TURKEYS & GEESE

Ellel Free Range Poultry Company Suppliers of poultry to the House of Lords and the Dorchester hotel, this Lancashire farm is home to free-range bronze turkeys and grass-fed Christmas geese. From £68 for a 12lb-14lb turkey or 10lb-12lb goose. Last orders Dec 7; 01524 751200, www.ellelfreerangepoultry.co.uk.

Copas Turkeys In addition to its bronze and white birds, Copas is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a new flock of silver- and gold-feathered rare and heritage-breed birds. It also has a flock of free-range organic turkeys, which are hand-plucked and hung for at least a fortnight. From £70 for a 4½kg-5½kg bird, including delivery; 3kg-4kg crowns from £62.50 (feeds 9-12) and smaller boneless turkey-breast roasts (£40) also available. Last orders Dec 16; 01628 474678, www.copas.co.uk/turkey.

Kelly Turkeys The Kelly family has done much to restore the culinary reputation of the turkey, dismissed for so long as stringy and bland. This year, Paul Kelly has reintroduced his birds to the wild. They forage in bluebell woods by day and roost in trees at night, protected from predators by a pair of collie dogs. The result is the sort of gamey, dense-fleshed, flavoursome bird that the Pilgrim fathers would probably have recognised. Last orders Dec 18; 01245 223581, www.kelly-turkeys.com.

Seldom Seen Farm This rural Leicestershire farm specialises in free-range geese – Rick Stein buys his Christmas goose here – and also does a signature three-bird roast (a boned goose, stuffed with a chicken, stuffed with a pheasant, layered with pork and orange). Geese cost £3.90 per lb; a small three-bird roast, to feed 10-12 people, costs £90, including delivery. Last orders Dec 5; 0116 259 6742, www.seldomseenfarm.co.uk, or buy through Forman & Field.

DO IT ALL

Eversfield Organic The Devon-based company has three hampers, including Bronze (£85), which contains a 5kg bronze turkey or goose, plus chipolatas and award-winning streaky bacon. The Gold (£175) includes all the necessary stuffings, sauces and homemade Christmas pud, and its gammon, pork, steak and pheasant will feed the hordes for days. Last orders Dec 1; 0845 603 8004, www.eversfieldorganic.co.uk.

Forman & Field Famed for its delicate-tasting smoked salmon, this gourmet food company can also do Christmas – from soup to nuts, right down to the gravy and ready-peeled potatoes and veg (£7.95, feeds 4-6). Alongside the classic roasts, there are interesting options for smaller families, such as turkey breast stuffed with chestnuts and wrapped in ham. Last orders Dec 10; 020 8525 2352, www.formanandfield.com.

Daylesford Organic Everything you need for a tasteful and stylish Christmas – if you have the cash. Gourmet hampers, smoked salmon, organic turkey, sweet things, award-winning cheese and chocolates are available. And if you want to do it all in a single phone call, Daylesford has started to do wooden toys and crackers as well. Last orders for hampers Dec 12, other orders Dec 19; 0800 083 1233, www.daylesfordorganic.com.

OTHER MEATS

Sheepdrove This organic farm will send out a giant box of delicious meat to satisfy 12 carnivores on the big day: a 5½kg Norfolk Kelly Bronze organic turkey, 2kg of unsmoked boneless gammon, 250g of unsmoked back bacon, 500g of cocktail sausages and 450g of sausage meat for £110. Last orders Dec 7; 01488 71659, www.sheepdrove.com.

Suckling pig The traditional Christmas dish is actually a boar’s head, but these days, most of us prefer a suckling pig, which is easier to cook. Pugh’s is the home of the suckling pig – either whole (from £100; fit it diagonally in a normal oven), or porchetta (from £60), a boned, rolled and stuffed piglet with citrus peel and spices. Last orders Dec 10, from Forman & Field; 020 8525 2352, www.formanandfield.com.

Game The Scottish mail-order butcher Donald Russell has an interesting selection of game, including hare, venison, pheasant and pigeon. There are also delicious smaller festive roasts, such as ready-stuffed pheasant (£21). Supplied chilled or frozen. Last orders Dec 14; 01467 629666, www.donaldrussell.com.

Beef Supplier of meat to the establishments of Gordon Ramsay, among others, Broad Stripe is the place to go for classic, top-quality cuts. A 4kg rib of Scottish beef, which serves 14, costs £81.40. Last orders Dec 7; 20% off and free delivery on orders of more than £75 – type in the code STIMES at the online checkout and press “apply”; 0800 091 1518, www.broadstripebutchers.co.uk.

Ham For grand, traditional hams, try Dukeshill, which supplies the Queen. My favourite is the flavoursome York ham. Order as soon as possible, as stocks are limited; you can always freeze it. From £39 for half a ham on the bone. Last orders Dec 15; 0845 370 0129, www.dukeshillham.co.uk.

Cured meats George Scott imports pata negra direct from Spain.

A whole shoulder of Iberian acorn-fed ham, aged for two years and weighing about 4½kg, plus a stand, knife and carving manual, costs £90. Contact Scott for a brochure for his hampers of delicious cured meat. Last orders Dec 17; 07708 708739, george@trasierra.co.uk

SMOKED SALMON

Black Mountains Smokery This award-winning firm takes fish from a single, RSPCA-approved sustainable farm in Scotland. It is traditionally salt-cured, then cold-smoked gently over oak. From £28 for a large trimmed side (up to 1kg). Order now, as books close early Dec; 01873 811566, www.smoked-foods.co.uk.

Balik A whole fillet of salmon, smoked, as it was for the tsars. Delicate and horribly moreish, slice off chunks for a lavish snack. £16 per 100g; last orders Dec 20, from Caviar House & Prunier; 020 7409 0445, www.caviarhouse-prunier.com.

Bleikers Some interesting varieties of sliced smoked salmon here, including salmon marinated in beetroot, calvados or whisky. About £7 for 200g pack, from Morrisons, Booths, Budgens and delicatessens.

STUFFING

The Real Meat Company Purveyors of high-quality meat, it has lots of interesting stuffings, including a pork, pecan and orange variety (£8.92 per kg). Plus delicious hams and all the usual birds. Last orders Dec 14; 0845 762 6017, www. realmeat.co.uk.

Swaddles Organic As well as traditional meats and two- and three-bird roasts, you’ll find appealing stuffings here, including cranberry and orange, and prune and walnut. Minimum order £85; last orders Dec 13; www.swaddles.co.uk.

Heal Farm The Persian Fruit stuffing (680g, £7.99) is delicious with rich birds such as duck and goose. This is the place for part-prepared Christmas feasts – this year, it has a 12-bird True Love roast, from a turkey to a boned quail, with eight different stuffings, that feeds 125 and costs £665, including the hamper, roasting tin, muslin and meat thermometer. Last orders Dec 15; 01769 574341, www.healfarm.co.uk.

VEGETABLES

Abel & Coe The Christmas veg box contains potatoes, parsnips, sprouts, swede, carrots, onions, chestnuts, clementines, fresh herbs and a lemon, all for £22.50. Last orders Dec 14; 0845 262 6262, www.abel-cole.co.uk.

Rod & Ben Devon veg, delivered the day after it is picked. A Christmas box, including winter squash, cauliflower, leeks, Swiss chard, salad, roasting and salad potatoes, carrots, parsnips, bananas, apples, clementines, oranges, pears and lemons, plus soup, honey, cheese and ginger beer and lemonade, costs £50 and feeds 10. Last orders Dec 14; 01392 833833, www.rodandbens.com.

SAUCES AND RELISHES

The English Provender Company Its organic wild cranberry sauce won a gold in the Great Taste Awards this year; it’s made with tiny wild Scandinavian cranberries and tastes sweet and sharp. Available from supermarkets nationwide for about £1.60, or at www.englishprovender.com.

Tracklements The Speciality Producer of the Year in this year’s Great Taste Awards has a range of chutneys, mustards and sauces that is both reliably good and wide enough to appeal to all palates. From £2.15, available in delis, butchers and farm shops nationwide. Last orders Dec 3; 01666 827044, www.tracklements.co.uk.

Hawkshead Relish Company All the sauces are handmade at this small, family-run company in the Lake District. Popular for Christmas are the pickled cranberries as an alternative to sauce. Its Christmas Gift Pack (£9.75) contains Christmas and Boxing Day chutneys and a chunky, spicy Michaelmas relish. Last orders Dec 16; 01539 436614, www.hawksheadrelish.com.

Mrs Huddleston Multi-award-winning jelly, jam and relish producer who hand-makes her wares using the best natural ingredients. Last orders Dec 15; 01296 712005, www.mrshuddleston.com .

PUDDINGS

The Authentic Bread Co Home of a multi-award-winning organic pud. Nicely spiced and firm, the secret of its success is probably down to the quantities of organic booze sloshing about in it. 900g, £9.99; 01531 828181 for stockists. From Graig Farm Organics and Abel & Cole; www.graigfarm.co.uk, www.abel-cole.co.uk .

Aunt Alice’s Christmas puddings They are so delicious that Jamie Oliver buys them for his own festive table. Made by Nancy Mahon from her great-great-aunt’s recipe. It’s £11 for a 1pt pudding. Order on 07986 598407; collect from Borough market in London.

Carved Angel Using Eliza Acton’s recipe, this world-famous fruity pud is presented in a ceramic pudding basin, hand-tied in muslin. From £10; last orders Dec 14; 01822 835020, www.thecarvedangel.com.

CAKE & MINCE PIES

Savoir Design This is where to find a sophisticated take on the Christmas cake. Eric Lanlard’s version is stuffed with nuts, fruit and brandy, and delicately gilded with gold leaf for a touch of festive glamour. A 6in-8in cake (£8) serves 6-8. Last orders Dec 10; 020 7978 5555, www.savoirdesign.com.

Popina For an unforgettably stylish centrepiece, the 4½kg Popina luxury Christmas cake, which feeds 40-45 at a sitting, is unbeatable. It’s almost tragic to despoil the decorated white icing, but you should, because underneath is a wonderfully moist and boozy cake. This is what I want for Christmas. £99; Popina.co.uk and Wholefoods Kensington.

Meg Rivers Its traditional yet chic iced cake, presented in a limited-edition Cath Kidston tin, would make a lovely present – especially as £5 from each cake goes to a cancer charity. Large cake, £38; 01608 682858, www.megrivers.com.

Sharpham Park The spelt mince pies may look scarily healthy and wholemeal, but the pastry is deliciously nutty and offsets perfectly the mincemeat inside. Boxes of six, £6.50, from Borough market in London every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from now until Christmas; 01458 844080, www.sharphampark.co.uk.

Forman & Field These mince pies were created by the chef Michael Nadell. Lovely crisp, buttery pastry, a sprinkle of caster sugar and a rich, spicy filling make these irresistible. £9.95 for 12; last orders Dec 10; 020 8525 2352, www.formanandfield.com.

Betty’s The traditional Yorkshire baker makes a celebrated star-topped mince pie stuffed with sherry-soaked fruits. Also pretty Christmas cakes, stollen, puddings and chocs. Box of 12, £16, order by Dec 17; 0845 345 3636. Abel & Cole Tangy mincemeat and crumbly, buttery pastry in these attractively home-made-looking mince pies (£3.75 for six). Last orders Dec 14; 0845 262 6262, www.abel-cole.co.uk.

CHEESE

Fine Cheese Co Famed for its signature boxes of artisanal British cheeses, which can include crackers and pickles for a complete cheeseboard. New this year is the British Supreme Champion box, containing Cropwell Bishop stilton, Montgomery cheddar, Tunworth (a fruity, brie-type cheese) and Celtic Promise (£26). Minimum order £25; last orders Dec 10; 01225 448748, www.finecheese.co.uk.

House of Cheese A huge selection of French cheeses. For a large house party, consider its Cheese Christmas Cake (£80) – a tiered arrangement of stilton, cheddar truckle and soft cheese, which feeds 40, plus chutney and silver-plate servers. Next-day delivery, order as soon as possible; www.houseofcheese.co.uk.

Neal’s Yard Dairy Supplier of fantastic quality British cheese, its special Christmas all-British cheeseboard is a tradition in many a gourmand’s home (£47, including delivery nationwide). Whole stiltons are also available. Last orders Dec 13; 020 7500 7653, www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk.

FRUIT, NUTS & CHOCOLATE

Chococo Lovely seasonal specialities from this Dorset-based husband-and-wife team include gingerbread, nutmeg, whisky-and-Christmas-pudding chocs, or an advent selection (from £23.95, order now) – all beautifully presented; 01929 421777, www.chococo.co.uk.

Rococo Delicious hand-painted, retro-looking chocolate Father Christmases or decorated trees are perfect on the festive table. From £25; order by Dec 10; 020 8761 8456, www.rococochocolates.com.

Walnut Tree Giant platters of dried fruit, attractively arranged and packaged on wooden trays, as well as trays of shelled, mixed, unsalted nuts at reasonable prices. From £5 to £30 for a 3kg platter of dried fruit. Last orders Dec 18; 020 8236 0648, www.the-walnut-tree.co.uk.

Waitrose Christmas nut and dried fruit selection, nicely packaged, available nationwide. £9.99 for a 650g tray.

For the best local produce in your area visit the Times Real Food Directory

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