If you’re afraid of overcooking the turkey or being blamed for soggy sprouts, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Despite nearly three in five Brits (58 per cent) attempting to cook their first festive meal at the age of 24, they won’t have the annual feast fully mastered for a further 12 years, when they hit 36. So if you’re lucky enough to be invited for Christmas dinner by Baby Spice, Emma Bunton, or Bond girl, Naomie Harris, you’re in luck, because these 36 years-olds should have perfected their Christmas dinner making skills, according to research from supermarket Asda. Making sure the meat is cooked to perfection is the most problematic part of the dinner for over a third of would-be chefs. Surprisingly, almost one in five (18 per cent) admit to having bought their main Christmas meat, without having checked whether it will fit in their oven first. TV chefs, who each claim to know the best way to prepare a Christmas roast, inspire almost half of cooks. However only 4 per cent of people surveyed said that following celebrity chefs have actually made them a better cook. It’s apparent that practice and persistence is key, as 43 per cent of confident cooks say they’re self-taught, with 12 years being the average amount of rehearsal. Jim Viggars, Asda’s head of meat quality said, “The highlight of many people’s Christmas Day is the food. But cooking the Christmas dinner shouldn’t give you beef; the trick to avoid stuffing up is plenty of preparation. “Use the days and weeks ahead of the 25th December to perfect each individual part, so you’re not panicking on the day. And, if it doesn’t go to plan on the big day don’t worry, there’s always next year!” Asda has everything under one roof to allow you to serve up the perfect Christmas feast. Its range of meaty Butchers’ Selection turkey crowns is available to order from now until 22nd December for delivery slots between 30th of November and 23rd of December. Whole turkeys will be available to order between November 30th and 15th of December for delivery slots between 20th and 23rd of December.
