The Christmas feast with lots of leftovers for the week following is a key part of the festive season. With a little thought, you can eat really well through to the new year, enjoying cosy days at home nibbling at your favourite treats in the company of your favourite people!

Plan your Christmas meals

The supermarket on Christmas Eve is not a good place to be unless you really like the drama of taking potluck with last-minute offers. So in early December, decide what you want to eat, and buy it in ahead of time.

Beyond Christmas Day

When you do your food shopping, think past Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It is possible to subsist on leftovers, but to make the best of the quiet days between Christmas and New Year, you’ll want a few extras like favourite biscuits, chutney, pickles, as well as some fresh fruit and salad veggies. And don’t forget breakfast foods, as well!

Obviously, you don’t want to overschedule Twixmas meals – part of this period’s charm is the blurring of days. But by planning a few meals around leftovers, you’ll get ahead of the game. You may have some family favourites, or you may need a bit of leftovers inspo – Jamie Oliver shares a few ideas.

On the other hand, if you’re going away immediately after Christmas, will you want to deal with half a turkey and a massive cheese board? Adjust your Christmas food planning accordingly.

Baking and making foodie gifts

Check any preserves and infused spirits that you made earlier in the year – sloe gin should be just about ready to share now as a gift, and is just the thing as a winter warmer. Make sure you have the bottles, jars and labels that you need, too.

Take the time to plan any other gift foods – such as biscuits, sweets or spice mixes – that you want to make. Decide when you’re going to do it, and get ingredients and supplies in advance so you don’t have to make a last-minute shopping trip.

Declutter your cupboards

Make your cooking easier and minimise the chaos by giving yourself the space you need to work your culinary magic on Christmas Day.

Self-storage is the perfect place to keep kitchen equipment that you don’t use year-round. For example, the giant roasting tin and serving platter you need for a turkey. And by putting other bits of culinary kit into store, you can make the most of the space you have at home. Remember to update your storage inventory to help you keep track of what is where.

Crockery, cutlery, and kitchen electricals will all be covered by your self-storage insurance. But most storage centres won’t allow you to put food items into your unit as it could attract pests.

The run-up to Christmas is a good time to check your cupboards for out-of-date items and dispose of these. Make a plan to use up tins and packets that are in date, or offer them to friends or on local giveaway sites.

Chill and freeze food promptly

After festive meals, cover food and chill it or freeze it within a couple of hours. Divide leftovers into meal-size portions and freeze whatever you won’t eat in the next couple of days. This is particularly important if you’re going away during Twixmas – you don’t want to come home to a fridge full of food that is past its best.

Make sure you have all the containers and bags you need for storing and freezing food safely, and covers for dishes in the fridge. Plastic takeaway boxes can be used for food storage, or you can use ice cream tubs and margarine boxes. A set of stretchy silicone covers will allow you to turn dishes and bowls into a food saver, or you can buy beeswax wraps to cover food.

Good food and good cheer at the end of the year

Get stocked up for Twixmas and come into 2026 well rested and well fed.