770 lbs. alcohol units immeasurable (mostly mulled), mince pies 27, Celebrations chocolates 740.
Though famously associated with Bridget Jones, this is how many of our diary entries would look were we to be honest about how we feel come mid-December. No one wants to burn out before the big day, but it’s hard not to when almost every night involves excessive consumption of the same festive food and drink. All at once, the lights feel blinding; Wham! have turned from ear worm to ear infection; and no number of free Celebrations can redeem the tedium of John Lewis’ checkout queues. So how to stay the course?
For answers, we’ve turned to those who have been keeping the festive spirit alive not just since December 1, but since September. Maybe even before then. Those who work in food, drink, media and customer retail start planning Christmas before many of us have donated last year’s unwanted gifts. If you’re sick of stollen, spare a thought for Phil Khoury, who has been planning the offering at Harrods' bakery since New Year, and think of your poor bartender the next time you tire of Mariah. By rights, they should be the grinchiest of all – and yet most of them think it’s the best time of year. Here are their methods for maintaining enthusiasm and appetite.
Tom Athron, CEO Fortnum and Mason
I can’t come to work without Christmas slapping me in both cheeks, so the only way to last is to love it and breathe it every day. At Fortnums, the key to sustaining one’s enthusiasm is to not stop. My sustaining joys throughout December are Toffolossus biscuits, Ealy Grey tea and limoncello panettone – both keep my sugar and tannin levels up – and the traditions we have here each year. One is “Rumble,” where those of us in the office do shifts in the warehouse or on the shop floor. It gives us chance to see customers and be part of their excitement.
Phil Khoury, head of pastry, Harrods
We don’t create new things every year: there’s a lot to be said for recycling popular favourites. If it’s good, leave it as it is. Come December I am jam-packed every day, so to be honest, part of me really can’t wait for it to be over. For me, the festive period is about catching up with friends in a low-key, impromptu way. I must be spontaneous because I rarely know how late I’ll finish work. But often that’s recommended rather than planning every date in advance. Last night I went over to my friend’s house last minute for Champagne and pizza and it was great fun. You don’t always need meticulously planned events.
Sara Al-Ali, co-founder Goya Comms
At this time of year, the restaurants we look after will be booked up anyway; they don’t need to do anything particularly festive. It’s more about the enjoyment and creativity. This is true for me, too: I prioritise seeing people I really want to see, both personally and in work; I take an hour for my mental health, every day; and I do very little at the weekends. That is key.
Marina O’Loughlin, (anonymous) food writer
I don't believe in pacing. Say "yes" to every invitation, every lunch and dinner. Don't be a dick in restaurants. And if you have to entertain at home, don't sweat it: give people strong drinks and salty snacks or freezer chilli. Those of us who can eat, drink and be merry should go for it, while the world self-destructs. Then in January stay in: atone, reflect, donate.
Pietro Collina, bar director, Viajante87
Your everyday Londoner will have one, maybe two Christmas parties to attend, but a bartender will be a principal character in dozens. How many times will they be asked to play Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You, or if they can whip-up a mulled wine that isn't on the menu? After giving away all this Christmas spirit to our guests it is important to do something for ourselves. This usually involves a nice night in with other hospitality friends: lots of food and everyone brings a top tier bottle to share. The one from a five-star hotel might bring a vintage Krug or a 20-year-old single malt scotch, while the geeky independent cocktail bartender brings Christmas pudding bitters to spruce up Old Fashioneds.
Crispin Somerville, managing director, Harts Group
Many people – and I put myself into this category – prioritise their friendship and the delight in celebrating it over Christmas Day, so why not crack on and suffer for a few days? There’s always dry January. During December, if I need to sleep in, I’ll sleep in, and I find bitters and amaros very good for the digestive process. The Dr Henderson cocktail is greatest drink of all in that regard, combining two parts fernet with one part crème de menthe over ice. It’s chef Fergus Henderson’s creation; I can’t imagine many actual doctors prescribing that.
Luke Farrell, chef-founder at Plaza Khao Gaeng and Speedboat Bar
Our head chef is called Christmas and was born on Christmas Day, so we’ll be celebrating all month. There will be lots of sweets, lots of Christmas sandwiches – and lots of breaks, too, because at this time of year in particular, team welfare is really important. It can feel like you’re never stopping, and you’re always with the same people, which, a bit like being with family on Christmas Day, can be a bit much for prolonged periods. Having two restaurants means the teams can swap around a bit and everyone tries to take the pressure off where possible. It’s a useful rule to apply at home too. My family hunkers down in Dorset and we always prepare meals in the kitchen together. In Thai cuisine, no one person creates a meal and I think that should be true of Christmas dinner. But another important part of our Christmas pacing is going for a swim in a local lake. It’s a useful reset button.
Where to go for low and no-alcohol drinks
By Josh Barrie
There are those who like to pace themselves at Christmas, the burden of countless drinks and endless food too likely to be a toll before December 25 or New Year’s Day. As such, no and low-alcohol tipples are a helping hand. Here are a few bars in London tuned into abstinence, or at least a degree thereof.
Lucky Saint pub
The zero-booze brand beer Lucky Saint opened a traditional pub in Marylebone earlier this year. Billed as a place for the “modern drinker,” it is a considered resource and a fine spot for those who fancy a catch up with a friend, with a pint or two, but who want to skirt the festive tomfoolery that happens just about everywhere else in December.
58 Devonshire Street, W1W 5EA, luckysaint.co
Spy Bar at The OWO
Spy Bar is one of many places to drink at The OWO, the “opening of the century” as billed by the Standard’s David Ellis. Here we have a subterranean drinking den, one tooled up for the likes of James Bond; a tribute to the building’s former life as a mechanism of war and a haven for intelligence. But in Sixties-inspired surroundings, the drinks are modern and there are numerous options with low or zero ABV: expert bartenders will mix these at your request.
7 Horse Guards Avenue, SW1A 2EX, theowo.london
Whiskey and Seaweed
Three-star chef Clare Smyth’s latest opening is not a restaurant but a bar. Whiskey and Seaweed opened in the autumn of this year as a homage to drinks made in the British Isles, with Core (her flagship restaurant) snacks to boot. On the drinks menu are zero alcohol spirits, including well-known brands Seedlip and Everleaf, and these can be swapped out for traditional ones in cocktails.
92 Kensington Park Road, W11 2PN, corebyclaresmyth.com
Bar Lina
Lina Stores, the Italian restaurant group born in Forties Soho, has added a chic cocktail bar below its original site on Brewer Street. To drink there is to step back in days gone by, a tribute to Italian movies where martinis and Gucci are the order of the day. And, much like the coolest among us, wits are easily kept intact thanks to drinks like the “nogroni,” traditionally made but with booze-free spirits, and the “aperlol spritz,” which runs the same course.
18 Brewer Street, W1F 0SG, barlina.co.uk
Three Sheets
Three Sheets, as its name might suggest, is not usually a place hooked up to an alcohol-free drip. In fact, the point of the place is to get convivial. Then again, it is also a hyper-modern cocktail bar and classic drinks can be made – skilfully – in a low and no booze fashion. All customers need do is ask.
