Christmas is upon us again and I suspect that some of you are more prepared than me. However, it always surprises me when customers come into the shop on Christmas Eve, in a mad panic, because they haven’t got an extra place setting for Auntie Nellie who is coming for Christmas dinner.

To make life easier there are some culinary essentials you may need to think about to make this Christmas day a roaring success; especially for the main event, the turkey! Firstly, make sure your carving knife is up to the job, or does it need sharpening? Then ensure you have a large enough carving board and roasting tin. Handy gadgets such as a pop-up turkey timer will tell you when the bird is cooked to perfection, a baster will keep it succulent and a pair of lifting forks will make picking it up a piece of cake. For perfect gravy you could use a gravy separator and for that extra touch at the table a gravy boat.

I always set our table on Christmas Eve, and in recent years I have made my own Christmas crackers with reusable cracker tins (£1.00 each, or 6 for £5) – a great personal touch. It’s always nice to put my own jokes in, along with handpicked presents for everyone. If you have the time it is lovely to make homemade goodies and even Christmas cake is simple enough, especially with the great kits that are now available. Personalise your cake with frills, edible winter flowers, robins, Christmas tree glitter sprinkles, snowflakes or whatever you fancy!

Another favourite ingredient of Christmas is the odd tipple or three! If you are having a bottle of bubbly with dinner you may need a wine cooler or champagne bucket, a drip collar, a stopper and of course don’t forget the corkscrew! Using a jigger measure for any spirits is wise, especially if you are driving over the festive season. To go with the wine perhaps you will be buying a selection of cheeses and these will need to be kept cool whilst on display. A slate cheeseboard would be perfect for this, and if you are partial to a few Brazils make sure you can find your nutcrackers!

Once you have taken care of all the preparations it’s time to think about donning a festive apron to protect your clothes, welcoming your guests, and having a Merry Christmas!