Are you already planning your Christmas dinner? Are you planning on including all the bells-and-whistles, from Turkey to the trimmings?

We ate our way through some of the Waitrose Christmas range so we could make sure you knew what to try, and what to avoid, throughout the festive season.

This wasn’t our first run-in with the Waitrose Christmas aisle; we recently reviewed the incredible ‘Night Before Christmas’ Mince Pie, as part of Waitrose’s Heston Range. You can see what we thought about it here.

Admittedly, the review didn’t get off to a great start. It took not one, not two, but a hefty THREE trips to different Waitrose stores in order to gather the items I was looking for.

I opted for a selection of party foods because the range intrigued me – there were lots of bizarre bits and pieces that you could only find in a fancy supermarket like Waitrose.

So, here’s my review of the Waitrose Christmas food:

Pork Crackling with Apple Sauce

Pork Cracking with Apple Sauce

These piqued my interest because I’d not seen anything like this before. Sadly, in reality it was a bit of a flop. The crackling was very crunchy, which is ideal, but it lacked the juiciness that good crackling should have – they felt like eating a tougher, crunchier twiglet. However, I can see how they would be enjoyable.

The apple sauce was a little too tart for my liking. The two entities would have gone together perfectly if that sweetness hadn’t been quite so strong.

Overall these weren’t bad – they lacked the overall impressiveness that usually comes with the Waitrose Christmas range, and I wouldn’t recommend them as a party food option (they tasted terrible after they’d gone slightly cold), but something you should try if you’re fancying some seasonal picky-bits in front of the TV.

Rating: 6/10

 

Beef in Yorkshire Puddings

Beef in Yorkshire Puddings

Holy moly – I would serve these for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could. To think that I’ve spent the last 23 Christmases without eating these is, frankly speaking, a travesty of the highest order.

If you’re not a fan of horseradish then don't worry, you can barely taste it – there’s only a subtle hint.

The Yorkshire pudding is superb, but be careful not to overcook them because the timings on the packet are rather dubious.

There’s not much else I can say on this other than to promise you that, if you bring these out at Christmas, they’ll all be gone before the turkey is even carved.

Rating: 9/10

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Maple Bacon Whorls

Maple Bacon Whorls

There bratwurst lookalikes do exactly what they say on the tin – no more and no less. They’re maple-y, bacon-y, and they’re a swirl. They’re downright delicious and they’ll be a reliable part of any Christmas spread. There’s no surprises here. They’re a solid crowd-pleaser and everyone will enjoy them (except, obviously, any vegetarians)

Like all the foods I tried, they’re very easy to cook and will be ready super quick, making them the easiest part of your dinner - but they're also a great added touch that the family will remember long after the plates are cleared.

Rating 7/10

Have you enjoyed the Waitrose Christmas range? Let us know what you enjoyed in the comments!