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Turkey no longer flavour of the month

The Christmas turkey has officially lost its pride of place on the British dining table as sales of beef surge ahead over the festive season. Is this the beginning of the end for the traditional turkey? Does this mean that turkeys no longer rule the festive roost?

According to new research by Taylor Nelson Sofres, feathers first flew in 1999 when the value of beef sales pipped the traditional bird by £660,000.

In 2000 turkey flapped back to pre-eminence, only to be shot down in flames last year when roast beef joints outsold it by £3.3 million.

Now predictions are for beef sales to surge ahead even further this year as turkey is once again given the bird in favour of flavour.

Chris Lamb, British Meat Consumer Marketing Manager, said:

"I think people have just got bored with having the same old thing every year. British beef is a traditional winter meal and one that routinely tops polls as peoples' favourite meal so it's not surprising that more and more people are choosing to serve it as the centrepiece to their Christmas meal."

Mr Lamb's comments are backed up by the research, which shows that while spend on beef has continued to grow year on year over the festive season, in recent years spend on turkey has been decreasing.

Many of the UK's leading chefs also share the view that roast beef is an increasingly popular choice for Christmas, indeed a recent poll revealed that this year many of them are intending to serve roast beef as a fashionable alternative to turkey.

"I'm not surprised to hear that people are increasingly keen to serve up an alternative to turkey on Christmas Day" said BBC Ready Steady Cook regular, James Martin. "A roast beef dinner with all the trimmings is my preferred roast for the day due to its fantastic flavour. Being a Yorkshire lad, I'm also a real sucker for Yorkshire puds!"

Fellow chef and Yorkshire man Brian Turner added:

"When the family gathers for Christmas lunch - aunts & uncles & cousins who I haven't seen for ages - I always feel proud that the table is full and groaning with lots of different meats. But the centrepiece is a wonderful British, extra large roast rib of beef on the bone, golden and succulent on the outside and red and juicy in the middle."

According to River Cottage chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall:

"It's been several years now since the turkey got fired from our family Christmas dinner, and no regrets. The centrepiece of the festive table has to weave a special seasonal magic, and the mild white flesh of the turkey, even at its best, simply isn't up to the job. On the other hand the thought of a whole, aged fore-rib of beef, on-the-bone of course, makes the whole family salivate with anticipation."

Tradition

Did you know that it's actually more traditional to serve beef rather than turkey at Christmas?

According to historical records turkey was only introduced in the 17th century. King James I can be thanked for the emergence of turkey, as he believed it would be kinder to his delicate digestive system! Before then it was traditional to serve a large roasted joint of meat such as beef. It is commonly believed that this originated from an ancient sacrificial rite to appease the gods and hopefully ensure a sufficient harvest in the following year.