Every year, new trends emerge with cooking lovers finding new ways to season, cook, and present their Christmas turkey. For 2026, some classics are still going strong, but there is a fresh wave of flavours and techniques that are making their way onto the Christmas menu this year. In this blog, we will delve into what’s trending this year, plus a few favourites that never go out of style.
Sour, Tangy, Fruity Flavours
In 2026, we’re moving away from purely sweet, rich flavours and towards something with a bit of sharpness. Chefs and food writers have been talking about ‘souring agents’ all year, and that sharpness is starting to turn up on the Sunday roast – not just desserts and drinks.
Grapes
Grapes are popping up everywhere at the minute. Roasted or chargrilled, blistered until jammy and slightly caramelised, they are showing up alongside roasted meats as a unique but showstopping side – and they pair perfectly with turkey and trimmings!
Toss red or black grapes in olive oil and roast for the last 20 minutes alongside your pigs in blankets, or stir some through your gravy for a fruity, tangy depth.
Sour and Tart Notes
You’ll find sour and tart notes in glazes, stuffings, and sauces this Christmas – whether that’s from cherry or citrus touches. Even a splash of red wine vinegar or cranberry sauce can bring balance to your classic serving of gravy.
Classic Flavours with a Modern Twist
One of the biggest themes for Christmas 2026 is what food trend watchers are calling ‘newstalgia’ – taking familiar favourites and giving them a modern twist rather than reinventing the wheel. Think your usual turkey and trimmings, but with some elevated touches:
· Truffle or mushroom butter under the skin for extra savoury depth.
· A pistachio and dried fruit stuffing in place of traditional sage and onion.
· Global-inspired glazes like tamarind, gochujang or harissa alongside the classic honey and mustard.
This allows you to upgrade your Christmas dinner without having a massive overhaul that can leave you overwhelmed.
Classic Trends Worth Keeping
Although many new flavours are being added into the mix this Christmas, there are still some of last year's favourites that remain just as popular in 2026:
· Flavour-infused brines and glazes – maple and mustard, soy-ginger, or sage and apple with cider gravy are always crowd pleasers if your family prefers a more traditional Christmas dinner.
· Air fryer and sous vide turkey crowns – smaller cuts can be cooked this way to save on oven space whilst still getting the same juicy result.
· Dry brining – this has become one of the most popular techniques for getting extra-crispy skin and well-seasoned meat. It involves salting the turkey a day or two ahead, leaving it uncovered in the fridge, and simply letting the salt do the work.
Sharing-Style Presentation
Rather than the traditional whole-bird centrepiece, this year a more sharing style is taking over with loaded trimmings. This involves a pre-carved turkey on a serving board with sharing boards of pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, stuffing, and all the extras so guests can help themselves. It’s a low-stress, sociable way to serve the dinner without any extra prep.
Looking for Your 2026 Christmas Turkey?
At John Howe, we have hundreds of free-range turkeys that we raise and nurture on our farm to ensure the meat has maximum flavour, no matter how you decide to cook it. Our turkeys have the freedom to explore surroundings that are as close to their natural habitat as possible to ensure they are happy for their whole life – a happy bird is a tasty bird!
We have bronze turkeys and white turkeys available, with frozen turkeys to buy all year round. We also offer Christmas turkey hampers complete with extra meat, trimmings and condiments.