I had a preview of Waitrose's Christmas food — and it wasn't the turkey that stole the show

Christmas starts extra early in the food publishing world – at Good Food HQ, we start testing UK supermarkets' range of Christmas turkeys and the like as early as July! And now that it's almost October, we can expect supermarket aisles to be soon filled with favourite Christmas treats, from classic pigs in blankets to inventive new products sure to divide opinion.

I was invited to check out Waitrose's new range of Christmas food at its immersive 'Food Lovers Feast' event, showcasing all the shiny new products dropping this winter. From perfectly tender meaty centrepieces to sophisticated seafood platters, decadent desserts, luxurious hot chocolates and more, there was plenty of bits for us to get in the mood for Christmas' arrival.

I've curated five of my favourite new releases from the Waitrose Christmas range:

1. Highland wing rib of beef

I’m personally not a big fan of turkey at Christmas (sorry traditionalists), but I’ll never turn down a quality bit of roast beef. This showstopping centrepiece rib of beef was perfectly tender and cooked to blushing rare. Will this become a new Christmas Day lunch staple, I wonder?

2. No. 1 fish pie tartlets

An after-school fish pie this is not. These tasty little tartlets have a buttery crust and are filled with smoked haddock, salmon and king prawns. The unctuous cheddar and mascarpone sauce binds everything together. I certainly wouldn't turn down one (or two) of these at a Boxing Day buffet.

3. Madagascan vanilla and gingerbread milk

I’m a huge hot chocolate fan at this time of year, but often, the milk used is a bit of an afterthought. These luxurious West Country milks do just the trick – they'd make a great addition to a mug of festive hot chocolate, an afternoon coffee or even in a bowl of cereal.

4. No. 1 luxury seafood platter

I’ve always been told I’ve got expensive taste and I’m not sure I’m beating those allegations with this choice. Piled high with crab claws, crevettes, crab shells filled with crab mousse and white crab meat, king prawns and much more, I know where I’ll be hanging out if this comes out at a Christmas party.

5. Half and half dual flavour cookies

Two cookies in one, who’d possibly complain? One side is deliciously rich and caramelly, studded with fudge pieces and pecans, while the other boasts chunks of creamy white chocolate and crunchy pecans. These flavours aren't overly festive, but they still taste good.

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