Our team's festive meal favourites

Unsurprisingly, we’re a big team of foodies at the recipes.co.nz office, so when Christmas rolls around, there’s always plenty on our plates. Here are some of the team’s favourite traditions over the festive season and, of course, the recipes they’ll be whipping up to fuel them!

Regina Wypych - Nutrition & Marketing Executive

For us, the Christmas season is about socialising with friends over a barbeque. We find the best beef cut we can and we love serving this with a fresh and zingy salsa verde or pesto made with herbs from the garden.

Julia Gardner - Marketing Manager

My favourite tradition is a boxing day swim – spending the holidays at the beach is my favourite part of our Kiwi holiday season, and a nice reprieve (or reset!) from the indulgence the day before.’

I’m a big fan of Kathy Paterson’s Lamb Cutlets with Quinoa Crust, perfect for Christmas day or simply an ideal summertime entertaining recipe.

Lauren Shamy - Digital Content Executive

I have a BIG family so there’s a lot of zooming between houses on Christmas Day and I end up eating about nine meals, then slipping into a food como at around 6pm. But before the big day, we do a Christmas Eve Eve dinner on the 23rd where Dad serves a classic Roast Lamb with loads of garlic and rosemary. Dress code: colourful paper hats straight from the Christmas cracker.

Kit Arkwright - CEO

Being a recent-ish arrival to New Zealand, my favourite new tradition is secret santa with steals. Back in the UK it was watching the Queen’s speech followed by chocolate and good movies.

My festive recipe of choice (if I was to be allowed anywhere near the kitchen) would be Cheesy Beef Sausage Rolls.

Bronwyn Harvey - Finance Assistant

Ever since I have been with my husband, my mother in law always buys us Christmas Socks! It’s funny, I now have a very large collection but we all love it and look forward to getting them. You can’t go past the Pulled Pomegranate and Mint Lamb for the main event on the day, it’s amazing!

Michelle Hopson - Retail Meat General Manager

The family tradition for our Christmas day is to start it with a tipple of Amarula over ice, (this is a creamy liquor from South Africa) then we enjoy a very light breakfast to ensure maximum tummy room for the upcoming feast.

The BBQ soon fires up and the biggest eye fillet you’ve ever seen starts to cook, yummy! The kitchen is frantic with salads being tossed, bread being chopped and ham being sliced but once all done, it all comes together and behold a beautiful lunch feast, fit for a king!

Katrina Dixon - Nutrition Advisor

My favourite Christmas morning tradition is wrapping up a minty lolly for my sister in Christmas wrap and putting it under the tree saying ‘this is all I got you’. Then watching Dad having no idea what the presents are from him and Mum.

Some years Mum does the big meal on Christmas Eve so we can all relax on the day eating leftovers. Other than heaps of icing sugar in the cream for the pav, and lots of fruit, we always eat a good, simple Festive Roast Beef.

Caroline Peach - Brand & Communications Specialist

We always start the day with mimosas and ham and cheese croissants. My mum also always has panettone on hand too, she’s turned that into her own tradition (but not all the family are fans!)

This year I'm making our Marinated Roast Lamb with Fresh Mint Topping on the big day, so fresh and summery you just can't beat it!

Shawn Moodie - Digital Communications Manager

On the menu this year is Lamb with Mint and Pistachio Gremolata - Christmas is always a bit of a juggling act in our house, with kids running around and large extended families to feed. That's why I love this recipe.

Cooking lamb on the BBQ instead of the oven not only provides a beautiful depth of flavour, but frees up the oven for my partner to use for the rest of the dishes that need preparing - many hands make light work!

Lisa Moloney - Promotions Manager

One of the traditions we did when our boys were young is buying them a new Christmas storybook each year for under the tree. They were allowed to open it on Christmas Eve and we would read it to them under the tree before they went to bed - we ended up with a lovely collection of children’s Christmas stories to bring out each year.

The Boneless Leg of Lamb with Rosemary, Orange & Cranberry Stuffing feels like such a special recipe as it looks very colourful and festive! It is so delicious too.