WITH just a week to go until we’re tucking into our Christmas dinner, the turkey preparations are well under way.

But butchers have said while the usual meats are regulars on our festive plates, some have opted for more unusual birds such as cock-erel and guinea fowl.

Paul Golsby, co-owner of Golsby’s Butchers in Mill Street, Eynsham, said free-range cockerels were “coming more into their own”.

He said: “It’s more textured. It’s like chicken but with a stronger flavour.”

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Cockerels were also about £15 less than a small to medium-sized turkey, which sell for £55 to £60, he said, adding that his Christmas sales were up 10 per cent this year.

Mark Gill, manager of Hedges Butchers, which has outlets in Oxford and Abingdon, said turkey made about 60 per cent of Christmas sales and goose about 20 per cent.

Mr Gill said: “People are still buying the normal festive stuff – traditional turkeys, geese, ducks and fillets of beef.

“We’re selling a lot of oak-smoked gammon.”

Chris Edwards, a butcher at Alcock’s Family Butchers in Summertown, said turkey made up at least 75 per cent of Christmas sales.

Mr Edwards said: “Guinea fowl has been getting popular for us.

“They’re much smaller, if you’ve got two or three people.”

Nancy Homewood, who is fourth generation of the Homewood family which owns Peach Croft Farm in Abingdon, said sales of its free-range turkeys were up three per cent on last Christmas and were expecting to sell more than 8,500 turkeys this year.

She said: “Every year we find the geese getting more popular. The celebrity chefs endorse them.”

Peach Farm also offers a Three-Bird Royal Roast, comprising goose, pheasant and chicken.

 

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