England · Scotland · Wales · Ireland
British Isles Cuisine, Kitchen & Dining
The traditions behind the food: afternoon tea, British baking, the Sunday roast. Recipes that belong to them, tools to plan them, and honest guides to the kitchen and table that make them work.
New this week
Fresh from the kitchen
Recipe · 45 min
Pigs in Blankets
Often the first thing to disappear from the Christmas plate: chipolatas wrapped in streaky bacon, roasted until sticky and crisp.
Kitchen design
Christmas Leftovers: How to Store Them Safely
How quickly to cool the turkey, how many days leftovers keep in the fridge, and what freezes well, from the Food Standards Agency.
Buying guide
Nutmeg Graters and Spice Mills for Christmas Baking
Freshly grated nutmeg tastes nothing like the jar. The small graters and mills that make whole spices easy.
Recipe · 2 hr 30 min
Sherry Trifle
Sponge soaked in sherry, fruit, thick custard and whipped cream: the make-ahead pudding that has graced Christmas tables for generations.
Kitchen design
Declutter Your Kitchen Before Christmas: A One-Weekend Plan
Clearing out now makes room for Christmas food and gadgets. A cupboard-by-cupboard plan you can finish in one weekend.
Buying guide
Trifle Bowls: Show Off Every Layer
A trifle is only as good as the bowl that shows off its layers. Size, footed versus flat, and glass that copes with the fridge.
Cuisine
Explore the British Isles
English Food
Roasts, pies, puddings and regional bakes from Yorkshire to Cornwall.
Scottish Food
Shortbread, oats, smoked fish and the Burns supper.
Welsh Food
Welsh cakes, bara brith, lamb and leeks.
Irish Food
Soda bread, stews and the breads of the Irish kitchen.
Northern Irish Food
Griddle breads, the Ulster fry and home baking.
Kitchen
Kitchen design & decor ideas
Kitchen design
Christmas Leftovers: How to Store Them Safely
How quickly to cool the turkey, how many days leftovers keep in the fridge, and what freezes well, from the Food Standards Agency.
Kitchen design
Declutter Your Kitchen Before Christmas: A One-Weekend Plan
Clearing out now makes room for Christmas food and gadgets. A cupboard-by-cupboard plan you can finish in one weekend.
Kitchen design
Hosting Christmas in a Small Kitchen
Feeding ten from a galley kitchen is possible. How to free up worktop, oven and fridge space, and the jobs to do before the day.
Kitchen design
The Christmas Larder Checklist: What to Stock and When
A printable checklist of what to buy in November, what to leave until Christmas week, and how long each keeps.
Kitchen design
How to Set a Christmas Table: Place Settings, Crackers and Centrepieces
The cutlery order that never confuses anyone, where the crackers go, and a centrepiece that still leaves room for the turkey.
Kitchen design
Kitchen Fire Safety: Alarms, Fire Blankets and Chip Pans
Most home fires start in the kitchen. The alarm that belongs there, what to do if a pan catches fire, and why water makes it worse.
Kitchen design
Kitchen Condensation and Mould in Winter: How to Stop It
Streaming windows are a warning sign. Why kitchens get condensation in winter, the habits that cut it, and when mould is a health risk.
Kitchen design
Buying Vintage and Antique Kitchen Furniture: What to Check
Old dressers, tables and chairs bring real character, and real pitfalls: woodworm, wobbly joints and old lead paint.
Kitchen
Bake & cook
Guides
Choose well
Buying guide
Baking Beans: Blind Baking Without a Soggy Bottom
Ceramic beans, metal chains or dried pulses: what to use for blind baking, and how to do it properly.
Buying guide
Baking Trays and Bun Tins: What You Need
Flat baking sheets, deep trays and bun tins: which to own for biscuits, scones and mince pies.
Buying guide
Biscuit Cutters for Christmas Baking
Stars, trees and gingerbread people: the cutters worth having for Christmas biscuits, and how to keep their shapes sharp.
Recipes
Traditional bakes & classics
Recipe · 45 min
Pigs in Blankets
Often the first thing to disappear from the Christmas plate: chipolatas wrapped in streaky bacon, roasted until sticky and crisp.
Recipe · 2 hr 30 min
Sherry Trifle
Sponge soaked in sherry, fruit, thick custard and whipped cream: the make-ahead pudding that has graced Christmas tables for generations.
Recipe · 6 hr 40 min
Christmas Pudding
Today is Stir-up Sunday, the traditional day to make it: everyone stirs and makes a wish, and the pudding matures until Christmas.
Recipe · 3 hr 20 min
Irish Spiced Beef
Cork's Christmas tradition: beef rubbed with spices and sugar for a week, then simmered and served thinly sliced. Start it now.
Recipe · 25 min
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts
The recipe that wins over sprout sceptics: crisp-edged sprouts fried with smoky bacon and sweet chestnuts in 15 minutes.
Recipe · 1 hr 30 min
Macaroni Pie
Macaroni cheese baked inside a crisp hot-water crust: the Scottish bakery classic that sounds odd and tastes brilliant.
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