5 Christmas pop-ups: where to find ethical and sustainable independent brands IRL
Christmas dinner is arguably the central event of the festive period. It’s all about bringing family and friends together over delicious food that’s been lovingly prepared over hours and perhaps even days.
But, tradition doesn’t mean turkey has to be the party piece of your festive spread. Turkey being the go-to bird for Christmas is more modern than most people think, and only really came into popularity in the 1950s.
It’s linked to the post-war boom; a time after rationing when people started to have more money and relished the opportunity to be able to feed 20 people with just one bird.
However, times are changing. People are increasingly becoming aware of the reality of intensive farming, the ethics behind rearing meat, and are looking for more sustainable options.
At Christmas, we often eat a lot of meat as this time of year is synonymous with rich and indulgent food. But, there’s plenty of alternatives to Christmas turkey. Gamey meats, for example, tick the exciting flavour box. They are also typically more sustainable than mass-produced supermarket turkeys as the animals live longer and better lives.
So, why not consider trying some alternatives to Christmas turkey this year? Here, we explain why ethically-reared goose, venison and duck might be more than worthy options to take centre stage on your Christmas table…
ALTERNATIVES TO CHRISTMAS TURKEY 1:
CHRISTMAS GOOSE
Why goose is a good alternative to Christmas turkey
Goose is a wonderfully juicy, rich and earthy meat which is naturally fatty (to keep the goose warm when paddling in cold water), making it one of the best alternatives to Christmas turkey.
It’s the high fat content that makes the so delicious. Yet it can be quite hard to find goose, yet it has quite a cult following each year. That’s why all retailers selling it suggest putting your order in early, if it is goose you’ve got your heart set on.
Where to buy ethically reared geese
Pipers Farm properly free-range geese
At Pipers Farm, they source their geese from farms who have reared properly free-range geese. This means it will have that intensely rich flavour goose is so often associtaed with, which is largely thanks to the buttery fat that goose has.
Pipers Farm works with small scale family farms who are experts in what they do. The geese are reared slowly on grassy pastures, allowing them to have acres of space to roam around freely – a world away from intensively farmed birds.
The birds also only eat a natural diet of homegrown whole grains. The geese are then hand dry-plucked and hung for 12 days, which helps to develop their flavour further as well as helping to develop great texture. Birds are then delivered fresh.
Abel & Cole’s organic geese
Abel & Cole’s organic geese come from Ben and Alice Moseley’s farm in mid Devon, the UK’s only organic goose producer. It’s owned by the Soil Association Land Trust and here the geese thrive on clover-rich organic pastures and lead a stress-free life, as each bird is bred, hatched, reared in small flocks and butchered on the farm.
Fosse Meadows truly free-range geese
Another truly free grown goose option is the slow grown birds from Fosse Meadow. With a diet of clover-rich and pesticide-free pastures, this is topped up with home-grown wheat that doesn’t have any additives or growth promoters.
The geese are grown to maturity at 6-7 months, which gives them time to develop natural marbling and a layer of fat under the skin. They’re dry-plucked and hung for 7-10 days.
How to cook goose: top tips
When it comes to cooking goose, we spoke to a butcher who advised us that it’s best to roast the whole bird. First, you’ll need to pierce the fatty lumps below the wings to allow the fat to run out. Then place them on the oven bars to cook, and place a pan underneath to catch the fat. Every 20 minutes, the fat will need to be drained. Although this isn’t wasted of course, as it’s the not-so-secret ingredient to ace your roast potatoes (and you’ll have enough to last for the next few months).
Serving tips for goose
Goose has quite a strong flavour, so it’s nicely complemented by festive spices like star anise, fennel, saffron and cinnamon, as it can match them. Try putting an onion and an orange in the neck cavity to give extra flavour during cooking. Then serve with a cranberry or a redcurrant jelly, which is a bit sweeter.
ALTERNATIVES TO CHRISTMAS TURKEY 2:
CHRISTMAS VENISON
Why venison is a good alternative to Christmas turkey
Venison’s rich and dark gamey deer meat is such a good celebration meat, especially in winter. It’s more celebratory than beef, and a sizable haunch wrapped in bacon easily creates that ‘special’ meal feel. It’s also one of the most sustainable meats available, as well as being full of vital nutrients and low in fat.
Where to buy ethically reared venison
field&flower
Offering mostly Red and Fallow deer from across the South West, field&flower has a huge range of venison, from cuts such as haunch, medallions and sausages. The butchers have left the bone in the wild shoulder venison joint for extra flavour while cooking, making this cut perfect for slow roasting.
eattelfit
All of eattelfit’s venison is sourced wild from within the UK. The venison meat is dry aged for seven days to bring out the natural flavour and tenderness before being beautifully butchered by our artisan butchers. As venison is such a diverse meat, it offers plenty of different cuts, including venison loin roast that’s a real showstopper, venison mince for superb lean burgers, or pencil fillets that are great for a light dinner.
Abel & Cole
Using venison from Chris Chappel and Stephen Crouch, who describe themselves as conservationists, the meat comes from woodlands in Hampshire, where the pair manage deer, pheasant, partridge, pigeon, and rabbit. Everything is raised to the highest welfare, where the animals are free to roam and has been since the family business started in 1967.
Choose from cuts such as wild venison shank to the wild venison Christmas feast box.
How to cook venison
The best way to make venison really special is to serve the haunch cut. This is ideal for small parties as it’s about 1.1kg and feeds four people. This cut of meat is very lean and it barely has an inch of fat on it, making it great for a Wellington dish. It should be cooked in a similar way to cooking beef rare, so put it in the oven for 40 minutes, and then let it rest.
Serving tips for venison
Venison should be served medium rare, and the haunch works well with aromatic spices such as cinnamon and juniper, as well as redcurrants, blackberries and quince. Just like goose, it’s a rich meat and can take a lot of flavour, too.
ALTERNATIVES TO CHRISTMAS TURKEY 3:
CHRISTMAS DUCK
Why duck is a good alternative to Christmas turkey
As far as alternatives to Christmas turkey go, duck is also a great option. Duck is far more than the few classic dishes it’s known for. It’s a deliciously rich, tender and indulgent meat that’s surprisingly versatile. Its flavour is really elevated when it’s paired with Christmas flavours like clove and cinnamon, as well as oranges. It can also take a lot of sweetness too, which helps cut through the fat. Just make sure to crisp the skin (see tip below).
Of all three meats, duck is usually the most affordable, especially when compared to goose, duck makes the most cost-efficient option.
Where to buy ethically reared duck
Free-range and organic ducks are generally reared much like geese, spending most of their time roaming around outside, allowing them to naturally behave as they would in the wild, meaning they’re active and healthy. Ducks do graze, but not at the same rate as geese, and they forage for insects as well as being fed organic pellets too. A truly ethically-reared duck means they always have full-body access to water.
Riverford’s organic duck
Riverford’s organic free-range ducks are reared by Ross Gardner, whose family have been farming poultry for half a century on the banks of the River Otter in the Blackdown Hills, East Devon. They are slow-grown and free range, for succulent meat that’s rich in flavour.
You can choose from a whole duck or duck legs or duck breast, both with skin on for crisping.
Pipers Farm’s properly free-range duck
Piper’s Farm rear their own strain of Aylesbury duck, a large duck with pure white plumage, a pink bill, orange legs and feet. Each paddock where the ducks roam have a meandering stream with moving water where the birds can paddle, splash and preen.
It’s little wonder their duck is award-winning, including picking up 2 stars in the renowned Great Taste Awards. They offer a whole duck that is a perfect centrepiece for a festive feast as well as duck breasts and legs. Be sure to check out their duck leg confit, an ancient practice developed in France as a way of preserving fatty meats and intensifying the flavour.
How to cook duck
To get the best results, like any other bird cook the duck whole, as you get the benefit of getting all the fat. As soon as you start portioning it off, you run the risk of having drier meat, whereas the whole bird keeps all the moisture in.
Serving tips for duck
Getting the holy grail crispy skin isn’t always easy. Though if you coat the top in a spiced glaze, which could be made up of a delicious mix of honey and festive spices near the end of the cooking time, it should crips up perfecty. Then serve with a red wine sauce.
Christmas guides:
Best traditional Christmas turkeys
Free-range vs supermarket turkey
Best Festive feasts: from farm to door
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