Whether you’re going for a fine dining festive feast or a traditional turkey blow out, it’s time to plan, party and make it memorable with our 12 tastes of a Derbyshire Christmas
FOR THE FESTIVE TABLE
A Chatsworth Christmas feast
Who doesn’t love diving into a Christmas hamper filled with some of the tastiest food from the county. One of the best comes from Chatsworth. There are a few to choose from, all brimming with gorgeous goodies but the real food lover with adore delving into the Ultimate Christmas Hamper, £175. A real showstopper, it includes the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire Champagne and Claret, Christmas pudding and a morello cherry jam, and much more.
shop.chatsworth.org
Midlands Wild Meats
For a showstopping feast this December 25th, specialist venison and game butchers Midlands Wild Meat in Derby have everything from wild boar, several varieties or deer and more for an alternative Christmas dinner. For the first time, the skilled butchers have also reared some free range Kelly Bronze Turkeys. These birds have been reared on the businesses own farm where they are allowed to wander through our meadows and woodland, this gives them an incredible succulent flavour. Must order before December 1st.
midlandswildmeat.uk
Artisan Biscuits
It’s not Christmas without cheese and crackers and these from Ashbourne based Artisan Biscuits are the ones you’ll want to nibble on come Christmas Day night. This The Best of Miller’s Selection Box, made by the Derbyshire company who were founded more than 100 years ago, is the perfect accompaniment with damsel buttermilk, cranberry and raising and three seed flavours the ideal partner for a hunk of your favourite cheese.
artisanbiscuits.co.uk
Mettrick’s Butchers
If you’re not a fan of turkey, how about a big beef blow-out for the Christmas table? You’ll want to head to the award-winning Glossop’s Mettrick’s Butchers who not only serve the best cuts for customers but they’re also the butchers of choice for many of our county’s leading chefs. The team there, as they always do, have been working hard with local farmers to make festive feasts the tastiest yet. Their beef comes directly from a small number of local farms and they prime joints, matured ribs and steaks. Beef is just a fraction of what they are offering though with that all important turkey for a traditional feast, lamb, pork, game and their must-taste range of award-winning pies.
mettricksbutchers.com
Croots Farm Shop
It’s an extra special time at Croots this year as they mark their 15th Christmas. And the team are pulling out all the stops with everything from your festive feast to your own Christmas tree available at the Farnah House Farm site, just outside Duffield. You won’t be left wanting as the multi-award-winning Croots have one of the widest selections of cheese in the area, Christmas pork pies, mince pies, festive hampers, products from more than 40 Derbyshire food and drink producers – and, of course, the all-important turkeys, beef joints, hams, lamb from animals reared on the farm and other meats.
Croots also have a number of events to get you in the Christmas mood including a Santa’s Grotto, Breakfast with Santa, festive lunches, and a sold-out Evening with Val Stones of Great British Bake Off fame. On 8th December, Val, who is owner Kay’s sister-in-law, will demonstrate how to make a gingerbread house and will be decorating gingerbread cookies.
croots.co.uk
Hartington Creamery
No festive table is complete without from fabulous fromage. And no Derbyshire Christmas dinner table us complete without a selection from the Hartington Creamery, the smallest producer of stilton in the world, first established by the Duke of Devonshire in the 1870s. Made at the historic Pikehall Farm, from milk in the Derbyshire Dales, they now produce a huge range of artisan cheese. Try their Celebration Christmas Cheese Bundle, £27.50, of Blue Stilton Cheese, Peakland White, Dovedale Soft Blue, Smoked Tomato and Garlic and Hartington Hottie Chilli Cheese or go for a blow out with their Connoisseurs Hartington Luxury Cheeseboard Hamper, £71.45, with six picks from their award-winning range as well as artisanal small-batch biscuits and two hand-foraged chutneys from our friends at Fruits of the Forage.
hartingtoncreamery.co.uk
White Peak Distillery
White Peak’s story started in 2016 when, having moved out of London to rediscover their childhood roots, distillery co-founders Max and Claire Vaughan spotted an opportunity to create Derbyshire’s first single malt. Today, White Peak a stunning line up of multi award-winning whiskies, gins and rums from their Ambergate base, including newer release Wire Works Whisky Virgin Oak, £67, a combination of sweet and spice and rich fruit flavours ideal for Christmas.
whitepeakdistillery.co.uk
FOR THE FINE DINING AFFICIONADOS
Fischer’s Baslow Hall
Looking for some post Chatsworth or Haddon Hall Christmas market sustenance, or just looking for a great place to eat for the festive build up, Fischer’s has all you need for a pre-December 25th treat – Fischer’s is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and the evening of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Head chef Adam Thackeray and his team are creating showstopping lunch and evening menus that showcase the best of the season. Once you’ve eaten, cosy up by the fire in the lounge with a festive tipple.
fischers-baslowhall.co.uk
Riverside Kitchen
Looking for an alternative Christmas feast made with a bevvy of Derbyshire produce. The brilliant team at Riverside Kitchen at David Mellor design museum in Hathersage are doing exactly that at their supper club on December 1st. Owners Lauren and Ralph Wilson will be turning their tables into a once a season dinner party with canapes, welcome drinks and a feasting three course menu.
Expect to find them cooking on the fire table with a seasonal, creative, delicious menu – think eastern influences with a nod to Christmas made with Derbyshire produce and seasonal sips of local beers, ales and wines paired with the menu as well as their own coffee blend to be served alongside the pudding and cheese courses.
£65 per person, riversidekitchen.uk
TOP PUDS
Bluebell Dairy Luxury Artisan Ice Cream
All of the best festive ice cream flavours have been made by multi award-winning micro-dairy Bluebell Dairy on Brunswood Farm, near Derby, for Christmas. Bluebell make their ice cream in small batches using fresh milk and cream from their own herd, keeping ingredients simple - think melting chocolate and strawberries. For Christmas, they have created two new flavours. Whiskey and honey is a perfect partner for a warm mince pie, fruity puddings, chocolate tart or tarte tatin and their gingerbread cookie flavour is great with warm apple and ginger pudding. Make sure to add double cream too. Serve customer favourite chocolate orange with a warm chocolate brownie.
bluebelldairy.co.uk
The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop
A Derbyshire institution, no festive season would be complete without goodies from his legendary Bakewell business. Choose from a vast line of treats from mince pies to a fruit lades six inch Christmas cake. All of the family will love the Night Before Christmas Selection Box, £48, which includes a large Original Bakewell Pudding or Tart – of course – along with a Christmas cake slab, Bakewell Fudge, Bakewell Biscuits, red onion marmalade, crackers and two bottles or Peak Ales beers or cider.
bakewellpuddingshop.co.uk
Derby Cake Maker
Christmas desserts doesn’t always have to mean steamed and flambeed Christmas pudding. Michelle Hickling who, in 2009, swapped life in an office for baking cakes for the likes of Quad and other local venues for more than 10 years. In 2019, she swapped city centre premises for life cooking at her kitchen bench at home and now spends all of her year creating sky high cake creations for any occasion. She is now taking custom Christmas orders like this design, pictured. For pudding purists, it can be made as a rich fruit cake, £75, or in sponge, £65, and comes with 12 chocolate Lindt balls.
derbycakemaker.co.uk
