Looking for a small turkey

[ScottishBeth]

I have never hosted Christmas or cooked a turkey (and honestly I hope I never have to). But last year I realised I miss being able to have turkey sandwiches, make soups etc. So I want to get the smallest turkey I can. I know it's ridiculous but we have a big freezer! And I can still do lots with it.

I don't want to just get a crown as I don't just want breast meat. So where am I best looking for a small turkey? Will the supermarkets sell them or do I need to look at local butchers? And when should I be looking?

Our local supermarket takes orders and iirc the smallest you can get is a
4 kg bird. It fed 6 when I bought one but we didn't have huge amount of leftovers. I imagine butchers would be able to get you a small one too.

Supermarket or butchers but get your order in early because if you leave it too late and try to find one on 22nd or 23rd they only seem to have absolute whoppers left.

Supermarkets have small frozen turkeys.

This is really helpful - thank you.

When you say order early, how early is that? When approximately do they open for orders?

I’ve found one in the past, well in advance, in a big Asda. Not free range, though. 🙁 We were going to friends for Christmas and I knew we weren’t going to have a ‘proper’ Christmas dinner (a Swedish fishy one instead) so I wanted one to cook once we were home. Left it in the fridge to thaw slowly while we were away.

Coincidentally seen recently in the co op they sell frozen turkeys £16 for a crown, £17 for a small turkey and then i think it may be £30 or less for the larger one

I got a small one in Sainsbury's last year for the same reason - we were elsewhere for Christmas day but I wanted turkey sandwiches & soup!

If you don't want breast meat, Cook do a frozen stuffed turkey thigh (feeds 6 people but there's not a lot of wastage) that you can just keep in the freezer then cook and slice for sandwiches.