The final countdown is here - well, for this year at least. With only days to go until we welcome 2025 into the fold (now doesn’t that sound futuristic?), plans are afoot of what to wear, what to drink, where to go and, perhaps most crucially of all, what to eat.
Once Christmas is over and you’ve coasted through the weird inter-festive period that is Betwixtmas, it’s thoughts of New Year’s Eve that will start to stir in our minds.
We’ve been through enough New Year’s to know that staying in is almost always the superior option. It’s warm, you’ll like everyone else there and you can do it in your PJs if you like.
You can also enjoy a slap-up restaurant quality meal without fighting to the death for a table booking by ordering a recipe kit instead. A hangover from pandemic recipe kits, we’ve come to see them as a New Year’s Eve staple.
Prepped and often cooked to within moments of being finished, there’s just enough effort involved to make you feel smug about your achievements, but crucially, not enough skill needed to risk cocking it up.
Typically packed with special treats, fresh ingredients and a bottle of Champagne for good measure, these luxury recipe boxes from the best restaurants and companies around will help you ring in 2025 in style.
Send out the invites to your favourite people and consider the countdown on.
COOK Duck & Hoisin Puffs
If you're having people over, chances are a selection of picky bits will fit the scene better than a main you'll need knives and forks for. While a fresh sausage roll is welcome in our house any day of the week, New Year's Eve calls for something a bit grander.
Enter COOK and its array of fresh and frozen options that you can stick in the freezer until it's time to party. These Duck & Hoisin puffs are part of the canapé collection and take just 25 minutes to cook through with homemade flavour.
Do yourself a favour and order extra meals for January 1 so you can limit cooking time the next day too.
Buy now £8.50, COOK
Angela Hartnett's Rolled Porchetta Set Menu for 8
What better than a meal devised by a Michelin-starred chef for your final meal of 2024? The legendary Angela Hartnett has drawn up an eight-person feast inspired by - where else? - Italy.
The star is a juicy prepped and slow-roasted porchetta packed with focaccia stuffing, orange and lemon zest, fennel and sage. For sides, there's gnocchi, a Cavolo nero salad and a Panettone pudding with pistachio custard for afters.
Forgo the belt; you're going to need all the leeway you can get.
Buy now £190.00, Waitrose
Wright Bros Ltd Luxury Seafood Box
It's a case of seafood, eat food over at luxury fishmongers Wright Bros. who has this utterly decadent feast ready and waiting to end 2024 on a high. The bundle has it all, from sweet scallops, king prawns, oysters and a cooked lobster. There's even a 20g tin of Baeri caviar. Just add a bottle of Champs and you're set.
Buy now £130.00, Wright Bros Ltd
Gymkhana Fine Foods recipe kits
It’s tough enough to get a table at the celebrated Indian restaurant Gymkhana at any time of year, let alone NYE.
No need to pout; this year the feast will come to you thanks to DukesHill who sells Gymkhana marinades and recipe kits on its site - with tremendous restaurant-worthy results.
We tried the Tandoori Marinade (£7.50) on chicken cooked in the air fryer and were blown away by the juiciness and depth of flavour while the Whole Tandoori Chicken Meal Kit (£32.40) also delivered equally finger-lickin' results.
Buy now, DukesHill
M&S Collection Dragon Roll Sushi Platter
For a no-cook option that piled on the luxe, look no further than Marks & Sparks. The high street favourite has a selection of fuss-free feasts that are great if you’re throwing an end-of-year bash, like this Dragon Roll Sushi Platter that would work as canapes for a small party.
Buy now £20.00, M&S
Empire Empire Lobster Biryani Feast
So it's a showstopper you want? Then it's a showstopper you will get.
Designed for two ravenous diners, Empire Empire's January 31 feast is an absolute riot with a selection of dishes spanning the flavour wheel.
You'll kick off proceedings with pakoras and Kashmiri lamb chops before tucking into the undisputed star of the show, a lobster biryani. Accompanied by dal makhani, naan bread and a cooling mint and cucumber raita, it'll fire up every synapse going.
Round off the meal with the indulgent sweet of gulab jamun in a cardamom & saffron syrup. Outrageous.
Pair it with a Subcontinental whisky to stay on theme.
Buy now £120.00, Dishpatch
Cinnamon Club New Year’s Eve meal kit
Knock on Cinnamon Club’s digital shop front to find kits that will help you recreate Vivek Singh’s legendary dishes at home. There are three menus available, all ready and raring to go for home delivery.
Ring in New Year’s with the dedicated meal kit, a five-course feast for two which includes street food-style starters, a medley of curries accompanied with biryani rice and daal and a curious garam masala Christmas pudding with a warm nutmeg-spiced custard to finish.
Prepare to be stuffed to the gills.
Buy now £120.00, Cinnamon Club
