Get Christmas turkey orders in quick, warn butchers
ISLANDERS looking to feast on turkey this Christmas have been getting their orders in early, amid warnings that there might be a shortage of smaller birds.
Exact details of the UK’s Christmas restrictions are being drawn up, but are expected to see people discouraged from having big group gatherings to avoid spreading coronavirus. With smaller groups, it is expected there will be higher demand for smaller birds.
Surf and Turf owner Jason Hamon said people have been coming in earlier this year to order their birds, which are set to arrive in the island about five days before Christmas.
‘Orders have been coming in early and people have been asking for bigger birds,’ he said.
‘Some people are having two Christmas Days with different groups of people.’
With restrictions on travel to UK, more islanders are expected to stay on island this year, leading to bigger groups and possibly the need for bigger birds.
Mr Hamon said he was concerned smaller birds might be in shorter supply, due to the UK needing more. While turkey is the most popular, some islanders are ordering goose or venison.
Mr Hamon said in the past some people had even ordered in frozen kangaroo in a bid to have something a bit different at Christmas.
Cobo Butchers owner Steve Robert said they had already received orders for 600 boned and stuffed turkeys and they expected to get orders for about 1,000.
‘We’ve been busy for the last month or so,’ he said.
‘The only thing we have found hard to get in is whole turkey.
‘We have a week to get orders in and then we can’t get any more.
‘If someone wants a whole turkey, then they had better order quite quickly.’
He said while there was no problem sourcing birds at this stage, he was also concerned there might be a shortage of smaller birds.
‘We might have trouble,’ he said.
‘If people want a smaller bird, they had better order now.’
