Pavlova sales are up 300 percent annually at Woolworths, 108,000 mince pies have come out of Phillippa’s bakeries, and Coles is seeing a 40 percent increase in lobster sales as shoppers spend a lot of money on a Christmas cookie.
“They don’t care too much if they have too much, they just want to put on a good show,” says Ash McBean, manager of Gary’s Quality Meats at Prahran Market.
Ham, porchetta and whole lamb are among the products in higher demand than usual at Gary’s Meats. Photo: Carmen Zammit
Record home savings, high consumer confidence and months of lost family events are the makings of extravagant Christmas feasts, and Melbourne supermarkets, fishmongers and butchers are the beneficiaries.
A Gary’s customer recently bought 30 hams to give away, while overall McBean hopes to sell 750 Ravens Creek hams smoked over applewood and red gum before Christmas Day rolls around.
“Almost everyone wants a ham this year,” he says.
Woolworths has seen a 25 percent increase in the amount of soft cheese sold in its Victorian stores. Photo: Brett Stevens
Seafood lovers are gravitating towards oysters, Moreton Bay insects, southern rock lobster (again sold at low prices due to trade restrictions), cooked shrimp and crab and salmon sides , according to George Milona, owner of George the Fishmonger at Queen Victoria Market.
“Basically, people want masterpieces that you don’t see on your table every day. Anything that has a nice red color sells quite well at Christmas.”
Australia’s economy contracted 1.9 percent in the September quarter, while New South Wales and Victoria were locked in, but disposable household income increased 4.6 percent in the same period, perfect conditions for a Striking Christmas. The Commonwealth Bank estimates that Australians have $ 240 billion hidden in savings.
Some of that will appear on the tables, as Coles reports a 40 percent increase in demand for puddings, pavlovas, and lobsters, and a 20 percent increase in demand for minced fruitcakes in November, compared to years ago. previous.
“We make more mince pies every year and we sell them out every year,” says Phillippa Grogan of Phillippa’s Bakeries.
Grogan hopes to move 18,000 six-packs of his chopped fruit tarts, made with organic orange peel, buttery batter, and a careful balance of sweetness and spices.
Phillippa Grogan’s Chopped Fruit Tarts. Photo: Eddie Jim
“Everything is selling a lot more than usual. I think people are not going to leave, they cannot really travel yet, so we have noticed a very, very high demand.”
Decorated cookies that can grace a table or tree, high-quality crackers, nuts, and more baked goods are selling well as people dial in the fancy factor in their celebrations.
Big Christmas holidays with multiple generations of family and friends are on the line, too, and Gary is getting at least five times as many requests this Christmas to cook whole lamb or pork on the grill.
Phillippa’s items, like shortbread cookies and honey stars, can be turned into creative Christmas desserts at the last minute, says Grogan. Photo: Eddie Jim
Woolworths sales also reflect this mood, with a 25% increase in demand for Brie and Camembert style cheeses for dishes in Victoria.
The supermarket giant predicts that nearly 200,000 kilograms of ham, 2.9 million minced fruit tarts and 120,000 kilograms of shrimp will fill Victorians’ shopping carts by December 25.
Meanwhile, George Milonas expects him and the nine other fishmongers at the Queen Victoria Market to bag roughly twenty tons of cooked prawns in the days leading up to Christmas.
Cooked prawns are the best sellers in both independent retailers and major supermarkets. Photo: Edwina Pickles
Last minute shopping for Christmas lunch
If you haven’t thought about your Christmas menu for a moment yet, there’s no need to turn to canned soup.
While you can expect high prices and great competition for shrimp and oysters, seafood lovers can get a bargain this time of year on fish, whose prices are stable. And you can probably choose from the cabinet, even on Christmas Eve.
Other alternatives could be the raw tropical Queensland rock lobster, which Milonas says looks fantastic right now. He recommends cutting the lobster in half, adding a lemon butter sauce to the meat, and then grilling it in the shell on the barbecue for about 25 minutes.
He also likes the look of freshly cooked Queensland blue swimming crabs, which are a good size and a decent amount of meat.
Are you thinking of giant prawns? Opt for medium-sized prawns that are more abundant and therefore cheaper, says Adam Stollznow, tour guide at Sydney Fish Markets.
“Any old salt in any fishing village will tell you that the little ones taste better.”
Coles expects fresh cooked black tiger prawns to be seen at $ 27 per kilogram next week, while uncooked and thawed banana prawns are marked at $ 24 per kilogram.
Gary’s Meats butchers keep a stash of hams in the back for last minute shoppers. Or you can think outside the square and add a premium Japanese Hida wagyu to your menu. But at $ 490 a kilo for premium cuts, it’s definitely an item for smaller gatherings rather than 20-person banquets.
If you haven’t made your own Christmas pudding and find the shelves empty next week, Phillippa Grogan has plenty of creative solutions.
Panettone can quickly turn into a trifle, saving you the trouble of baking a sponge; a wavy cake is easily made with your star-shaped honey cookies; Or you can crumble blueberry shortbread or fruit mince pies into vanilla ice cream for your own signature scoop.
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