Wondering when to do your Christmas food shop this year? (2024)

If you’ve ever ventured out last minute on Christmas Eve because you’ve forgotten the bacon for the pigs in blankets, or somehow not remembered to pick up a Christmas pudding, you will probably have vowed never to do the same again. However, many of us will be asking ourselves, which day is best then, when it comes to doing our Christmas food shop?

Given that a lot of the food you’ll be buying is fresh, such as vegetables, fresh turkeys and other festive staples, you don’t want to shop too early and end up with inevitable food waste. But you also don't want to leave it too late in case all of the best or most affordable options have already been snapped up.

That’s why the food waste experts at InSinkErator are sharing the shelf life of some of our Christmas dinner favourites, as well as the best time to do your food shop in order to avoid food waste.

So, when is the best time to do your Christmas food shop?

‘Looking at the respective shelf lives of your Christmas Dinner staples, it appears as though you may want to plan on completing your Christmas food shop around the 23rd December (two days before Christmas) to ensure that all produce is fresh in time for the festive celebrations,' says Jamie Griffin from InSinkErator.

If buying a fresh turkey, the average shelf life is only around two days after you purchase it. However, if you freeze it or buy one that is already frozen, this can increase its longevity by up to a year. But you do have to make sure that you defrost it thoroughly before cooking.

Another festive staple with a surprisingly short shelf life: Brussels sprout. Whether they are loved or loathed, or both, in your household, they have an expected shelf life of around three days. This means you’ll want to make sure to refrigerate and store them appropriately to keep them fresh.

There are other components of our Christmas dinner that can be bought weeks, if not months, in advance. For example, stuffing and gravy have a shelf life of anywhere from 12 to 24 months, so if you don’t end up opening that container of gravy granules this Christmas, they’ll be just as fresh next December 25th.

And as you might expect, early in the morning is usually the best time to do your Christmas food shop, in order to beat the midday influx of shoppers in supermarkets.

What can we do with our Christmas food leftovers?

Despite our best efforts, there is always a proportion of Christmas dinner and festive treats that go uneaten – that's when you should be thinking about what to do with your leftovers.

You can turn what you have left over into different recipes, such as a great turkey curry or even mince pie ice cream, while inedible food waste can often be composted.

'However where composting is not feasible, an InSinkErator food waste disposer is the ideal solution and an alternative to an unwanted food waste caddy in the effort to divert food waste away from landfill and dispose in a sustainable manner,' Jamie suggests.

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