Luxuriate Life has despatched its very own pixies this festive season far and wide to search out the most delicious Christmas food for 2021 available throughout the realm to accompany this annual repast. So go on, enjoy, be good to yourself, we all deserve it:
Christmas food for 2021 – experiences
A classic Christmas at The Dorchester
Prepare for some festive scenes at The Dorchester with the famed Christmas tree in the lobby, standing next to the giant clock, counting down to Christmas Eve. Adults and children alike can pen their letter to Father Christmas on bespoke stationery, before having it stamped at the front desk and posted in a traditional red post box, to be magically whisked away to Father Christmas’s sorting office. New for 2021, The Dorchester has introduced a hidden, festive cinema snug, where guests can watch all of the much-loved classic films with a selection of movie snacks, comfy sofas and hot chocolate. There will of course be the traditional Afternoon Tea on The Promenade as well as festive experiences at The Grill with Tom Booton and at The Bar, where Bar Manager Giuliano Morandin is celebrating his 40th year.
Christmas at Shangri-La at The Shard, London
The 50th anniversary celebrations continue and this Christmas, you will be transported to the Austrian Alps as the hotel transforms into après ski wonderland inspired by the brilliant General Manager, Kurt Macher. On the ground floor, Bar 31 will launch new cosy outdoor chalets with twinkling fairy lights, serving hearty Austrian snacks, cheese and warming glühwein. Inside, you will find a magical Alpine gingerbread village, ski gondola and an architecture-inspired Christmas tree made from sustainable, re-usable materials by local contemporary architect Charles Holland.
With Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve celebrations also planned, TĪNG Lounge will launch a new Alpine Afternoon Tea to enjoy alongside wintry views over London, with a warm turkey and cranberry sausage roll and freshly baked scones accompanied by Austrian savouries such as smoked trout and pretzels spread with Liptauer, finished with delicate traditional Austrian pastries including Sachertorte and Black Forest Gâteau.
Festivities at The Dilly, London
The Dilly will be hosting luxury wreath-making masterclasses in collaboration with Pulbrook & Gould with the first event taking place on the evening of Monday 6th December and bookable via Pulbrook & Gould’s website. The intimate classes will be run by experienced florists and accompanied with a glass of Chapel Down English sparkling wine, London sourced soft drinks and canapés.
The Dilly’s restaurant, Terrace at The Dilly, sits under glass slanting ceilings and is home to the only outdoor terrace overlooking Piccadilly. You can dine with the feeling of being outdoors but sheltered from the cold, with Piccadilly’s Christmas lights shining from the street below. This Christmas, The Dilly’s Official Peter Rabbit™ Afternoon Tea brings to life the classic story by London author Beatrix Potter, with a festive twist for children and adults alike. Seven days a week, the festive afternoon tea will feature a selection of savoury and sweet treats finished with an edible snowman made from meringue.
Aqua Kyoto London
Dinner at Aqua Kyoto combines Christmas, New Year and everything in between. The multi faceted venue also houses innovative Spanish restaurant Aqua Nueva but the Japanese food really won us over. Before the food, check out the all weather terraces for outdoor dining, drinking and socialising. The attention to detail is brilliant throughout with charming staff, brilliantly executed cocktails (try the El Jerez with Don Julio, a clever twist on a Tommys Margarita with a touch of sherry) and outstanding food.
The menu has something for everyone. Try a bit from each section and share. Chu-toro mid fatty tuna was a highlight – such a quality piece of fish adorned with a little black vinegar to bring out the flavours. The soft-shell crab tempura, tuna tataki and lamb chops from the robata grill are also firm favourites. You can book your New Year’s Eve party tickets here too.
The famous silk handkerchiefs at Bancone
Bancone
The amazing and rather delicious Bancone will be serving up its famous pasta dishes to revellers over the festive period and of course this New Year’s Eve. Look out for exquisite seasonal dishes including native lobster, semi-dried tomato, chilli & bucatini, goat cheese, spinach and nutmeg mafalde (the ribbon shaped one) and pappardelle, sautéed chicken livers, brandy & sage. Yum.
The Epicurean Experience
For the barbecuer who’s looking to improve their grill skills, why not give them a unique experience this Christmas by booking them on one of the fun-filled barbecue courses available at the Weber Grill Academy? Offering friendly hands-on tuition, the courses will inspire grilling confidence to help discover just what is possible on a Weber barbecue. 2022 courses include Barbecue Classics, Smoke House Barbecue and more! The course teaches must-have barbecue skills such as lighting, controlling temperature and how to tell when the food is cooked to perfection.
From – www.weber.com
Price | £99 per person – Barbecue Classics Level One Course
Christmas food for 2021 – Hampers and more
Harvey Nichols Hampers
They are back and better than ever before. Harvey Nichols’ range of 75 hand-picked selections includes alcohol-free hampers for the tee-total, food hampers for the culinary connoisseurs, and wine and spirits hampers for the drinks devotees. For a truly luxurious treat, there is also a range of beauty hampers too. Their chocolate hamper comes with a chocolate-infused Christmas pudding and panettone for the big day, hot chocolate and shortbread flecked with chocolate chips while opening presents, and all manner of naughty nibbles, sumptuous sweets and decadent delights.
From – www.harveynichols.com
Price | From £35
Post Party Survival Kit from SUPPER London
This essential kit from Le Deli Robuchon is exclusively available via SUPPER London. The kit is available until 3rd January 2022 only on SUPPER London and includes: two fresh ginger shots, croissants, pains au chocolats, brioches with jam, two fruit salads, a Malakoff chocolate spread pot, two bottles of Alain Millat orange juice and a half bottle of Laurent Perrier Champagne. SUPPER London also delivers quality food and drink from the capital’s finest restaurants and retailers including Fortnum & Mason and Nobu.
From – supper.london
Price | £85 (serves two)
East India Company Hampers and Gifts
This Christmas, fine food brand The East India Company is delighted to be helping us to ‘reconnect the world’ with its range of curated hampers and gift boxes bursting with goodies from the four corners of the world to suit everyone’s taste and pocket. All baskets and gift boxes come in three sizes and can be filled to order with The East India Company’s range of goodies that tell tales of exotic travels and adventures, many of which are made to their own recipe. The ideal present for the naturally curious.
The Fine Foods Adventure Luxury Hamper is a classic selection of limited-edition Christmas festive treats, made using the finest ingredients from all over the world. An ode to celebration and festive cheer including three mouth-watering festive teas, 12 Spice Biscuits, Gingerbread Coffee, Himalayan Salt & Caramel Drinking Chocolate and some indulgent truffles, in a hand-made wicker basket hamper.
From – www.theeastindiacompany.com
Price | Varies
Dukeshill Hampers
The quintessential British range of carefully curated hampers and gourmet gift boxes from Dukeshill tick many boxes as they are renowned for their uncompromising attitude towards provenance and quality, holding the ultimate accolade, a Royal Warrant to HM The Queen for cured hams. With a Christmas collection comprising of everything you need to wow food aficionados this festive season, the It’s a Wonderful Life hamper includes that Dukeshill Wiltshire Ham and its signature traditional Oak Smoked Salmon. The savoury selections also include Isle of Mull Cheddar, Cote Hill Blue Cheese, a Boxing Day Chutney, Pork Rillettes made for Dukeshill in France and many other sweet treats.
From – www.dukeshillham.co.uk
Price | £150 (It’s a Wonderful Life hamper)
Tracklements
The Wiltshire based company of Tracklements make a range of over 50 products which should be carefully stored in your larder. No Christmas Day feast or Boxing Day spread is complete without the Tracklement’s Festive Four suitable for vegans – these merry condiments, include their Christmas Spice Chutney, which contains a host of festive spices, and their Cranberry, Port & Orange Sauce, which cuts through rich meats like turkey and goose with its tingling tartness. The set also features Spiced Plum Chutney and Sticky Fig Relish. There’s also an enticing four set Cheese Collection.
From – www.tracklements.co.uk
Price | From £13.20
Dine in the Lakes
The award-winning artisan food & drink experiences from the heart of the Lake District comes straight to your home. So what better gift to give this Christmas than a taste of the Lakes? With more Michelin Stars than any other region and with prime time shows on the artisan food in Cumbria, this area is becoming THE foodie destination in the UK. There are a wide variety of boxes and hampers but The Grand Charcuterie box oozed quality, beautifully gift-wrapped in sustainable, temperature-controlled packaging with a posy of dried flowers. It includes a Five Grain Rye Bloomer, Cumbrian Chorizo, Black Truffle Salami & Basil & Oregano Salami, cheeses, chutney, olives and smoked almonds.
From – dineinthelakes.co.uk
Price | £75 (Grand Charcuterie box)
Fine Food Specialist
The name says it all. The online shopping destination for top quality produce and hard-to-find ingredients, have a decadent Christmas range with truffle sets, caviar hampers and other gastronomic treats. Gifts include: The Ultimate Truffle Cheese Board, The Truffle Teaser Tray, The Imperial Caviar Hamper and many more. Importantly, all their ingredients are sourced from passionate suppliers who share the same ethos of attention to detail and uphold only the highest standards of quality.
From – www.finefoodspecialist.co.uk
Price | Varies
Cambrook Extraordinary Nuts
No home should be without these delicious products from premium nut brand Cambrook Foods this Christmas. Normally seen in the bars of such luxury hotels as The Ritz, The Savoy and Claridge’s, they can also now be enjoyed at home – imagine Hickory Smoke Seasoned Almonds & Cashews or Baked Truffle Nuts with a glass of wine. You’d be nuts not to give them a go.
From – www.cambrookfoods.co.uk
Price | £14 for the two-jar gift set
Field and Flower
Voted the UK’s #1 Online Butcher Shop that supports British farmers and fishermen, Field and Flower offer a wide selection of gourmet goodies. For Christmas, they have launched a range of Christmas Boxes, Cheese Boards and Festive Hampers to gladden the heart of any gastronome, delivered straight to your front door!
Their Luxury Christmas Hamper is suitable for five to seven people and includes Scottish Smoked Salmon, Barber’s Black Wax Cheese, a Truffle Bomb, Somerset Charcuterie Selection, a pack of MOR Rye & Buttermilk Snap Crackers, nine mini Tracklements Jar Gift Pack and a mini ham, honey and clove.
From – www.fieldandflower.co.uk
Price | £61.95
Christmas food for 2021 – Cheese
La Fromagerie
This is the ideal spot to turn to this Christmas for every cheese need – from creating the dream cheeseboard to beautifully curated cheese boxes and selection boxes to gift throughout the festive season. With over 200 cheeses in their London stores, the online shop also has a huge range of cheeses, cheese board selections plus gift boxes ideal for a unique Christmas present like the Fondue Savoyarde Box with Beaufort Chalet d’Alpage, Comte d’Estive & Emmental Francais Grand Cru cheese. This also comes with some Chignin Vers Les Alpes wine and a full on Boska Fondue Baker.
From – www.lafromagerie.co.uk
Price | £90 (Fondue Savoyarde Box)
Graceburn from Blackwoods Cheese Company
This needs to be on your Christmas Cheeseboard! The first and only cheese maker in the UK to produce Graceburn, a rich, soft and creamy feta-like marinated cheese from raw cow’s milk, Blackwoods makes all its cheese from fresh organic milk sourced from a local dairy herd.
Having been marinated in cold pressed rapeseed oil from a local Kent supplier, the cheese takes on the flavours and the silky, luscious texture of the oil. With a similar texture to Feta, Graceburn is ideal within salads, as part of Christmas canapés or added to the festive meal.
From – www.thefoodmarket.com
Price | £6.25
Christmas food for 2021 – For furry companions
Lily’s Kitchen
Let’s not forget our furry companions this Christmas! Lily’s Kitchen, the award-winning producer of proper food for pets – has announced that its limited-edition and highly popular Christmas range for cats and dogs is back and better than ever.
From advent calendars and full Christmas dinners to festive flavoured treats, there’s something for all four-legged friends to get their paws on this Christmas.
From – www.lilyskitchen.co.uk
Price | From £10 for an Advent Calendar for either a dog or a cat
Christmas food for 2021 – Sweet Tooth
Montuzuma’s
From advent calendars and stocking fillers to vegan Christmas chocolate gifts, Montezuma’s 2021 Christmas chocolate range features some firm favourites and some delicious new treats. The extra special Christmas chocolate hampers bring together the best of their Christmas chocolate bars, truffles and more but the highlight is a giant chocolate Christmas tree decorated with gold leaf. Made with rich dark chocolate, smooth milk chocolate and creamy white chocolate, and weighing in a whopping 1600g, this solid chocolate Christmas tree is the equivalent to 18 of their chocolate bars.
From – www.montezumas.co.uk
Price | £99.99 (giant tree)
Artisan du Chocolat
Created with Artisan’s unique expertise and passionately crafted from the finest ingredients
from around the globe, the ultimate advent calendar presents pistachio pearls to spiced fig caramels, chocolate covered apricot and tonka ganache and coated fruit and nuts. This elegant and vibrant Advent wreath is crafted with passion to provide a daily indulgent treat and 12 precious drawers of hidden treasure to feast on over the festive period. There is also a range of other products including gold caramels, filled crackers and other stocking fillers.
From – www.artisanduchocolat.com
Price | From £4.99
Play in Choc
Countdown to Christmas with PlayinChoc’s famous, eco-friendly advent calendar. Behind each of the 24 windows, you will find a super-cute festive toy plus one of their creamy chocolates and a fun facts card. That’s three treats every day of advent December! The chocolate is vegan, plant based, natural, organic and free from 14 of the main allergens. The brand is also plastic free, zero waste and 100% recyclable.
From – www.playinchoc.com
Price | £55
Cartografie
For Christmas 2021, Cartografie has launched their first ever limited-edition advent calendar, made up of 25 individually boxed pralines, ganaches and discs inside a bespoke wooden box.
The array of chocolates, created by Head Chocolatier Kae Shibata, include Cartografie best sellers as well as brand new creations just for the festive period such as a Japanese Christmas classic themed cube with Shotokeki ganache and Lapin Rouille champagne and demerara sugar ganache encased by Vanuatu cocoa for the big day.
From – www.cartografiechocolate.com
Price | £155
Hope and Story
Voted as one of the 1000 most influential Londoners, Aneesh Popat is on a mission to change the world one chocolate at a time with his luxury chocolate brand The Chocolatier. His clientele includes Michelin restaurants, luxury hotels and department stores. Their signature range of chocolates supplied to Michelin starred restaurants feature dark, milk and white truffles, handmade with the finest ingredients by a team of expert chocolatiers.
From – www.hopeandstory.com
Price | £27
Niederegger
Snap up a wonderfully festive wonderland design Santa Chocolate & Marzipan Advent Calendar from the world’s finest marzipan maker – Niederegger based in Lubeck, Germany this Christmas.
This Advent Calendar is filled with an assortment of dark and milk chocolate pralines, croquant with milk chocolate, flambeed marzipan and marzipan.
From – www.johnlewis.com
Price | £35
Willies Cacao El Magnifico Chocolate Lover’s Hamper
We love a hamper at Christmas here at Luxuriate Life Towers and for us chocoholics, the excitement is at its highest with the delivery of a Willies Cacao treat! These luxury chocolate hampers make the perfect gifts for foodies and chocolate lovers alike as they contain not only the finest bean to bar chocolates but specialities like Hazelnut Chocolate Spread and Cacao Nib Brandy. There’s a range to suit every palate but we can’t resist El Magnifico suitable for dark chocolate lovers and vegans.
From – www.williescacao.com
Price | £75
All imagery courtesy of the brands featured. Leading image courtesy of The Dorchester Collection.