Delicatessens

Whether they're sweetly British or exotically foreign London's delis are a great place to pick up gifts for difficult relatives, sort out some impressive extras for your parties, or find little short-cuts to the perfect Christmas dinner. We won't tell anyone if you don't.

A Gold

42 Brushfield Street, London, E1 6AG
The painted, panelled exterior could come straight from a BBC Dickens adaptation, making A Gold a perfect spot at Christmas. It's London's only delicatessen to specialise entirely in British produce - produce hails from Cornwall (try the saffron cakes) to Scotland (clootie dumplings are a speciality). If you're a fan of the New British style championed by chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Fergus Henderson this place has all the ingredients you need. There are excellent meats and British cheeses and at this time of year their hampers, handmade puddings and sugar mice are especially popular. They also score points with the drinks - try a fermented honey mead or sloe gin - and with biscuits and preserves of bygone eras, which make excellent, nostalgic gifts. Pop into the equally beautiful Verde and Co next door (owned by the writer Jeanette Winterson) if you need to complement your shopping with something more continental.

A Gold - Information

Melrose and Morgan

42 Gloucester Avenue, London, NW1 8JD
If you want Christmas to be a holiday, rather than a move from your normal work to full-time catering, then check out Melrose and Morgan. The groceries are excellent, but the real joy is in their pre-prepared meals, with everything from freshly carved roasts to a 'Cheats Christmas in a Box' - a comprehensive selection of Christmas dinner essentials, including pudding, stuffing and even pre-chopped vegetables.

Cheats Christmas (minimum order for 6 people): £49.95 turkey, £56.95 goose

More info: Melrose and Morgan Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Mortimer and Bennett

33 Turnham Green Terrace, London, W4 1RG
This small delicatessen set up by Dan Mortimer and Di Bennett becomes almost unbearably crowded in the build-up to Christmas, and not only because the knowledgeable staff and customers always have a thorough gossip. Alongside a world-class selection of cheeses, salamis, and pates in the chiller cabinet, the back of the shop is full of thrilling, unusual foodie gifts, sourced from micro-producers throughout Europe.

Mortimer and Bennett - Information

Panzer's

13-19 Circus Road, London, NW8 6PB
Panzer's have become experts in everything-under-one-roof Christmas shopping for London’s homesick Americans, including 'Skippy' peanut butter and 'Oscar Meyer' bacon (which, incidentally, is far superior to any British brand for making stuffing or pigs-in-blankets). Londoners also travel here from all over the capital for their famous smoked salmon, while north London's Jewish community can celebrate Hanukkah or a secular Christmas with kosher hampers. Christmas Hampers, costing between £70 and £295, can be delivered to UK and European destinations within 24 hours.

Panzer's - Information

The Grocer on Elgin

6 Elgin Crescent, London, W11 2HX
On the December days when you don't have to cook roast beef for 11, or get up in the middle of the night to put a 23lb turkey in the oven, it's always tempting to just put your feet up in front of the telly and munch on a ready meal. This is, of course, the worst thing to do if you're wanting to lower the calorie-count in this heavily indulgent season. The Grocer on Elgin's fresh easy-to-prepare meals are a healthier solution when you're too tired to cook. Dishes like lemon and thyme risotto or chicken with Alsace bacon and mushrooms are made on the day with organic, free-range ingredients, and can be microwaved up in minutes. They also make absolutely fantastic fresh breads and patisserie. The information below refers to the original Notting Hill store however there's a second branch on the Kings Road.

Lemon and thyme risotto - £3.85
Chicken with Alsace bacon and mushrooms - £5.50

The Grocer on Elgin - Information