Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Struggling to find anywhere to eat out Christmas day -weird menus

51 replies

Sundaychiller · 05/10/2022 08:52

We are flying on holiday Christmas night so don't want to cook but every menu we have looked at is either £120 plus each or not what I would call a traditional Christmas dinner (think onion bhajis for starter, lamb burgers, funky flavour gravy with turkey or cheap cuts of meat for £80 - £100 a head)(Leicestershire) Is anyone else having this problem? I really don't want to cook so getting desperate now! We don't mind about £80 each but not paying above this

OP posts:
motherofawhirlwind · 07/10/2022 08:55

How about this?

www.whiteswanshawell.com/christmas-2022

Imissmoominmama · 07/10/2022 08:57

I’d go with M&S too. Small Turkey joint, pre prepared veg, and a few trimmings. You’d have more money to spend on a nice dinner on holiday too!

Pung · 07/10/2022 09:04

Sounds like you don't want to cook.

So don't. Is this a matter of family expectation?

PermanentTemporary · 07/10/2022 09:08

M&S every time. Though I'd get on with booking your order ASAP.

sageandbasil · 07/10/2022 09:08

My friend goes to toby Cavery every year

BecauseICan22 · 07/10/2022 09:19

We are away over Christmas. I am bringing our home Christmas forward:

Decorations will go up on the 1st this year.

Weekend of the 17th and 18th of December will be 'Christmas'. Usual traditions will take place.
17th will be Christmas eve.
18th will be Christmas day.

Week commencing all the Christmas paraphernalia will be put away. We fly on the 22nd.
When we get back, house will be tidy, no Christmas hangover and ready for the new year.

We are going to have our usual Christmas dinner etc, just not on the 25th.

BarbaraofSeville · 07/10/2022 09:20

PermanentTemporary · 07/10/2022 09:08

M&S every time. Though I'd get on with booking your order ASAP.

Or you could just go in the shop early on 23rd or 24th December and buy what you need then.

I've never ordered anything in advance, have a list and am prepared to be flexible. I aim to be at Morrisons before 7 am and go to M&S on the way home for anything that was out of stock/didn't look great in Morrisons and have always found the shops to be bursting with everything I need.

I'm usually in and out in no time, unlike all the people queuing round the car park to pick up their pre-orders, half of which is 'unavailable' going by DSis's experience of pre-orders.

Unless you're catering for a dozen or more people, you don't need to order in advance, in my experience.

sashh · 07/10/2022 09:39

Long shot but where are you? Sorry I see you are in Leicestershire.

My local council allows anyone to order meals on wheels. I don't think they charge any extra for Xmas, I can't remember.

Would that be an option?

Motorway services and the airport will be open but it might be burger king.

Local pub or carvery? My local pub it is about £40 a head on Xmas day.

beneathhereyes · 07/10/2022 09:53

As you're in Leicester there will be a lot of Indian/Arab restaurants open if you don't mind doing something different?

kingtamponthefurred · 07/10/2022 09:54

There's no legal requirement to eat a large fussy meal on 25 December, and trying to shoehorn a traditional Christmas lunch into a day when you are going to the airport is a very bad idea. Just do it on another day or not at all.

Roserunner · 07/10/2022 10:05

Table table is £46.99 each if you have one of those near you. The Greene king chains have a variety of restaurants and they are usually around the £50 mark each. Vintage inns are also similar. These are just the ones I've had emails from in the last few weeks so should be plenty of choice. They all do typical roast menu.

caringcarer · 07/10/2022 11:32

The Riftwood in Tamworth was offering a £50 Xmas food. Don't know what is on offer though.

caringcarer · 07/10/2022 11:34

Toby Carvery do a very nice roast dinner. I think they probably step it up a bit at Xmas too.

cultkid · 07/10/2022 11:34

Urgh how frustrating have you tried gastro pubs near the airport instead
Where are you flying from?

BarbaraofSeville · 07/10/2022 11:45

caringcarer · 07/10/2022 11:34

Toby Carvery do a very nice roast dinner. I think they probably step it up a bit at Xmas too.

I think Toby Carvery is perfectly decent, although it does vary between restaurants. The one near us isn't great, but I've been to others that seem nicer.

But I wouldn't pay £53 for a slightly jazzed up multi course festive version of what they sell all the time for £7.99. That's more than enough food for me anyway, so extra courses I'm too full to eat aren't a selling point.

Please tell me they at least serve it to your table for that price, rather than making you queue up at the carvery?

mam0918 · 07/10/2022 12:17

BarbaraofSeville · 07/10/2022 11:45

I think Toby Carvery is perfectly decent, although it does vary between restaurants. The one near us isn't great, but I've been to others that seem nicer.

But I wouldn't pay £53 for a slightly jazzed up multi course festive version of what they sell all the time for £7.99. That's more than enough food for me anyway, so extra courses I'm too full to eat aren't a selling point.

Please tell me they at least serve it to your table for that price, rather than making you queue up at the carvery?

Show quote history

They served it to the table during covid an it was awful, the portion sizes where all off so you would have loads of something you only wanted a dash of and not enough of something you wanted lot of... the whole point of carvery is the DIY nature.

mam0918 · 07/10/2022 12:21

All the people saying do it another day or not at all... thats NOT what OP wants, Christmas day is christmas day if its not on that day its NOT christmas for a lot of people.

If shes not flying until night WHY can't she go to a pub during the day? people going on holiday often do.

People are just being silly

She can also cook, if the flights not until 9pm why on earth would that be hard? cooking dinner doesnt have to be hard work you can buy everything prepared and wack it in the oven/microwave, it what we do and never been a hassle - some people love to martyr themselve over simple tasks.

Rutland2022 · 07/10/2022 12:29

Our local hotel is doing a nice sounding menu for £100pp (we are just over the border from Leics) www.barnsdalelodge.co.uk/brochures/bl-christmas-2022-brochure/

cultkid · 07/10/2022 12:34

But the OP doesn't WANT to cook so why should she? She wants to pay for a dinner a normal classic type of Christmas dinner

I would check pubs near the airport OP

kateandme · 07/10/2022 18:18

Is it just that they haven’t put the Christmas menus up yet?
I can’t think of anyone round here that doesn’t do the traditional Christmas dinner

AsAnyFuleKno · 07/10/2022 18:25

My sister went to a Brewers' Fayre on Christmas last year and found it very good - traditional menu, choice of various meats or vegetarian. Obviously you will pay hugely over the odds wherever you go.

AsAnyFuleKno · 07/10/2022 18:27

Brewers Fayre Menu - www.brewersfayre.co.uk/en-gb/christmas-day-menu

RagzRebooted · 07/10/2022 18:31

newgnashers · 07/10/2022 08:52

If anyone can suggest any good ready prepped food or shortcuts I would be grateful!

I've made toasties and frozen them, so much better than bought frozen ones. Just cook as normal and take out the oven when lightly brown. Freeze flat then bag up. Book from frozen.
I've done similar with parsnips.
Cheesey leeks freeze well. So does stuffing (balls) and yorkies. Also gravy. Then you'd only have to boil/steam some veg.
Cook meat the days before and reheat slicesnin gravy.

I used to cook for a dozen when I had 3 small children and I only managed by starting a month ahead!

RagzRebooted · 07/10/2022 18:32

Roasties. Not toasties.
Though I'd eat toasties for Christmas Dinner if left alone.

Swipe left for the next trending thread