4 Mins Read
Expecting a full house on Christmas Eve/Day and have not gotten around to sorting out your sustainably sourced Christmas dinner? Not to worry, Green Queen has you covered. We have scoured the Green Queen Guide to Hong Kong to bring you the best last minute options to sort out everything from meat to veggies to dessert. Not to mention booze!
The Big Bird
At this late date, many sustainably-reared turkey providers are sold out but we found three that still have stock- all of which you can order online!
- Southstream Seafoods: find frozen Organic Prairie USDA certified organic turkeys (US) and frozen free range, antibiotic-free Norbest turkeys (US).
- Pacific Gourmet: find frozen cage-free & hormone-free Steggles turkeys (Australia) and frozen free range Northern Pride turkeys (US).
- Gourmet en Provence: find chilled free range certified Label Rouge Marie Hot Volailles des Landes turkeys (France).
The Rest of The Meats
If you are an anti-poultry family, then Three Butchers has grass fed Australian beef and lamb in a variety of cuts. Their family pack is incredible value for money and if you order mince, they grind it fresh to order, which we love. The Grocer Gourmet Home Delivery stocks hormone-free & free range locally reared Wah Kee Pork in a variety of cuts plus they stock ready to eat Australian whole hams (bone-in).
The Fishy Part
Newly relaunched MM Fresh offers a wonderful selection of New Zealand frozen and chilled seafood, while Wild C brings in frozen wild fish from the clean seas of Iceland (their salmon is delicious and very fairly priced). If you are after the smoked stuff, Just Green has organic Irish packs in stock or go to online retailer Les Halles Bordeaux which has both organic and wild Norwegian & Baltic smoked salmon (and organic Bayonne ham if you are after that).
Booze Cruise
When it comes to beer, we are massive fans of locally brewed, unfiltered nano brewers Moonzen Brewery (not only is it local, but they won best beer in the International Beer Awards earlier this year) but if you want a larger selection of the best imported craft beers from around the world, try online shops BeerHound or AmeriCraft Imports for a US centric selection.
On the wine front, you can’t beat Cork Culture‘s sustainable selection of European varietals or try O Muse de Bordeaux for a larger variety of French organic wines. Otherwise we love 8th Estate Winery‘s locally produced wines right here in our backyard!
Dessert Decadence
We have the perfect dessert recipe (just a 10 mins affair if you can be bothered) but if you prefer to pick up then no holiday dessert discussion is complete without mentioning Hong Kong’s ultimate pie brand Tai Tai Pie Pies. Their mouthwatering selection of pies includes classic apple and perfect pecan- not to mention that they have a great savory offering too!
Vegans can regale themselves with Happy Cow Dairy Free Ice Cream– they have two seasonal flavors in store now: Hibiscus Goji and Hazelnut Fudge. The brand’s massive success could not be more apparent- the best vegan ice cream on the planet is now available at supermarkets all around Hong Kong! What a difference a year makes!
For all of you gluten-free folks out there, check out Choice Healthy Foods‘ selection of baked holiday goodies- they have gingerbread men, mince pies, christmas tarts and more!
Instead of stuffing the kidlings’ stocking with processed factory candies (which are basically vessels of preservatives) why not give two locally made candy artisans a go? Cloud Candy recreates the creamy deliciousness that is the ubiquitous Hong Kong candy of our childhood White Rabbit with their handmade milk flavored sweets and Gourmandises de Cristal‘s French patisserie inspired soft caramels & petit fours are mini works of art.
Gift Hampers We Love
Every retailer and their mother has a Christmas hamper on show so we will keep our recommendation list short: we have two favourites, Prune Organic Deli‘s selection of vegan and organic homemade goodies including their Christmas spiced chia Bircher muesli mix, raw artisanal handmade chocolates, organic fig jam, red bell pepper roselle (hibiscus) chutney, dehydrated fruit Loaf and dehydrated kale chips; and Food for Foodies‘ ‘Build Your Own’ from a selection of hand-wrapped Panettone, Italian nougat, farm-made jam, Slow Food coffee, cold pressed olive oil, sea salt chocolate and hand-made cookies- all from boutique artisans across Italy.
Everything Else
If you are after quality organic produce, go local and organic with Homegrown Foods– their fruits & veggies are always picture perfect and they stock both Western and Asian selections. If you need to do a big specialty food shop, try Life Project– they have everything from organic snacks to protein bars to gluten free foods to eco-friendly personal care products- all available at the click of a mouse, which means you get to be as lazy as you like this Xmas…
If you are looking for a cheese platter to be proud of, look no further than La Cabane a Vin for a curated platter of raw-milk French cheeses from small, artisanal producers from around France. Serve it with our moreish cranberry pineapple relish!
Last but certainly not least, for those lovely holiday lie-ins, be prepared with stone baked, kettle boiled and hand rolled New York bagels from local producer Schragels– they will deliver from a half dozen and they offer homemade New Zealand milk cream cheeses! Yum!
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