To buy a supermarket christmas turkey?

[Littleunicorndreams]

It’s my first time hosting christmas for a crowd. I have cooked plenty of xmas dinners but at other houses and I’ve never had to provide the turkey. Everyone else has always had turkeys sourced from good butchers or their local farm shop.

We don’t have a butcher or farm shop that we trust and use regularly? But AIBU to just add one to my Xmas delivery from Sainsbury's
Asking now as I believe I need to order it soon?

If that’s all the budget stretches to then get that.

However if you can afford it get local recommendations on FB and get a butchers one. It will be nicer.

The budget is not too tight - would be ordering a free range bronze one - if that makes a difference?

Waitrose or Ocado would be my personal choice for supermarket meat, they source far more ethically (I know a couple of farmers). But yes, definitely go for supermarket if that's what you have available. A small turkey from our local top notch butcher would cost upwards of £60 and a large one £80/£90 😮

Hi had a lovely Aldi one a few years ago. Top of range but still Aldi.
Also m&s and Waitrose good if you can afford.

I don't think you will notice any difference. Make your life simpler and just do it.

YANBU.

Nfu turkey finder tool will show you local turkey farms.... you can have a look for free range from there

I don't think YABU at all! My step mom always buys Aldi turkeys and I've never actually noticed the difference between that an MILs butchers turkeys (turkey sandwiches for weeks afterwards!)

Once you've got all the trimmings too, I don't think anyway would even know and they definitely shouldn't care. I'd be blooming grateful for you hosting!

Just get an M&S or Waitrose one. They’re as good as lots of local butchers and pre-prepared.

I doubt anyone will notice - I'm sure I wouldn't, once you've got a plate full of everything else. We always have turkey and gammon and pigs in blankets so only actually a tiny amount of turkey so I wouldn't pay ridiculous amounts for one meal.

We've had frozen turkeys for years, taste fine. T@scos is doing a small turkey crown atm for £10, an option could be to try one out before the big day? We're having one tomorrow

Just do it. It's much more about the cooking - if you overcook, it'll be dry. If you cook it well, no one will be able to tell
No need to let guests know where each item of food came from!

I have and will continue too, I can not justify £60 plus on a turkey. As others have said you probably won't notice once you have all the other bits on your plate.

Not to mention all the butter, herbs you add to make sure it tastes nice and not dry.

Aldi!
Honestly, my DH was exhorted to get ours from there and what did I find, when I opened our December Which magazine, but Aldi at the top after mega expensive organic/ farm shop ones. The roasts are apparently good too.
Aldi comes above Waitrose and M & S.
Tesco comes bottom for everything.
Mum's going to Aldi

IMO a proper bronze turkey from
a butcher makes a noticeable difference - it’s my favourite meal of the year. Whether it’s worth the money depends how much money you have. Appledore are good if any local butcher does them. Abel and Cole deliver good turkeys if you’re in London.

(Having said that, I haven’t cooked all the supermarket options so it’s quite possible that the top end Waitrose ones are very nice).

Don't think it matters where it comes from I.e Aldi or a butcher, but a lot of people will choose butcher or farm shop because of the welfare behind that bird so as long as you look out for the red tractor and British labelling on a supermarket bird you can enjoy knowing it has been raised and slaughtered to a high standard of animal welfare.

i cant see it matters, its the trimmings that make the meal imo

I've ordered a Waitrose crown. Used to get a turkey from a local farm but they always gave me a much bigger turkey than I wanted, it was so expensive, would probably be over £100 now and there was loads of waste. Two of us aren't eating it anyway and having a vegetarian alternative.

I've had turkeys and geese from Waitrose about the last three or four times I've done the dinner and they were just as good in flavour as anything from the local farm. Plus I could pick exactly the size I wanted and knew exactly how much I was going to pay, and know I was going to be able to fit it in the oven.

If we didn’t have a village butchers, I would get it from a supermarket.

Its a turkey, it is Christmas dinner, as far as I am aware DNA testing revealing where the turkey came from will take place. Just cook it and let your guests enjoy the fruits of your labour .

We had one from a local family butcher once and then after moving house I bought one from a supermarket. No one could tell the difference!

Yabu for thinking supermarkets won’t do a good turkey - not everyone has budget for posh farm shops

We’re getting a crown from Waitrose but I do my shopping there anyway.

Norfolk blacks are nice but there’s only two of us, I don’t even like turkey 🤷🏻‍♀️

For those who are getting it from Aldi, can you pre order? I normally go to lidl but I would be worried about trying to get the bird I want in the Christmas madness? ( and ending up with a 25kg frozen bird or such like!)