How to Outsource Christmas Feasting in London This Year

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, ding dong merrily on high, a partridge in a pear tree: for many of us, Christmas brings warm and fuzzy feelings and the promise of a hearty meal. But what if you don’t want to roast those chestnuts yourself? If you love the festive season, but can’t be bothered with the admin, you’re in luck. London’s best delis, shops, restaurants and pubs offer shortcuts to a no-fuss Christmas, leaving you with more time to do what you want – even if that’s working through a massive tub of chocolates in front of Love Actually. From cosy pubs to Michelin-starred meals at home, here’s how to outsource Christmas feasting in London this year.

Even if you like spending the entirety of Christmas Day in comfy pyjamas, that shouldn’t preclude you from eating like a fancy little lord should you wish. If comfort plus indulgence sounds like your ideal Christmas Day, Simon Rogan’s “Christmas at Home” menu – available to order online – is the fine dining delivery box to go for. In creating its six courses, the pioneering chef and restaurateur has thought of everything: to start, there’s “broth of roasted ibis celeriac infused with fig leaf”. The hits keep coming with Goosnargh turkey with pigs in blankets and every trimming you can think of, including some made with ingredients sourced from Our Farm, the working farm which supplies Rogan’s three Michelin star restaurant L’Enclume in Cumbria, as well as others in his group, including London’s Aulis. Get it ordered and dine on some seriously high-end fare, without having to tear your eyes away from Wallace and Gromit for a second.
simonrogan.co.uk

To get the big day started in style, there are few things better than Panzer’s Breakfast Box. The legendary north London deli sells a convenient but luxe collection of bagels, cream cheese, and smoked, hand-sliced salmon, plus juice and granola, and the team will drop it right to your door. Excellent for lining your stomach for a day of Baileys and falling asleep with your Christmas cracker hat on.
panzers.co.uk

If you’re not an expert, it can be difficult to know where to start with buying wine and cheese without tying yourself up in knots (“What if nobody else likes Wensleydale?”). Help is at hand thanks to south east London cheesemonger Mons. Its Classic Christmas Selection comes with five cheeses, from the very traditional (Colston Bassett isn’t going anywhere is it?) to the enjoyably gooey (Vacherin Tyrode), plus some damson paste. Perfect for enjoying while winding down for the evening after a few rounds of Articulate.
mons-cheese.co.uk

If you’re up for a blowout meal, but don’t fancy the full festive dinner, then book a table at Bob Bob Ricard, one of Soho’s most glamorous restaurants. You’ll get all the sparkle you desire from Christmas, plus the menu’s regular hits – succulent rotisserie chicken, caviar, the famous “Press for Champagne” button – alongside some festive specials: golden truffle croquettes, venison loin, and Christmas pudding souffle. It’s open from midday until 11pm on the 25th, with reservations available now.
bobbobricard.com

If quality ingredients are important to you, but sourcing them feels like a headache that you can’t handle while you’re surrounded by this much wrapping paper and Sellotape, Farm Shop is the place to go. As the name might suggest, what you’re getting here are top drawer meats (including, count them, 36 pigs in blankets), like a 2 kilogram Topside Beef Roasting Joint, and a free-range turkey raised in Winchester. Throw in extras like Wagyu dripping, sausage meat stuffing, and a rub for the turkey, and your entire meat flight is spoken for.
farmshop.co.uk

If all you want to do on Christmas Day is go to the pub, head to Hampstead’s nexus of cosiness The Spaniards Inn for a slap-up five-course feast. For the traditionalists, there’s turkey, prawn cocktail and Christmas pudding; or if you’re all roasted out, you can opt for figs with goat’s cheese followed by a light lemon sole dish and warming apple crumble. It’s guaranteed to imbue you with an almost dangerous level of festive cheer. thespaniardhampstead.co.uk

There’s very little that is more synonymous with spoiling yourself than the words “Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester”. The six-course menu features signature dishes from the Michelin-starred French-Monégasque chef, as well as new festive creations like duck foie gras terrine with baked apple and toasted brioche, and blue lobster with butternut squash. Wine pairings are included in the price.
alainducasse-dorchester.com

We are living in a blessed time for serial procrastinators. If the unthinkable occurs, and you realise on December 25 that you’ve forgotten to buy a panettone, a gift for someone special or even a Christmas pudding, then grocery delivery app Zapp will deliver in minutes. And it’s not just any panettone or pudding; Zapp will deliver the goods from shops like Fortnum & Mason, Marchesi and Lina Stores.
zapp.com