Christmas Cockerel, Whole (incl. giblets)

This beautiful, burnished bird is perfect to adorn your Easter or Christmas table. Choose from three sizes, all large enough to feed a crowd.

Reared for a minimum of 120 days, our free-range, slow-grown cockerel has a natural cereal-based diet and unlimited access to the great outdoors. This results in a bird with darker, more robust meat than turkey - every mouthful packed with rich flavour and wonderful succulence.

For this year's table, try slow roasting the bird with shallots and carrots, then serve alongside a bubbling dish of jabron potatoes and some buttered spring greens. The jabron potatoes, for those who haven’t encountered them before, are a distant cousin to the more famous dauphinoise. The cream and garlic remain, but with jabron the potatoes are precooked, offering a different, deeper potato flavour and a lovely waxy finish. You can thank us later for this fabulous addition to your potato repertoire!

Alternatively, simply roast some potatoes with rosemary, lots of salt, and olive oil. Indulge in the seasonal bounty with some fresh peas, crisp leaves, and shaved asparagus in a well-dressed salad. You could also slow roast some halved courgettes alongside the bird. Add a vat of salsa verde, and you have yourself a very handsome Easter table.

If you’re looking for a wonderful alternative to a whole bronze turkey for your festive feast but don’t want to veer too far from the familiar bird we all lovingly associate with Christmas, try cockerel. There is no doubt about it: Christmas cockerel served with Val's easy bread sauce recipe and all the classic trimmings will be a sensational meal and a stunning centrepiece for any festive feast. Slow-roast in the traditional way or pot-roast for increased succulence.

Chef George Ryle inspires:
"If you’re feeling the urge to shake things up even more, then this bird gives you plenty of options. Perhaps this is the year for putting an Italian slant on your festive proceedings. Prepare a stuffing of pork and veal mince, diced mortadella, chopped rosemary, nutmeg and a healthy mound of grated parmesan. Stuff the cavity of the bird and then lay it in a roasting tray surrounded with peeled chestnuts. Add a couple of glasses of Marsala and the same amount of chicken stock. Roast for 2-3 hours at 160°C. Serve with lentils braised in red wine and stock, roasted pumpkin and kale, or cavolo nero sautéed with garlic. After resting the bird, the roasting tray will be full of the most delicious liquid – thicken it with a little flour for a gravy to rival all others."

⭐⭐ great taste® 2023
"Visually impactful, the judges felt the meat from this cockerel exhibited a good firm texture that spoke of being reared well. With great depth of flavour there's no mistaking this for average supermarket poultry absolutely loved the depth of flavour from this majestic bird. The meat was super juicy and succulent, even on the breast, and the skin was incredibly moreish. They felt it couldn't be improved upon!

This is a handsome bird with beautiful conformation, evenly bronzed all over. We were delighted by the sweet, full flavour of the white meat and the brown, too, more than fulfilling expectations. If flavour can evidence a long and happy life and great husbandry, this certainly appears to do so...we certainly can't fault the flavour, which also has remarkable length.

This is a very fine bird which looks incredibly enticing. The texture is firm in both the breast and leg, and the skin is thick and crisp..."

⭐⭐ great taste® 2024
"This beautiful, burnished bird has gorgeous meaty aromas and a juicy, creamy flesh. The skin is crisp and flavourful with just a hint of delicious fat. The meat holds together well, with a pleasing chew and good meaty texture. It's a decidedly more complex and satisfying bird than the regular chicken.

Visually striking, this bird has a deep golden colour which is inviting. It would be a fantastic centrepiece because of its size. The meat, both breast and leg, is tender, succulent and melts in the mouth. Overall, the flavour is delicious with a distinctive taste. It would make a good alternative to turkey at Christmas.

This is a fine-looking bird, with beautiful golden skin and tender flesh. The meat has plenty of flavour and texture, and it is tender and succulent, not tough. Judges particularly liked its distinctive character, depth of flavour and juicy, tender flesh."