What Do Yorkshire Food Makers Cook For Their Christmas Dinner Tradition?

Everyone has that one dish that makes it feel like Christmas. But what happens when your entire life revolves around food? Do you stick with tradition, or does the thought of cooking another turkey make you want to order a takeaway?

Some of Yorkshire’s top cooks, butchers, and farmers are sharing what goes on their family table for the big festive feast. And they’re even settling that age-old debate: should Yorkshire puddings be part of a Christmas dinner?

Andrew Radford's festive family feast

Walk into Radford’s Butchers in Sleights, near Whitby, during the festive season, and it’s like stepping into a Christmas card. There are carol singers, an open fire, and a warming drink waiting for you. For Andrew Radford, a fifth-generation butcher, this time of year is unbelievably busy. Having been in the meat trade since he was eight, and running the shop since 1984, he’s seen a fair few Christmases. By the time Christmas Day arrives, his shop will have sold over 40,000 pigs in blankets. That’s a lot of sausages wrapped in bacon.

So, after all that work, what does the Radford family dinner look like? Well, it’s a proper traditional affair, with both turkey and goose on the menu. But Andrew doesn’t do the cooking. "Mother has always done Christmas dinner and says until she can’t do it, she is doing it, so we have no choice," he jokes. The whole family gathers for what he calls her "famous dinner." It’s a huge feast and a well-earned day of relaxation after a hectic period. He says, "It is a big family event... It is a feast and that is a highlight for us." While Mrs Radford’s Christmas cake recipe is a closely guarded secret, the family did share their recipe for a spectacular festive stuffing, which uses pork meat instead of sausage meat to create what's known as a 'force meat' stuffing.

Mrs Radford’s Famous Stuffing

• Season fresh breadcrumbs.
• Add chopped apples, apricots, fried onions, cranberries, and orange zest.
• Pour in a generous amount of brandy (or your preferred booze!).
• Instead of sausage meat, mix in fresh pork to bind it all together.
• Garnish with streaky bacon and bake at 180 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.

Ed Wilkinson's top turkey tip

You might think that someone who runs a poultry farm would be sick of the sight of turkey by December 25th. Ed and Emma Wilkinson, who run Herb Fed farm in Easingwold, will have produced 10,000 turkeys just for Christmas week. But for their own Christmas dinner, turkey is always the star. "We love turkey, we are never sick of it and eat it every Christmas religiously," Ed says. For their family, having that turkey on the table is a sign of a job well done.

"For us getting to Christmas and having a turkey on the table is the best part, that is a sign we have done our job to the best of our ability." His number one tip for cooking the perfect bird? Cook it breast-side down first. A well-reared turkey has plenty of fat, which will baste the meat as it cooks. Then, just turn it over for the last part of the cooking time to get that perfectly crisp skin. It's a simple trick for a delicious dinner.

Cecily Fearnley's break from turkey tradition

For many years, Christmas Day was just another work day for chef Pete, partner of Cecily Fearnley. But since they opened their own Michelin-Guide-featured restaurant, The Homestead Kitchen in Goathland, they’ve made a new tradition: closing for the day to spend it with family. Cecily says it was an emotional change after so many years of missing out. When it comes to the food, Pete wants nothing to do with turkey.

"He will not see a turkey cross his plate. He doesn’t understand why people go for a meat which can be so difficult to cook," she explains. Instead, their massive family gathering of up to 30 people will enjoy vegetarian options and beef. With Pete cooking all year, Cecily and her sisters often take over the Christmas cooking, gin and tonic in hand. Their unique homestead tradition isn’t about the main course, but the dessert. After the dinner plates are cleared, a huge tiramisu, big enough to feed the whole village, comes out, usually alongside some karaoke.

Ben Lee's perfect Yorkshire puddings

And now for the big question. Do Yorkshire puddings belong on a Christmas dinner plate? For Ben Lee, managing director of Soanes Poultry on the Yorkshire Wolds, it's a massive "yes". A Christmas cockerel is the centrepiece of his family's festive table, but the Yorkshires are a non-negotiable side. His wife, Indre, is Lithuanian, so their family Christmas food also includes a cultural blend, enjoying traditional Lithuanian fish and salad on Christmas Eve. Ben is so passionate about his Yorkshires that he shared his fool-proof recipe for the perfect batter, which includes a very surprising ingredient: ice cubes!

Ben’s Christmas Yorkshire Pudding Mix

• Mix 500g of plain flour with five free-range eggs and a splash of milk.
• Add water to thin the batter to a pouring consistency.
• Here’s the secret: add six to eight ice cubes and chill for one hour.
• Cook in preheated tins of Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.

Mandy Avison's festive pork pie

What's a festive buffet without a pork pie? According to Mandy Avison from Cedarbarn Farm Shop, it’s not complete. She and her husband Karl run the popular farm shop and cafe near Pickering, and their pork pies are legendary. They use a secret seasoning mix and make over 10,000 pies a year, with things getting extra busy around Christmas. "We are always proud to serve our pork pies to our guests," Mandy says. The secret to their texture and flavour is that the pork only goes through the mincer once, keeping it coarse so the jelly can flow through, adding that perfect taste and texture. It's a true labour of love and a staple of their family Christmas.

Matthew Walmsley's anything-but-traditional dinner

After 40 years in hospitality, Matthew Walmsley from Fodder at The Great Yorkshire Food Hall in Harrogate is not a stickler for tradition. His Christmas dinner has featured everything from beef and lamb to goose. One year, he even had an Indian meal. For him, the best part of the day is a simple bacon sandwich on Christmas morning.

He is firmly in the "no Yorkshire puddings with Christmas dinner" camp and doesn't serve Christmas pudding either. "I don’t have a ‘go to’ and mix it up every year," he says. The one consistent dish is a chocolate fondant with raspberry sauce, a favourite because his wife dislikes dried fruit. His top tip for anyone cooking this year is to prep a few days before December 25th to avoid a mad dash to the shops. He also suggests a delicious alternative to sprouts: shredded Savoy cabbage boiled and then tossed with pan-fried bacon lardons, garlic, shallots, and peas.

Caroline Bell's ultimate Christmas cheeseboard

For the Bell family, one of Yorkshire’s most famous farming families, the real feast begins on Christmas night when the cheeseboard comes out. Caroline Bell, whose late mother Judy founded Shepherds Purse Artisan Cheeses in the 1980s, says the cheeseboard is the main event. It’s when the family truly gets to enjoy the fruits of their labour. While their own award-winning cheeses like the famous Yorkshire Blue are stars of the show, they also add other favourites. "We serve it with a whole range of accompaniments from chutneys to honey to figs, to honeycomb and chocolate and ripe pears," Caroline explains. For anyone wanting to create a show-stopping cheeseboard, Shepherds Purse has some golden rules.

The Perfect Cheeseboard

• The Rule of Four: Include at least four styles of cheese: a soft, a hard, a blue, and a ‘surprise’ one like a truffle Brie.
• Mix Your Milks: Offer cheeses made from different milks (cow, sheep, goat) to let guests explore the different flavours.
• Perfect Pairings: Don't just stick to crackers. Try Harrogate Blue with Yorkshire honey, Mrs Bell’s Blue with dark chocolate, or even Yorkshire Blue with a slice of Christmas cake. The ultimate festive food tradition!