Lady’s Traditional British Christmas Food Guide

Today I want to share my guide to traditional British Christmas food with you. Whether you want to make a British Christmas dinner or are curious about traditional British Christmas desserts, read on to learn what people eat in the UK at Christmas.

Traditional British Christmas Food

Traditional British Christmas food ranges from savory to sweet and covers everything from main courses to side dishes and desserts. Whether you love potatoes or pies, a classic British Christmas dinner has something for you.

If you can’t travel to the UK at the moment, these British Christmas foods can give you a taste of London and other parts of the country from the comfort of your kitchen.

Books about British Christmas Food

If you want to try making traditional British Christmas food at home, I recommend Fortnum & Mason: Christmas & Other Winter Feasts by Tom Parker Bowles.

This cookbook is from one of London’s most famous department stores. It has classic recipes for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and other seasonal celebrations. If you’re in the UK, you can get it here. If you’re in the US, you can get it here.

I’ve also published some British Christmas recipes from my Scottish grandmother’s kitchen if you want to take a look.

Traditional British Christmas Dinner

Given Christmas dinner is the main event, I’ll start my traditional British Christmas food guide with it. While every household has its own variation, there’s a general way Christmas dinner in the UK looks.

I know this because I’ve done traditional English Christmas with British friends in London a number of times. I’ve also enjoyed several Scottish Christmas dinners up north.

Through them, I learned about British Christmas traditions and corrected some embarrassing expat holiday mistakes I was making with British Christmas crackers.

Christmas Turkey

When it comes to traditional British Christmas food, turkey is the main event. Most British people I know have turkey for Christmas dinner.

Some people have goose, duck, or pheasant for Christmas dinner in Britain, but generally speaking it’s turkey.

This is hard for American expats like me, who’ve just finished eating Thanksgiving leftovers and have to do turkey all over again. But it’s tradition.

Funny enough, most Brits I know don’t like turkey and only eat it once a year on Christmas. They complain for weeks prior to the day, but eat the bird for tradition’s sake. At least we’re all in it together.

Traditional British Christmas Food: Sides

Beyond turkey, traditional British Christmas food usually consists of stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and parsnips.

Redcurrant jelly, Yorkshire pudding, pigs in blankets, and other sides and condiments figure in as well. Every family has its own take on the meal, so variations are common.

And then there’s bread sauce. I’d never heard of bread sauce before moving to London, but it’s a key part of Christmas dinner in the UK for many families. And it’s delicious.

Made from milk thickened with bread crumbs and accented with spices, it doesn’t look like much, but it’s divine with turkey. And stuffing. And pretty much everything else on a Christmas dinner plate. Seriously. It’s worth a try.

Traditional British Christmas Desserts

When it comes to dessert, Christmas pudding is the most traditional British Christmas food. There are lots of variations on this steamed suet pudding, but it’s essential for many households on the 25th of December.

Christmas pudding is often served with alcohol poured on top and lit on fire, adding a theatrical element to its presentation when it’s brought to the table.

This traditional British Christmas food isn’t to everyone’s taste, but like turkey, it’s the done thing. My grandmother used to make it with me as a child, and even after all these years I’m still acquiring a taste for it.

For those that can’t (or won’t) acquire a taste for Christmas pudding, there are plenty of other British Christmas sweets to try.

Mince pies, for one. Despite the name, they’re not made of mince meat (although they once were, which is where the name comes from).

They’re tiny pies filled with a preserve made from dried and candied fruit, apple, suet, and spices steeped in rum or brandy.

There are lots of Christmas cakes and trifles as well. Shortbread and Yule logs are popular in some parts of the UK, too. Basically, you’re spoiled for choice.

Traditional British Christmas Drinks

As far as drinks go, there are fun ones to compliment traditional British Christmas food.

While champagne, wine, and beer are often drunk before, during, and after Christmas dinner in the UK, other drinks are enjoyed throughout the run-up to December 25th.

Mulled wine is my favorite, and it’s a staple throughout the festive season in Britain. Made from hot wine and spices, it’s a great winter warmer.

Winter Pimm’s is another fun one. Made from Pimm’s No. 3, which is brandy-based and flavored with cinnamon, orange, and caramel, it’s ideal for the Christmas season.

Most people add warm apple juice and slices of apple and orange to make a Winter Pimm’s cocktail.

Traditional British Christmas Food

I hope this traditional British Christmas food guide has introduced you to some new classic dishes and inspired you to try some recipes at home.

Above all, I hope you have a festive, healthy Christmas (or other holiday) season this year. Happy eating!

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