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In this post, I’ll be telling you all about my experience at Bidfood’s Christmas Through Time event including a look back at the origins, history and traditions of Christmas, Christmas 2019 food trends and predictions on what Christmas in Britain might look like in the future.
Christmas came early for me last week when I was invited to celebrate Christmas Through Time with one of the UK’s leading food wholesalers, Bidfood as they launched their Christmas 2019 product range.
Set within the beautiful Clapton Country Club in north east London, Bidfood’s Christmas Through Time event told the tale of Christmas in Britain in the past, present and future, using Christmas 2019 food trend predictions and products from Bidfood’s Christmas 2019 range to illustrate the kinds of festive foods typically eaten at Christmas in Britain during each period.
Christmas in Britain: Past
Stepping into a gloomy room lit only by a colossal chandelier and a few solitary candlesticks dotted around the dinner table, we were greeted by two ladies dressed in traditional working-class costumes from the Tudor and Stuart era complete with cloth dresses, white aprons and dainty bonnets.
After taking a seat around the table, we discovered that we’d each been presented with a sealed, discoloured envelope containing a fact about the history of Christmas in Britain.
As a group, it was our task to ascertain whether each fact was true or false.
It was fascinating to hear about the typical foods eaten during these historical eras. A boar’s head was to the Stuarts what roast turkey is to us today, served with a lemon or lime in its mouth.
Meanwhile, wealthy Stuarts would pack their foods with expensive spices, as in the case of the popular Christmas Pie comprising of meat, game, fruit and suet.
No Tudor Christmas banquet would be complete without Twelfth Night fruit cake, made using dried fruit, flour and honey, with a bean (or coin) and a pea hidden inside. As guests arrived, they’d be handed a slice of cake and whoever found the bean and pea would be crowned King and Queen for the evening.
During the Victorian era, oysters were known as ‘poor man’s protein’ as they would be served as the meat of choice for poor families who couldn’t afford any other cuts of meat or poultry. Another popular dish during this period was Christmas pudding, although not as we know it; the Victorian version of Christmas pudding was more like a porridge made by boiling beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, spices, eggs, breadcrumbs, ale and spirits.
I loved finding out more about how our ancestors celebrated Christmas in the past and it’s even got me thinking about taking a DNA test to find out more about my own family tree and how I might be connected to the Tudor and Stuart period.
Christmas in Britain: Present
Stepping forward through time into Christmas in Britain during present day, we were invited to take a seat at a long banqueting table in the main hall, decorated with a twinkling Christmas tree and adorned with colourful paper decorations and fairy lights. Traditional carols played gently in the background, adding to the festive atmosphere.
Bidfood’s five festive food predictions for Christmas 2019
Once we were all sitting comfortably, we heard Bidfood’s five festive food predictions for Christmas 2019, centred around the foods we would be eating during our dinner. All of these foods can be ordered via Bidfood’s latest brochure, which is available upon request.
1) Classic desserts will be merged into hybrid desserts
e.g. Bidfood’s Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Tart and Sherry Trifle Cheesecake
2) Food needs to appeal to more senses than taste, how dishes look and sound on a menu will be just as important
e.g. Bidfood’s Chocolate and Salted Caramel Christmas Presents; Chocolate Treasure Dome Tart; Belgian Chocolate and Black Forest Mountain
3) Products catering to more than one dietary requirement will be in high demand
e.g. Bidfood’s Chocolate and Clementine Tart; Portobello Mushroom, Sweet Potato and Stout Tart (both of which are gluten-free and vegan)
4) More plant-based options and meat-free mains than ever before
e.g. Bidfood’s Spiced Cauliflower En Croute; Caramelised Biscuit Cheesecake; Chocolate Gingerbread Brownie
5) Retro and nostalgic flavours are
enjoying a revival
e.g. Bidfood’s Spiced Apple and Damson Jam Sponge; Sloe Gin, Mincemeat and
Clotted Cream Tart; Salted Caramel Arctic Roll
Bidfood’s new Christmas 2019 range
Afterwards, we tucked into a festive feast comprising of some of the 64 brand new products to be added to Bidfood’s festive range for Christmas 2019. The full range includes over 750 products.
To begin, we nibbled on a selection of scrumptious starters and carefully crafted canapés.
Highlights included the Chicken Truffle and Herb Terrine, Tempura Sriracha Prawns, Salmon and Spinach Terrine Bar and Quality Cuisine Salmon Parfait with Gin and Tonic Centre (predicted to be a best-seller as it can easily be served to large numbers and it has an interesting flavour profile).
Moving on to our main courses, we could choose from a traditional British Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, right through from the Farmstead Individual Turkey Cushion with Christmas Pudding Stuffing, Farmstead Bacon Loin Joint with Dijon Mustard and Muscovado Sugar Glaze, Gressingham Duck Parcels with Pork, Orange and Apricot Stuffing and Plum, Honey and Star Anise Glazed Salmon.
In addition, we sampled a few plant-based options, several of which were also gluten-free. Meat-free mains included the Classic Cuisine Roasted and Stuffed Butternut Squash Half (set to be a best-seller), Classic Cuisine Spiced Cauliflower En-Croute and the Classic Cuisine Mature Cheddar and Onion Tart.
With just enough room left to spare for dessert, we were tempted with a mouth-watering offering of sweet treats including Premium Selection Chocolate and Salted Caramel Christmas Presents and the vegan and gluten-free Premium Selection Chocolate and Clementine Tart, both of which are predicted to be best-selling products.
To wash down all that festive food, we were invited to try a number of wines carefully chosen to complement the menu by Unity Wines and Spirits Expert, Lee Isaacs as well as a festive-themed cocktail of smoky whiskey and marshmallows.
Of course, no Christmas dinner table would be complete without crackers. For 2019, Bidfood has expanded its range of sustainable eco crackers, with £2 from each sale going to the Trussell Trust, which supports a national network of food banks and provides emergency food and support to anyone living in poverty. There are a variety of crackers available in the range, although the Eco Kraft Tree Crackers are predicted to be particularly popular.
The future of Christmas in Britain
Having journeyed back in time to Christmas past and sampled some of the finest foods from Christmas present, we jumped back into the time machine and took a trip to Christmas of the future with food futurologist, Dr. Morgaine Gaye.
Listening to Dr. Gaye unravel her predictions for Christmas in Britain in 2029, it was fascinating to consider how technological, physical and cultural developments could impact on how we celebrate Christmas in years to come, right through from the foods we eat to the kinds of gifts we choose to give (or not give, as the case may be).
Dr. Gaye’s
top predictions for the future of Christmas in Britain include:
1) Sustainable spreads
As we become more aware of food miles, food waste and landfill, we’ll be driven towards ensuring our Christmas celebrations are as sustainable as possible. This could even see us helping to shape restaurant menus by bringing home-grown produce and ingredients to restaurants.
As more and more of us shun meat in favour of plant-based alternatives, Christmas 2029 will also see us eating more meat-free mains than ever before, with dishes like roasted watermelon replacing roast turkey on the Christmas dinner table. Where our side dishes are concerned, we’ll be embracing imperfections and making the most of wonky veg.
2) Artificial intelligence and micro-chipping
Technological advances are paving the way for artificial intelligence to take hold. When it comes to planning our Christmas menus in 2029, microchips embedded underneath our skin will help to dictate our dietary profiles and dinner party menus according to our DNA and genetics.
3) Creative edibles made using chemicals and 3D printing
Over the next few years, we’ll see an increasing focus on functional food in everything from powders and shakes, to gels and juices. By 2029, it’ll be the norm for us to include these in our everyday diets and Christmas will be no exception to the rule.
Meanwhile, 3D printing will enable us to play around with the texture, taste and appearance of our food, transcending the boundaries that have come to define food as we know it.
4) Drunken desserts
With the rise in botanicals and drinks claiming to improve our mood and health, alcohol will no longer be a key part of British Christmas celebrations in 2029. Instead, we’ll be guzzling home-fermented beverages combining preserved fruits and herbs.
However, while alcohol might begin to play a less important role in celebrating Christmas in Britain in the future, we’ll be eating more alcoholic desserts. Forget traditional brandy-soaked Christmas pudding – we’re getting creative with dishes like bourbon peanut butter, Merlot ice cream and prosecco and mandarin sorbet!
5) Communal and experiential meals
The future of Christmas in Britain sees more of us eating Christmas dinner away from home, whether it be in a restaurant or hotel, in a bid to escape the stress and burden that comes with preparing a full-blown Christmas dinner on Christmas Day.
Bidfood’s Christmas Gift campaign was set up to recognise and thank those who sacrifice their time on Christmas Day in order to cook and serve Christmas dinner to others. Now in its third year, the campaign awards the unsung heroes of the hospitality industry for their kind efforts during the festive season by treating five of the most dedicated individuals to meal with family and friends and a Virgin Experience Days voucher.
Fast forward ten years or so and Christmas in Britain will be far more communal and experiential. We’ll be dining at pop-up events where advanced technology and virtual reality devices will be paired with lighting effects, sound-scapes and scents to create an interactive and creative experience. We may even be able to invite holograms to dinner in the form of deceased family members or celebrity guests!
Similarly, we’ll be eating our meals using textured cutlery and edible glasses, like this jelly shot glass, to invoke different sensorial experiences.
Read about how advanced technology is already in use at Spain’s SubliMotion restaurant in my post on the most expensive restaurants in the world.
Christmas Through Time: Parting Thoughts
I had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas Through Time with Bidfood – even in scorching 35° July heat! I enjoyed finding out how Christmas in Britain has changed over the years, from our customs and traditions, to the kinds of food and dishes we like to eat. It’ll be interesting to see how these predictions materialise over the next ten years or so! Thank you to Bidfood for inviting me along and not to mention gifting me this cosy Christmas jumper!
Read more about Bidfood and its new Christmas 2019 product range.
Enjoyed hearing about Christmas in Britain throughout the ages? Don’t miss these related posts.
- Bidfood UK’s Top Food Trends for 2019
- The UK’s Top 10 Christmas Foods
- Cook the Perfect Christmas Dinner with Hello Fresh
- How to Make Your Own Baileys Hot Chocolate this Christmas
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It is interesting to see a bit glimpse of Christmas in the past, it is amazing how it has evolved and how it is still evolving. I like how it is perhaps becoming more communal.
I like how it is becoming more communal too and supposedly it’ll be less about giving gifts and more about sharing experiences, which is nice.
That Tudor and Stuart Christmas banquet looks incredible. How wonderful to experience something like this.
It was an experience! Probably the only time I’ll tuck into boar’s head!
What a wonderful experience to find out how things were once done and how times have changed to how we celebrate and the foods we want to find on the Christmas table
It was really fascinating, I think it would be great for children. I especially enjoyed trying the old foods, although they weren’t as tasty as what we eat now.
That sounds like an interesting event that I’d enjoy. The predictions for desserts to come especially got my interest, I am all for trying anything cheesecake.
Haha, I know how you feel. The cheesecake was particularly good!
That is an event I’d love to attend. Looking at those tasty treats made me hungry. It’s great to know how far we have come in terms of how they celebrated in the past and how the food is serve and the selections.
It was such an eye-opener. I am glad we have left certain traditions in the past, mind you.
Oh wow the food looks absolutely delicious, especially that pie I can’t imagine having pie on Christmas Day but I’d give it a go! xxx
Haha, mincemeat pie is really traditional but it was a bit much for me to be honest; I prefer the mince pies we have nowadays!
A very nice read. It was interesting to find out how Christmas in Britain changed through the years. I’m excited to see how it unfolds in the next coming years.
Thank you! There are some really exciting changes in store 🙂
Would love the recipe to Chicken truffle and herb terrine!
That was delicious; sadly, I don’t have the recipe Jennifer – so sorry! Bidfood produce some delicious food.