Festive roast favourites

The festive roast, with all the trimmings, is undeniably the highlight of the holiday season. Nothing comes close to the anticipation and excitement of a colossal Christmas dinner; it’s the one time of the year that the family can really get together and just eat, drink and be merry. Traditionally, a turkey has always been the tabletop centre of attention, but with today's different tastes and diets now dictating dinnertime, there’s more to choose from than just a big, juicy bird. Here’s our pick of the roasts with the most.

Roast turkey

The festive dinner table would not be the same without a gigantic turkey as its centre. Spinneys stock a range of fresh and frozen turkeys from Tegel, one of New Zealand’s most respected food brands and they come in handy small, medium and large sizes. For a speedier roast, American producer Jennie.O’s frozen turkeys are easy to prepare and come pre-seasoned, saving you valuable kitchen time.

Roast beef

Although turkey may be the meat of choice this Christmas, you simply cannot overlook the undeniable classic, roast beef. Tender and succulent, a good roast beef can set you up nicely for a post-dinner snooze – especially with the extra trimmings that come with a festive roast. Spinneys sources its beef from Stanbroke, a family-owned, Australian producer and supplier known for its commitment to consistently providing the finest quality beef.

Roast Lamb

For those wanting the substance of beef but with an almost gamy flavour, then a perfectly roasted lamb is the answer. Roast lamb is a mouth-watering option for holiday dinner and with a tender texture and flavoursome taste, it can offer a very different festive dining experience. Thomas Foods International supplies Spinneys with premium quality lamb. All of its animals live freely and have access to clean, fresh water and as they’re grass-fed, the meat tends to have a nutty flavour and a distinctive yellow subcutaneous fat.

Roast Duck

Duck? For festive dinner? Well, why not! If you’re looking a dish with a strong flavour, then this dark, exotic meat is the answer. Fattier than its turkey cousin, duck is tender, moist and delicious. Culver Duck is Spinneys’ supplier and all its birds are raised in open barns with access to fresh water, sunlight and fresh air. The result of this free-range living is mouthwatering meat that could well be your new holiday roast favourite, especially if you have fewer mouths to feed, as ducks have far less meat on them compared to turkey.

Roast Aubergine

The festive menu alternatives for vegetarians are almost endless, with nut roasts and stuffed butternut being particularly popular. However, to captivate the Christmas dinner table you need a moist, crumbly Wellington. You can wrap a number of different types of veggies in pastry, but for that satisfying bite, we’d recommend aubergine (aka eggplant), filled with a mushroom sauce. Spinneys stocks a number of different types of aubergine, and for maximum festive effect, opt for the long eggplants from Oman and Lebanon.