Is it time to start thinking about your Christmas dinner yet? Probably, but is too early to order your turkey? No, definitely not.
I got ours ordered on the 7th July 2017. Ok, granted the crowning glory of our table is not even and egg yet, but just knowing that one will be there is a weight off the mind. For the last few years I have made sure our turkeys come from Paul Kelly’s farm, ordering online at www.kellyturkeys.co.uk .
The product is amazing, they get delivered in time for Christmas (one less thing to worry about), in specially made packaging that oozes quality even before you see the bird. The birds themselves roam free in woodlands and pasture. They eat a natural diet, foraging for grubs and berries, they are allowed to grow and mature naturally to adulthood, not helped along with chemicals and hormones. They are dry plucked by hand, because of this they can be hung to intensify their traditional flavour. The natural layer of fat that is formed by being allowed to mature naturally self bastes the meat giving a lovely juicy meat. You also don’t have cook them for hours and hours, after all no one likes a dry bird.
As for cooking, well you get a handy little booklet showing you how to cook and carve it. Also if you are lucky they may throw in the odd gift, I was lucky enough to have a handy meat thermometer included one year, very useful. If you don’t fancy reading the leaflet then there very helpful videos instead.
So should you start thinking about turkey in July? Yes or August, September, October but definitely in November. But if you live by the seat of your pants and wait until December you may well find the turkeys are all taken.