Adrian Murphy
Pedalling Squares Café
“We’d always make a honey roast ham – simmering it first before glazing it with golden honey and roasting it until the kitchen was filled with a warm, sweet aroma. The rich stock from boiling the ham was then turned into a thick, hearty pease pudding. Leftover ham with pease pudding on tiger bread was our Boxing Day tradition.”
Jackie Sewell
Buy the Kilo
“The old Bero Book Christmas cake recipe, which I have baked for the last 40 years. I have tweaked it over the years, and have added those changes into our special Christmas cake packs in the shop. The smell of Christmas cake baking leaves the most amazing aroma in the house and always gives me that Christmas feeling.”
Neil Le Flohic
Pink Lane Bakery
“Chestnut stuffing takes me back to being a kid. My mum always prepared the stuffing on Christmas eve and the smell wafting upstairs said: “It’s happening, Christmas day really is tomorrow.” When I was about 16, I took over the cooking, but mum always made the stuffing. The mix of umami flavours – onions fried with sausage meat, toasted breadcrumbs, sage and roast chestnuts – was unmistakable. I still make a version of my mum’s recipe today – on Christmas eve, of course – and think of her every time.”
Bev Stephenson
North Chocolates
“Anyone under the age of 50 will be hard-pushed to remember Old Jamaica [a 1970s chocolate bar] but me and my dad used to share one every Christmas. When we lost dad, I had to start making my Retro Rum and Raisin bar. People will think I’m crackers for having a pirate ship on the front, but when I was a kid that was on the original packaging, so it’s staying put! Every time I open a bar, the smell and hit of rum brings back memories of dad, tinned fruit cocktail, and Morecambe and Wise on the telly.”
Jake Rusby
Afuera Coffee
“Parsnips have always been one of my favourite parts of a Christmas dinner. I love their taste and texture when they’re crispy, but for some reason almost never have them other than at Christmas. Eating them reminds me of big festive family dinners when I was young – when my cousin, sister and I would pile in to try and snag the crispiest, most buttery parsnips from the bottom of the roasting dish. It’s making me hungry just thinking about it!”
