The sun is shining, the temperature is rising and people are heading to the beach to relax and enjoy the summer weather.
But that hasn’t stopped Asda from unveiling its Christmas range, almost five months before December 25.
The UK supermarket has shared a sneak peek of its festive range, packed with traditional turkey offerings and more extravagant vegan dishes.
Asda has spent more than 12 months perfecting its range of 540 products, which includes festive favourites and fresh new arrivals.
When it comes to the main event, in addition to the traditional turkey dinner, Asda has a range of alternative centrepieces that are guaranteed to get guests at the table talking.
It may be 30 degrees outside, but that hasn’t stopped Asda from unveiling its Christmas range (pictured)
Asda’s OMV! plant-based range is also back with a host of festive favourites as well as new stars of the show. The ever-popular OMV! Whole Turkey
These include the exceptional slow-cooked beef shin and the exceptional Welsh lamb shoulder with fig, whisky and spiced honey stuffing.
For deep-pocketed hosts, Asda is betting big on all things party food and snacks this year.
The fantastic grazing board and charcuterie crown are on offer, as well as a variety of items inspired by global cuisine, including exceptional butter chicken samosas, exceptional prawn and vegetable dim sum and exceptional tempura prawns.
Asda’s OMV! plant-based range is also back with a number of festive favourites, as well as new stars of the show. The ever-popular OMV! Whole Turkey is back, along with new starters and snacks, such as OMV! Smoked Salmon and OMV! 4 Pork-Free Pasties with Cranberries.
The fantastic grazing board and charcuterie wreath are on offer, as well as a variety of products inspired by world cuisine.
Also available are exceptional butter chicken samosas, exceptional shrimp and vegetable dim sum and exceptional tempura shrimp.
And it wouldn’t be a proper Christmas dinner without a selection of tempting desserts to choose from – Asda’s exceptional panettone is a reliable favourite and the extra special raspberry, pistachio and passionfruit pavlova wreath is a sensational dessert that’s sure to be a hit thanks to the rise of pistachio-flavoured treats and desserts throughout 2024.
Following the success of Asda’s first signature flavour in 2023, Asda’s innovation team, led by Senior Director of Trends and Innovation, Jonathan Moore, has also come up with a brand new flavour concept for 2024 – Fig, Whisky and Spiced Honey.
Featuring in 16 of Asda’s new festive products this year, the flavour is the result of extensive trend research and new product testing.
The fig, whisky and spiced honey profile offers a rich and smooth flavour, perfectly complementing winter favourites. With sweet notes of oak, malt and dried fruit, whisky is a distinctive and premium festive flavour, which the Innovation team has seen rise in popularity thanks to the growth of craft distilleries as more mixologists incorporate the spirit into their work.
Also for those who don’t eat meat, this dish is OMV! No Smoked Salmon and OMV! 4 Cranberry Topped No Pork Pies
Spiced cheeses are also offered for the holidays.
Other Christmas options on offer include the exceptional Slow Cooked Beef Shank, a halved shin of British beef, slow cooked for ten hours until perfectly tender.
Along with whisky, honey is also having a global moment as a natural sweetener and with added winter-warming spices, the elegant combination with figs and whisky creates a rich, fruity flavour profile – the best of festive tradition, but with a spicy twist.
Commenting on the range, Sam Dickson, Vice President of Own Brand at Asda, said: ‘We can’t wait for our customers to try our fantastic festive food this year and we really do have something for everyone, whatever their budget or diet.
‘This year we have introduced exciting innovations and reinforced quality across all our ranges, whilst continuing to offer unrivalled value, but I am most excited to see our new Exceptional range make its Christmas debut.
‘We first launched Exceptional at the start of the year and customers are already loving it – it’s a range that’s characterised by quality ingredients and flavour, making it perfect for a festive treat.’
Other Christmas options on offer include the exceptional slow-cooked beef shank, a halved leg of British beef, slow-cooked for ten hours until perfectly tender. Seasoned with Cornish sea salt and ground black pepper, the meat is served with a rich bone marrow sauce and Chianti red wine.
For sweet treats, there’s Asda’s exceptional panettone. Made using traditional methods and a sourdough that’s been cultivated for over 50 years, the exceptional panettone is filled with raisins and candied oranges and baked to achieve a wonderfully soft texture and deliciously delicate aroma.
There is also an exceptional Welsh lamb shoulder stuffed with figs, whisky and spiced honey, boned and hand-prepared by expert butchers, this succulent lamb shoulder is covered in a sticky fig chutney and rich lamb gravy, and finished with sweet apricots.
Also on offer is the ‘Fantastic Grazing Board’, a grazing platter containing a variety of cured meats, with Iberian cheese, spicy cheese, stuffed peppers, green olives, breadsticks with sea salt and black pepper, chives and onions, and a slow-roasted tomato, chilli and garlic sauce.
For a special touch, there is also the charcutier wreath, an easy-to-assemble DIY wreath with Italian Milano salami, prosciutto, Manchego cheese triangles, mini pickled gherkins and sweet red pepper drops; this impressive charcutier wreath promises to be a holiday show-stopper.
Asda also offers some exceptional butter chicken samosas for their festive season.
Hand-folded like dough, double-dipped for an extra crispy finish, and stuffed with chicken thigh in a rich buttery chicken sauce.
There’s also the special raspberry, pistachio and passionfruit pavlova crown. Made with free-range eggs and British cream, this slow-baked, crispy pavlova crown is hand-decorated with raspberries, pistachio pieces, raspberry compote and passionfruit sour cream for a pop of colour.
There are also exceptional Black Tiger Prawns in Tempura. These prawns are cooked in a light and airy tempura batter to achieve a delicate and crispy texture.
Vegan guests are also offered the OMV! Whole Turkey.
Asda describes the dish as succulent and flavoursome. Made with soya protein to create a lean, white meat alternative, succulent, dark leg meat and crispy, golden skin.
Also for those who don’t eat meat, there’s the OMV! No Smoked Salmon dish. Made with rice flour, these salmon-style chunks are perfect for seasoning with a sweet and smoky flavour, so no one will miss out this Christmas.
And then there are the OMVs! 4 pork-free pies topped with cranberries. These mini pies are topped with a spicy cranberry sauce for a festive finish and are made from seasoned pea protein and wrapped in golden dough.
For sweets, there is Asda’s exceptional Panettone.
Made using traditional methods and a sourdough cultured for over 50 years, Exceptional Panettone is filled with raisins and candied orange and baked to obtain a wonderfully soft texture and a deliciously delicate aroma.
There is also the Extra Special Raspberry, Pistachio and Passion Fruit Pavlova crown.
Made with free-range eggs and British cream, this crunchy, slow-baked pavlova crown is hand-decorated with a sprinkle of raspberries, pistachio pieces, raspberry compote and tangy passionfruit cream for a pop of colour.