Food Rebels’ Guide to Christmas Food
Food Rebels Festive Entertaining Guide 2025
This is your go to companion for eating well, hosting happily and keeping spirits high all the way through December. Whether you are planning a full scale feast, curating a cosy gathering or simply trying to stay afloat during the busiest cooking month of the year, this guide brings together the standout products AJ and Clare discovered on air during the Christmas Food Show.
From flavour boosters that transform gravy into something glorious, to party bites that save you when guests appear at the door, to indulgent puddings that make the whole table fall silent, everything here has been tasted, talked about or thoroughly enjoyed by your Food Rebels hosts. These are the things that make festive cooking easier, more delicious and a lot more joyful.
Think of it as your handpicked Christmas shopping list, filled with small luxuries, smart shortcuts and the kind of British food stories we love to champion. Grab a mug of something warm, settle in and let the festive inspiration begin.
Borough Broth Co’s Organic Free-Range Chicken Bone Broth is great for knockout Christmas gravy and cosy winter sipping – £6.95
Borough Broth Co’s Organic Free Range Chicken Bone Broth is slow cooked for up to 24 hours using British organic bones, herbs and vegetables with absolutely nothing artificial, resulting in a broth that is naturally rich, clean tasting and full of collagen. On the show, AJ admitted that she uses this broth constantly at home, calling it her secret ingredient for a deeper, more luxurious gravy, while Clare was genuinely surprised by how delicate and nourishing it tasted straight from the mug.
Stir it into turkey or pork gravy for instant depth or enjoy it warm when the festive rush begins to bite. Few things feel as grounding during the Christmas whirl.
Soleau Waters Still and Sparkling Welsh Spring Water is great for stylish festive hydration – £1.45 for 330ml
Soleau’s still and sparkling Welsh spring water offers crisp, exceptionally pure hydration in elegant 330ml cans. Produced in the Usk Valley, the water has a natural sweetness from its mineral base and arrives in packaging smart enough to place proudly on any drinks trolley. During the tasting Clare loved the gentle fizz of the sparkling can, while noting that unlike many sparkling waters, it had no metallic edge and felt genuinely refreshing.
It is ideal for mocktails, festive spritzes or simply keeping the host hydrated between glasses of champagne. New functional sparkling flavours will arrive in 2025, with sign-ups open on the website.
Herbamare Herb Sea Salt Trio is great for easy, everyday flavour boosting – £3.25 for 125g
During the show AJ and Clare kept returning for more, amazed by how clean and umami rich each blend tasted.
Herbamare is made in France using sea salt infused with fresh organic herbs and vegetables that mature for up to a year, a process that creates remarkable savoury depth. The classic Herb Sea Salt brings aromatic richness; the Spicy version combines chilli, red pepper and seaweed for a gentle festive heat; and the Low Salt version offers 99.9 per cent less sodium without losing flavour.
Clare found the Low Salt variety almost indistinguishable from full-salt seasoning, while the Spicy version delivered a slow building warmth that took them both by surprise. All blends are vegan, gluten free and free from additives, and are perfect for roast potatoes, soups, broths, ramen and quick seasoning during frantic festive cooking.
Higgidy Festive Rolls and Party Bites are great for easy entertaining and crowd pleasing snacks – from £1.50 for sausage rolls
Higgidy’s 2025 festive range is packed with comforting, ready to heat favourites ideal for grazing boards and drop in guests. New this year are the Pigs in Blankets Inspired Sausage Rolls made with bacon jam, alongside the Brie and Cranberry Veggie Rolls with vintage Cheddar. Returning favourites include the Beechwood Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Little Quiches and the Cheddar and Spinach Muffins.
On air, AJ and Clare found themselves unable to stop tasting, with Clare especially smitten by the Brie and Cranberry Veggie Roll and AJ openly admitting she had already eaten a large slice of Higgidy quiche for lunch before recording. They both agreed the food felt rustic and homemade, making it an effortless hosting win.
Northern Pasta Co British Spelt Pasta is great for lighter meals during the festive season – £4.95
AJ and Clare discussed how useful it is to have a lighter meal option during December, especially when rich roasts start to feel overwhelming.
Northern Pasta Co produces beautifully textured Fusilli and Rigatoni made from British grown spelt and traditionally bronze extruded for maximum sauce cling. It cooks in just a few minutes, feels gentler on the stomach than wheat pasta and makes a thoughtful stocking filler. For Christmas 2025, 50p from every bag sold will support School Food Matters, helping children access nutritious meals.
AJ’s daughter calls the Radiatori shape the “hair clip pasta” because of its wiggly curves, and both presenters noted how brilliantly the pasta holds sauce thanks to its high surface area.
Simply Ice Cream: Festive Flavours Collection is great for indulgent puddings and Christmas dessert tables
Simply Ice Cream creates small batch, traditionally handmade ice cream using real, natural ingredients and around 45 per cent double cream, making it one of the creamiest artisan ice creams you can buy. The festive collection includes Mince Pie, Christmas Pudding, Cinnamon, Stem Ginger and Marmalade and the iconic Heavenly Honeycomb, which has won three Great Taste stars. Everything is made the way ice cream has always been made, using Kenwood mixers in small vats, with real ingredients folded through the base.
On the show, AJ and Clare could barely stop tasting. Clare described the Mince Pie flavour as “soft pastry melting in my mouth”, while AJ declared the Christmas Pudding ice cream “better than Christmas pudding itself”. The stem ginger and marmalade was bright and aromatic, and the cinnamon flavour felt, as Clare put it, “like a warm hug that melts into your mouth”. When they reached Heavenly Honeycomb, both presenters agreed it was still the standout, packed with pieces of honeycomb made fresh at the factory each morning.
The richness means you only need a small scoop, making it a perfect dessert for sharing or offering as an alternative to traditional Christmas pud. And even better, Simply Ice Cream ships nationwide, so wherever you are in the UK you can have these festive flavours delivered straight to your door.
HelloFresh: Christmas Dinner Box and Festive Menu is great for effortless hosting all season long
HelloFresh removes much of the stress of Christmas cooking with a festive menu designed and tested by in house chefs. From 30 November, customers can choose from 16 new dishes within a wider selection of more than 50 recipes. Highlights include the Ultimate Christmas Sandwich, Christmas Sausage Stuffing Tacos, Pancake Snowmen, Festive Pulled Teriyaki Beef Bao Buns with Sesame Wedges, the Roasted Beef Joint, Brussel Sprouts Merry Mac and Cheese and Maple Glazed Bacon and Asparagus.
The idea is to make every gathering from Friendsmas to the big day feel manageable and delicious. AJ and Clare agree that this kind of menu planning tool can be a lifesaver, especially when juggling parties, late December fatigue and a house full of hungry guests.
Zonin Prosecco Rosé Brut DOC Millesimato 2024. A beautiful Italian Sparkling Wine is great for festive celebrations and party pours – £20.99
On air, AJ and Clare talked about this as the perfect party bottle, an excellent option for hosts who want something lively, reliable and good value for groups. Zonin Prosecco is an elegant but approachable sparkling wine from one of the oldest winemaking families in Italy, which offers a celebratory sparkle that suits everything from pre-dinner drinks to larger gatherings when you want something a little special without opening a bottle of champagne.
They did not taste it during the show, but they highlighted its pedigree and ease of drinking, positioning it as a well judged choice for entertaining throughout December. Light, crisp and crowd pleasing, it is the kind of fizz that keeps the mood lifted without overwhelming the palate.
Champagne Bruno Paillard: Première Cuvée Extra Brut is great for toasting Christmas and New Year in style – £48
On the show, AJ and Clare described it as the kind of bottle you bring out for Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve, a champagne to savour rather than rush. Champagne Bruno Paillard’s Première Cuvée Extra Brut is the house’s flagship champagne and a sophisticated choice for the most special moments of the season. The blend brings together Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, with 20 per cent fermented in barrel, and draws on a perpetual reserve now in its 40th year, creating remarkable depth and finesse. A standard bottle is £48, with a magnum available at £99, and both can be ordered from Wanderlust Wines.
Although they did not taste it live, they treated it as a luxurious, beautifully made expression of classic French sparkling wine and a worthy upgrade for your most meaningful festive toasts.
