Let\u2019s face it, Christmas dinner disasters are far from rare in most households. A poll just released shows a quarter of us have first-hand experience of something going badly wrong on the 25th December.<\/p>\n
The most common mishaps are dry meat, turkey that is uncooked or hasn\u2019t defrosted properly, people buying the wrong size bird and those that have simply left it so late that the shops have actually run out.<\/strong><\/p>\n Cooking a feast of massive proportions for extended families of aunties, uncles, grandparents, and children is a task daunting enough to even make a top chef break into a cold sweat, so it\u2019s no surprise three quarters of the great British public suffer stress as a result of buying and preparing Christmas meat. <\/p>\n But the survey commissioned by The Q Guild of Butchers to launch their \u2018Meat Your Butcher Sessions\u2019 found an overwhelming 95% of the nation has never asked for expert advice about cooking Christmas dinner whilst more than half of us just head blindly go to the supermarket, and pick meat off the shelf hoping for the best. That\u2019s despite the fact that there is usually a butcher\u2019s shop right round the corner, who can offer quality advice on choosing, preparing and cooking meat.<\/strong><\/p>\n So how can a local butcher help to reduce stress, focus on value and give fresh advice for your festive feast? When should you have ordered your meat by? What\u2019s the difference between a corn-fed turkey and a gold turkey? How much do you actually need to buy so that you don\u2019t get stuck with masses of meat, or even worse don\u2019t have enough to feed the family? And if you don\u2019t even like turkey, what are the great Christmas meat alternatives?<\/p>\n