Summer Sizzle
Tuesday, 2 December 2025
Classic or contemporary – how to do Christmas Day your way
Featuring:
Andy Ashby, C’est Bon
Gordon Ramsey
Dining out of home on Christmas day is an increasingly popular way for Australians to celebrate with family and friends, and can also be a rewarding experience for venues. So what is the secret to turning Christmas day into a profitable and enjoyable occasion for you and your team?
Festive options
While a sumptuous Christmas buffet overflowing with seafood, roasts and all the festive trimmings is always in demand, some chefs and restaurateurs are opting for a lighter menu rather than a buffet, and a modern twist on the season’s classics.
“Buffets are great and always popular, but we decided to steer away from that,” says Andy Ashby, chef owner of French restaurant C’est Bon in Brisbane.
“We wanted to make it lighter and capture what Christmas is all about, sharing and spending time with loved ones,” he explains. “We purposely keep the price and covers as low as we can, to create an experience that goes back to the humbleness of sharing food and goodwill.”
A shared feast
Andy tells InSeason that covers are capped at 85 people over two sittings, even though C’est Bon could easily sell more. The menu is priced at $195, which includes French sparkling wine on arrival and a shared feast served at the centre of the table, family style.
“We start with a couple of snacks and maybe oysters, then some entrées like Queensland prawns or spanner crabs, a couple of mains with fish and chicken, some sides and of course finishing with desserts like apricots that will be in season, and then petit fours.
“The format has been very successful, and this will be our seventh Christmas day service,” he says. “We have to know our numbers, know our strengths, and above all order the right amount of produce, because a lot of our suppliers close over Christmas.”
We wanted to make it lighter and capture what Christmas is all about, sharing and spending time with loved ones.
Twists on tradition
Although Andy hadn’t created this year’s Christmas menu when he spoke to InSeason, he says it will be modern-French with an Aussie twist, with input from the whole kitchen team. “We look at what people like to eat in Queensland, like the seafood entrées, and a chocolate dessert.”
“It’s also about relationships with suppliers and farmers,” he adds. “For example, I use a local organic free range chicken farmer, we trust them with our French stylistic approach, and it brings something different to what other restaurants are doing. I think it’s about bringing a fresh approach, but also staying in our lane.”
Festive buffet favourites
A scaled-down approach suits restaurants that must make the tough decision of whether to open on Christmas day or not. For hotels and larger venues, a high-volume Christmas day buffet over several sittings makes perfect sense.
A summery festive season means Aussies have created their own tradition of decadent seafood platters loaded with lobster and crayfish, prawns, oysters and more. Even still, roast dishes from the northern hemisphere, like turkey with cranberry sauce, pork with plenty of crackling, and ham studded with cloves, are still mandatory for buffets.
There are plenty of ways to put your own spin on the classics – for example adding a flavour boost to your cranberry sauce, experimenting with ham glazes and garnishes, and playing with proteins and stuffings to create a turducken or a slow-roasted porchetta.
Gordon Ramsay is famous for serving beef Wellington for Christmas, and this showstopper is more popular than ever. For buffets, mini versions work well, and you can also try it with veal, lamb or pork for a point of difference.
I use a local organic free range chicken farmer, we trust them with our French stylistic approach, and it brings something different to what other restaurants are doing. I think it’s about bringing a fresh approach, but also staying in our lane.
Your team are family too
For Andy, the decision to open on Christmas day was as much about his staff as his business.
“I’m a Kiwi and about 80% of my staff are also foreign. And if they couldn’t be at home with their loved ones, why not give them an opportunity to work? Obviously we aim to make good money, but also to share the day with our team and locals who have been supporting the business and asking for Christmas Day service.”
After lunch service ends, the staff party begins. “I always buy about 25% extra produce and put on a great spread for the team, our orphan’s Christmas,” he says.
“They all bring a plus-one and we turn the cellar into sit-down, we crack open the Champagne and talk about how good the day was and celebrate together.”
Share the spirit
Whether it’s a lavish buffet or a refined shared feast, there’s no single recipe for a successful Christmas day service, only what works best for your business, your team, and your guests.
The secret is finding the balance between practicality, a memorable dining experience and honouring the spirit of the season. With the right planning, promotion, communication with suppliers and guests, plus a sincere focus on hospitality, the big day can be both profitable and deeply rewarding.
I’m a Kiwi and about 80% of my staff are also foreign. And if they couldn’t be at home with their loved ones, why not give them an opportunity to work?
A festive meal just isn’t complete without cranberry sauce! SPC’s versatile condiment is made with whole cranberries and can be used in many ways to highlight its sweet and slightly tart flavour. Here are some ideas to spread some Christmas cheer beyond the turkey.
Caramelised onion and cranberry gravy
Caramelise some brown onions, add vinegar, finely chopped thyme and stock. Thicken then finish with cranberry sauce. Perfect for vegetarians with a nut roast.
Orange and cranberry are best buddies
Heat some cranberry sauce and add orange juice and zest for any roast accompaniment. Take it to the next level with a splash of Cointreau.
Turn up the heat
Experiment with Aleppo pepper, sriracha sauce, Sichuan pepper or diced jalapeno chillis for a spicier sauce.
Whole Cranberry Sauce
4 x 2.25kg
Pampas Puff Pastry from Goodman Fielder Foodservice is available in sheets and dispenser rolls for the ultimate convenience. With a rich golden colour and buttery flavour, Pampas Puff Pastry – and the whole Pampas pastry range – is always ready in the freezer and perfect for all your festive sweet and savoury treats.
Beef Wellington Never goes out of style and is the perfect addition to a festive feast. Gordon Ramsay famously adds chestnuts to the mushroom duxelles, but it also works well with macadamias or pistachios.
For a Wellington twist, try it with duck breast, salmon fillet, or a pork, venison or veal tenderloin or play with some native Australian ingredients like mountain pepper, aniseed myrtle or saltbush.
Make a stunning puff pastry Christmas wreath centrepiece filled with brie, pistachios and cranberry sauce. Perfect with a glass of Champagne!
Puff Pastry
6kg
Featured Products
Apricot Halves in Juice
3 x 3kg
Apple Cider Vinegar
6 x 2L
Baked Beans
3 x 3.1kg
Malt Vinegar
6 x 2L
Baked Beans Rich Tomato
10 x 180g
White Vinegar
6 x 2L
Apples Diced
3 x 3kg
Oil Canola
20L
Fruit Salad in Juice
3 x 3kg
Barbecue Sauce Ezygrip
2 x 4kg
Peaches Diced In Juice
24 x 120g
Cottonseed Oil
20L
2 Fruits Diced In Juice
24 x 120g
Mayonnaise
21kg
Apple & Banana Puree
3 x 2.95kg
Mayonnaise Ezygrip
2 x 3.5kg
Apple & Peach Puree
3 x 2.95kg
Blended Vegetable Oil
15L
Apple & Strawberry Puree
3 x 2.95kg
Blended Vegetable Oil
20L
Apple Apricot Puree
3 x 2.95kg
Heavy Duty Deep Frying Solid Oil
12.5kg
Apple Puree
3 x 2.95kg
Catering Spread
2 x 5kg
Apricots Diced In Juice
24 x 120g
Margarine Spread
10kg
Fruit Salad Diced In Juice
24 x 120g
Margarine Spread
12 x 1kg
Peaches Diced In Juice
24 x 120g
Canola Cooking Oil Spray
12 x 450g
Pear And Mango Puree
3 x 2.95kg
Garlic Bread
48 x 88g
Pears Diced In Juice
24 x 120g
Garlic Bread Slices
168 x 28g
Tropical Puree
3 x 2.95kg
Margarine Spread
12 x 1kg
Sliced Peaches in Juice
3 x 3kg
Original Spread
2 x 3.5kg
Spagasaurus
10 x 175g
Original Spread
2 x 5kg
