No.1 Crab & Brown Butter Crumpets
Price tbc/eight-pack
Mini crumpets topped with crab gratin, spiced brown butter with crème fraîche, medium-fat hard cheese, lemon juice, chives, worcestershire sauce, cayenne and smoked paprika, hand-finished with paprika.
No.1 Crispy Bacon Carbonara Cups
Price tbc/12-pack
Crisp cups of maple cured smoked bacon filled with a creamy spaghetti carbonara made with extra mature cheddar.
No.1 Santa Bao Buns
Price tbc/eight-pack
Handmade mini bao buns decorated with Santa’s face and round tummy. Filled with shredded vegetables in a sweet, sticky hoisin sauce.
Food to go
Merry Club’mas Sandwich
Price tbc
Club sandwich made with shredded chicken, bacon, gravy mayonnaise, cheddar cheese and onions – on malted bread.
No.1 Christmas Spiced Wiltshire Ham & French Brie Sandwich
Price tbc
Wiltshire ham honey roasted and blood orange spiced, paired with French brie, cranberry sauce, mayonnaise and spinach on oat and barley bread.
Desserts
Limoncello Fizz Panettone
£12/750g
Italian cake with candied lemon peel, pockets of limoncello filling and infused with sparkling wine syrup. Fizzy sherbet lemon sugar to sprinkle over to finish. Made to a traditional recipe in a family-run bakery in Piedmont, Italy – taking over 24 hours to create.
No.1 Golden Limoncello Stollen Bites
£4/nine-pack
Stollen bites made with golden sultanas and golden cherries, with a marzipan centre, dipped in melted butter and limoncello liqueur.
No.1 Red Velvet Bauble Dessert
Price tbc/730g or £4.50/130g
Red velvet bauble dessert with creamy white chocolate and mascarpone mousse, raspberry and redcurrant compote and a crunchy feuilletine and cocoa sponge base. Finished with red lustre, with decorative bauble shells to add a finishing touch at home.
Available from Waitrose Entertaining with packs of two smaller baubles available in stores.
No.1 Belgian Chocolate & Hazelnut Torte
£12/480g
Belgian chocolate and hazelnut ganache on a base of dark chocolate, crunchy cookie crumbs and nibbed hazelnuts.
Hot Chocolate Brownie
£6
Made with Belgian chocolate, this brownie has a milk chocolate layer and is topped with marshmallows and cocoa. Served warm.
No.1 Tiramisu Dessert
£12/600g
A take on the Italian classic tiramisu. Layers of Italian savoiardi biscuits, sponge cake soaked in coffee sauce and a mascarpone cream laced with marsala wine. Finished with a dusting of cocoa powder and icing sugar.
Snowmen’s Noses
£4/80g
White chocolate ‘carrots’ filled with salted caramel, made with Fairtrade-sourced cocoa.
No.1 Starry Night Hot Chocolate Coins
£5/80g
Made with milk chocolate and finished with a shimmer. Eat as bought or drop into hot milk for a hot chocolate. Made with Fairtrade-sourced cocoa.
Chocolate Snowmen
£4/76g, four-pack
Milk chocolate snowmen with a ganache centre. Eat as bought or stir into warm milk. Made with Fairtrade-sourced cocoa.
Bakery
Christmas Spiced Bun
Price tbc
Danish pastry with a sweet, spiced filling, topped with vanilla flavour fondant and ginger dusting.
Cranberry & Orange Pastel De Nata
Price tbc
A take on the traditional Portuguese tart. Puff pastry filled with cranberry compote and orange custard, finished with dried cranberries.
Florentine Mince Pie
Price tbc
All-butter pastry with vine fruit, candied mixed peel, glacé cherries and festive spices, finished with a crunchy almond topping.
Giant Cinnamon Knot
Price tbc
Buttery biscuit with cinnamon, caramelised sugar and gently spiced.
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