As the temperatures drop towards the negative and the elusive prospect of snow is predicted in parts of Yorkshire, Dovecote Park are proud to have announced six new lines to the Waitrose shelf for Christmas 2018.

As with every year, we are proud to be launching our Highland range into Waitrose stores, available as rib, sirloin and rump and in pre-pack as top rump and burgers. Procured from a select group of Highland cattle farmers, with whom we have long established relationships, Highland beef is a product which celebrates a native British breed, and we are proud to offer it to the retail customer every year. The Highland range has a new line added this season, in the form of our Highland Joint with Whisky Sauce, available in both pre-pack and Entertaining. This is a smaller joint, perfect as a Christmas lunch for a smaller group of 2-4 diners, the whisky sauce is a natural pairing with the fine Scotch beef.

The Entertaining range, available upon order, sees the addition this year of Douglas Fir Smoked Venison Rack. We have championed both British venison and smoked product over the last few years – with bespoke venison lairage and smoking facilities being installed to our Stapleton site - and this is a product which encapsulates both, whilst retaining a sublimely festive feel through the use of Douglas Fir wood – a popular Christmas tree variety – used in the smoking process. The half-venison rack is paired with a redcurrant jus, and will comfortably serve 4-5.

Available in pre-packed form is the Treacle-cured Beef with Apricot and Clementine Condiment – which matches a British top-rump with the classic Christmas flavour of Clementine in a sweet condiment topping. 

We have been pleased to supply products to Waitrose1, the supermarkets premium range, since its inception in 2016, and this year have three new Christmas lines to add. Firstly, our Chateaubriand with Raisins and Armagnac butter. This line uses the exceptionally tender chateaubriand cut, taken from the tenderloin, and combines it with the seasonal sweetness of raisins and a creamy butter containing Armagnac, a fine French grape brandy which has seen pride of place in French gastronomy for centuries. This is a decadent product which will make an indulgent lunch for 4-6 people.

Also new to the Waitrose1 line is our Veal with Chestnut and Golden Raisin sauce – once again, available both pre-packed and as part of our Entertaining range. This product makes use of our award winning, high-welfare rose veal, combining the delicate flavour of the veal with buttery taste of chestnut - a Christmas flavour profile immortalised in Nat King Cole’s Christmas Song - and the sweetness of golden raisin (an alternative name for sultana).

The final Christmas product we have launched, and our most recent addition to the Waitrose1 range is our Venison Haunch with Bitter Orange and Juniper. This is a show-stopper of a product which again celebrates our commitment to UK venison, and is matched with the complex juniper taste as well as bitter orange, and a jus composed of redcurrant and venison stock – a triumphant roast which will serve 4, or 2 with leftovers.

We are delighted once again to bring a range of superb products to the supermarket shelf for this Christmas. As ever, our thanks go out to our hard-working New Product Development team for all their efforts in bringing these ideas from concept through to store. All these products are available now, with all but one available in store – we hope you will give them a try either for Christmas dinner, or at any time throughout the Yuletide period. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Dovecote Park!