Celebrate Christmas Locally

Christmas is almost upon us and in these uncertain times, it will be a time we want to enjoy with our family household and what could be better than being round the dinner table eating fabulous food and tasting delicious drink

Whether you’re all about tradition or looking for a Christmas dinner with a difference, cooking for the family on Christmas Day should be an enjoyable experience, so get everyone involved. Don’t just order everything on-line, shop local and you can find some fabulous produce right on your doorstep.

Shopping local can be a lot less stressful than battling the crowds in a busy supermarket. Visit your butcher. Their produce is likely to have come from a nearby farm, thereby less food miles and it will be fresher.

Not only that, butchers can have some great recipe ideas and cooking tips. You will also get different cuts of meat which you can’t necessarily get in the larger stores.

You will be boosting the local economy and saving someone’s job. At a time when we all need employment security and to keep our towns and villages open and busy, we all need to support this. Some places such as Penwortham, Lytham and Garstang thrive on their independent shops as they also give people a reason to visit, so this in turn helps the tourist industry.

You are more likely to find some unique Christmas presents by shopping locally. If your local farmers markets are open, pay a visit, you’ll get great ideas for foodie gifts from homemade cakes, chocolates to local beers and gins.

Local business owners are passionate about what they do and so are more than happy to go the extra mile to ensure you’re a happy customer and enjoy getting to know their customers. Word of mouth goes a long way in recommending a place to go where you know you are going to be guaranteed good customer service with a smile.

If you are not sure where you can find local producers, take a look at the useful website bigbarn.co.uk/places/Lancashire/Chorley/Farm-Shop where you can type in your postcode and it will highlight local food producers near to you, including Sprout Hall Farm, Heskin Quality Butchers, Honeywells Farm Shop, Pauls Farm Shop and Owd Barn Country Store to name just a few. Many of these businesses are family owned and have generations of experience and lots of stories to tell.

Have a think about what you want to eat over Christmas and make a list. You may have to pre order with your local butcher. Don’t just think turkey. Gressingham duck, beef or salmon make great alternatives. However you choose to spend your Christmas, think local and you will be helping out a friend, neighbour, colleague and keeping the economy growing.

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Tedd Walmsley

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Tedd Walmsley managing director of Live Magazines shares his views on the latest topics in media.

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