The thought of allowing someone else to cook your Christmas dinner for you might fill you with dread… or sound like the best thing ever.
f you fall into the latter camp, whatever the reason — you may be sick of the kitchen after a year when most of us have spent more hours in it than ever before, you might have a small number of people around the table and simply don’t want the fuss and waste of the full meal, or you’ve decided that this is the year you break with tradition and opt for something different — Irish restaurants have you covered.
Christmas dinner in a box has not been a widespread offering in Ireland in previous years, but it looks as if it is here to stay. Here are 10 options, from full meals for a gang to simple meals for two, but there are plenty of others all over the country so ask around locally to see if your favourite restaurant or hotel might be doing something similar.
ALLTA EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN BOX, €195, alltabox.ie
Available for nationwide delivery, the Everything in Between Box includes the garnishes, side dishes and little bits and pieces that take time to prepare and cause stress on Christmas Day , leaving you free to concentrate on the turkey and ham.
The box contains charcuterie, cold smoked salmon, shiitake miso butter, rye bread, pistachio and foie gras terrine, potted crab, pickles, Spiced Velvet Cloud yoghurt dressing, red currant jelly, black apple and smoked honey ham glaze, braised red cabbage, chestnut and sausage meat stuffing, turkey gravy, duck fat, Teelings custard (to go with your own pudding), Young Buck cheese and apple and pear chutney, plus a bottle of JM Gobillard Brut 1er CRU champagne.
The quantities are enough for three or four people to accompany the Christmas Day roast, or enjoyed over a few days by one or two people. Order now for delivery on December 23/24.
AVOCA, a la carte menu, avoca.ie
If you live close enough to a branch of Avoca to collect, or within the 10km delivery range of one of its stores (see website for details, not every store delivers), the a la carte Christmas menu lends itself to picking and choosing the things you like best, in quantities to suit the size of your gathering.
Rather than a whole ham, for instance, you can order sliced cooked ham by weight, and there’s boned, stuffed and rolled turkey breast that’s a doddle to cook. All the usual sides and trimmings are available too, ready to pop into the oven, plus a choice of starters, alternative desserts and traditional pudding in various sizes.
BUTLER’S PANTRY ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS DINNER FOR TWO, €79, thebutlerspantry.ie
Available to order online only, for delivery anywhere in Ireland, this meal is fully cooked and just requires reheating. The starter is a smoked salmon and trout terrine with lime crème fraiche, while the free-range turkey and ham main course comes with stuffing, turkey gravy, red cabbage, carrots and roast potatoes.
For dessert, there are mini meringues with raspberry dust, raspberry compote and Madagascan vanilla mascarpone cream.
A simpler meal — the Original Christmas Dinner for Two, priced at €40 — consists of just the main course with all the sides and trimmings and is available to order in all The Butler’s Pantry’s shops for collection.
There is also Christmas Dinner in a Box — everything you need for a group of 8-10 people, prepped and ready to pop into the oven — for €385, including delivery anywhere in Ireland. Last orders are on December 13 for delivery on December 22/23, ask in store re collections.
KATE KEARNEY’S COTTAGE, €30pp, katekearneyscottage.com
The traditional Christmas Day Feast from Kate Kearney’s Cottage near Killarney includes mulled wine, homemade brown bread, soup, turkey, gratin potatoes, roast vegetables, sprouts and gravy plus dessert. The work is done for you and reheating is all that’s required. Available to order for collection at the restaurant from December 21 to 3pm on Christmas Eve.
MICHAELS CHRISTMAS DINNER, from €139, michaelsmountmerrion.clickandcollection.com
Gaz Smith is covering all the bases with his click-and-collect Christmas dinner offering, with feasts for four people priced from €139 (for a daube of beef) or €159 for stuffed turkey ballotine, confit lamb shoulder or slow-roast Irish duck.
Two types of potatoes, roasted vegetables, apricot and red onion stuffing balls, red cabbage, pigs in blankets and gravy are included, and you can add on a starter of pre-prepared crab and prawns in lemon butter, or pate, plus a ham and cheese board if you like.
Gaz promises maximum flavour and minimum stress, with all dishes ready to be popped into the oven while you have a glass of wine, and then brought straight to the table. Available for collection in Mount Merrion on December 21, 22 or 23 or at Higgins’ Butchers in Sutton on December 22 and — book a slot when you order.
MOURNE SEAFOOD, £50, mourneseafood.com
There’s a choice of three starters and main courses in this Christmas dinner for two available for delivery anywhere in Northern Ireland. Options include duck rillettes, smoked salmon and prawn salad or chestnut and roast parsnip soup, followed by stuffed turkey breast ballotine wrapped in parma ham, salmon in puff pastry with creamed leeks, or vegan roast, with all the vegetables and trimmings plus Christmas pudding.
An explanatory video on YouTube gives step by step instructions but there is nothing overly complicated about the cooking/heating here. For collection at the Belfast restaurant or delivery, dates vary according to location.
POULET BONNE FEMME, various prices, pouletbonnefemme.com
Poulet Bonne Femme’s Christmas menu allows you to pick and choose by ordering whichever part of the Christmas meal you wish, without having to take the whole shebang.
(The only downside is that if you want Brussels sprouts, you’ll have to make your own arrangements).
The boned and rolled rotisserie-cooked bronze free-range turkeys from Termonfeckin Farm just need to be re-heated gently. Honey-roast cooked hams, gratin potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy are all available, as are hand-made Christmas puddings.
A regular turkey feeds 6-8 and costs €75, with a larger size also available. Available for collection and delivery within 7km of PBF’s six outlets in Avoca stores on Christmas Eve.
SWEET BEAT, sweetbeat.ie
Carolanne Rushe of Sligo’s popular Sweet Beat has a range of plant-based festive dishes available for pre-order to click and collect. Dishes such as mushroom Wellington and nut roast (€40, serving 6-8, with herby vegetables and gravy to accompany — just pop in the oven while you set the table) make catering for vegans and vegetarians a cinch. For collection on December 22 and 23.
THE TWELVE CHRISTMAS DINNER IN A BOX, from €46 for two, shop.thetwelve.ie
Aimed at those who either don’t have the time or find it too stressful to get Christmas dinner on the table, the Christmas feast from The Twelve in Barna features a centrepiece of turkey and ham hock Wellington with all the trimmings (just pop in the oven), to which you can add everything from lobster bisque to smoked ham cooked on the Green Egg, plus Christmas pudding and a host of other desserts. Order by December 21 for collection at the hotel on Christmas Eve.
VIRGINIA PARK LODGE CHRISTMAS DAY HAMPER, €275, virginiaparklodge.com
Even chefs as experienced as Richard Corrigan find Christmas dinner daunting (he says it has, on occasion, left him a broken man) so this year he has done all the work for you to ensure peace and harmony around the festive table.
The meal serves six and includes herb-crusted smoked salmon, Corleggy goat’s cheese, beetroot and clementine salad, duck rillettes, Sheridan’s crackers and spiced plum chutney, a turkey Wellington with sage and onion stuffing and a red wine and thyme jus, honey and English mustard glazed ham hock, duck fat potatoes, braised red cabbage and kale, cranberry and horseradish relish, Christmas pudding with brandy custard and mince pies, all accompanied by easy to follow instructions and tips from Corrigan himself.
Available for collection from Virginia Park Lodge in Co Cavan and delivery across counties Meath, Cavan and Dublin. Order for delivery by December 10 (confirm delivery date when ordering) and for collection on December 23/24 by December 17.
