Your Christmas food planning guide

Stir-up Sunday is on on Sunday 24 November this year – a great opportunity to get creative with your family and stir up a delicious Christmas cake or pudding to enjoy during the festive period.

Traditionally, each member of the family take their turn to stir the mixture while making a wish, going from east to west to represent the journey the wise men took in the Nativity story. Lucky charms, such as coins or thimbles were historically added to the mix, and were said to bring good luck to whoever found them – but these days, we’d recommend using only delicious fruits and spices in your pudding or cake.

If you fancy giving it a go this year, try our easy recipes by clicking below, and find all the ingredients you need in store. Missed stir-up Sunday? Don’t worry – you can still make a lovely pudding or cake. Leaving them to mature for longer just means their flavours will have more time to develop, but you can definitely make these recipes closer to Christmas. Plus, don’t miss our Christmas Cake Kit in store – guaranteed to make baking a doddle.

From non-negotiable Christmas condiments, like Collection Cranberry and Port Sauce, to speedy short-cut, favour-boosting ingredients, like our bestselling Roast Potato Seasoning, get your store cupboard shop done early so there’s more time for cosy film nights in with your favourite picky bits. Our favourites? Don’t miss our Collection Peaches in Cognac ­– the best way to elevate a simple pavlova or cake – Collection Festive Chutney ­– a fab addition to homemade sausage rolls or cheese boards – and our Gingerbread Syrup – an easy (and delicious) way to add festive flair to your morning frothy coffee or hot chocolate.

Explore the full range of Christmas store cupboard essentials in store now and click below to see more ways to take your festive food to a whole new level.