Asda unveils its festive range for 2024 – including vegan turkey and butter chicken samosas alongside traditional offerings

The sun is shining, temperature is rising and people are headed to the beach to relax and bask in the summer weather.

But that hasn’t stopped Asda unveiling it’s Christmas range – almost five months before December 25.

The UK supermarket has shared a sneak peak and it’s festive range, studded with traditional turkey offerings and more quirky vegan  dishes.

 Asda has spent more than 12 months perfecting the 540-product strong collection complete with festive favourites as well as fresh innovation.

When it comes to the main event, alongside the traditional turkey dinner, Asda has an array of alternative centrepieces that are guaranteed to get guests at the table talking. 

Asda’s OMV! plant-based range is also back with a number of festive favourites as well as new stars of the show. The ever-popular OMV! Whole No Turkey

These include the Exceptional Slow Cooked Beef Shin to the Exceptional Welsh Lamb Shoulder With Fig, Whiskey ad Spiced Honey stuffing.

For the hosts with the most, Asda is going big on all things party food and grazing this year. 

On offer is the Fantastic Grazing Board and Charcuter-wreath as well as a variety of products inspired by global cuisine, including Exceptional Butter Chicken Samosas, Exceptional Prawn & Veg Dim Sum and Exceptional Tempura Prawns.

Asda’s OMV! plant-based range is also back with a number of festive favourites as well as new stars of the show. The ever-popular OMV! Whole No Turkey has made its comeback, alongside brand-new starters and snacks, including OMV! No Smoked Salmon and OMV! 4 Cranberry Topped No Pork Pies.

On offer is the Fantastic Grazing Board and Charcuter-wreath as well as a variety of products inspired by global cuisine

Exceptional Butter Chicken Samosas, Exceptional Prawn & Veg Dim Sum and Exceptional Tempura Prawns are also up for grabs

And it wouldn’t be a true Christmas dinner without a selection of enticing desserts to choose from – Asda’s Exceptional Panettone is a reliable favourite and The Extra Special Raspberry, Pistachio & Passionfruit Pavlova Wreath is a show-stopping dessert that’s sure to be a hit thanks to the rise in pistachio-flavoured treats and desserts throughout 2024.

Following the success of Asda’s first ever signature flavour in 2023, the Asda Innovation Team, led by Senior Director of Trends and Innovation, Jonathan Moore, has also devised a brand-new flavour concept for 2024 – Fig, Whisky and Spiced Honey.

Featured in 16 of Asda’s new festive products this year, the flavour is a result of in-depth trends research and new product trials. 

The Fig, Whisky and Spiced Honey profile offers a rich, smooth taste, highly complementary to winter favourites. With sweet notes of oak, malt and dried fruit, whisky is a premium and distinctive festive flavour, which the Innovation team have seen rise in popularity, thanks to the growth of artisanal distilleries and more mixologists incorporating the spirit into their craft.

Also for those who don’t eat meat and dish is the OMV! No Smoked Salmon and the OMV! 4 Cranberry Topped No Pork Pies

Spiced cheese are also on offer for the festive season 

Other Christmas options on offer include the Exceptional Slow Cooked Beef Shin, a half-cut British beef shin, slow-cooked for ten hours until perfectly tender

Alongside whisky, honey is also having a global moment as a natural sweetener and with added winter-warming spices, the elegant pairing with fig and whisky creates a rich and fruity flavour profile – the best of festive tradition, but with a spicy twist.

Commenting on the range, Sam Dickson, Vice President of Own Brand at Asda, said: ‘We can’t wait for our customers to taste our fantastic festive food this year and we really have something for everyone – whatever their budget or diet.

‘We’ve injected exciting innovation as well as bolstered quality across all of our ranges this year – whilst continuing to deliver uncompromising value, but what I’m most excited about is seeing our new Exceptional range make its Christmas debut!

‘We first launched Exceptional earlier in the year and customers are already loving it – it’s a range that has quality ingredients and taste at its heart, so it’s perfect for festive indulgence.’

Other Christmas options on offer include the Exceptional Slow Cooked Beef Shin, a half-cut British beef shin, slow-cooked for ten hours until perfectly tender. Seasoned with Cornish sea salt and cracked black pepper, the beef is served with a rich bone marrow and Chianti red wine gravy.

For sweet treats, there’s Asda’s Exceptional Panettone. Using traditional methods with a mother dough that has been nurtured for over 50 years, the Exceptional Panettone is filled with sultanas and candied orange and baked for a wonderfully soft texture and delightfully delicate aroma

There’s also exceptional Welsh Lamb Shoulder With Fig, Whiskey ad Spiced Honey stuffing, a boneless and hand-prepared by expert butchers, this succulent lamb shoulder is topped with a sticky fig chutney and rich lamb jus, topped with sweet apricots.

Also on offer is the ‘Fantastic Grazing Board’ a grazing platter contains an assortment of cured charcuterie meats, with Iberico cheese, spicy chilli cheese, stuffed baby peppers, green olives, sea salt and black pepper breadsticks, chive and onion twists, and a slow roasted tomato, chilli, and garlic dip.

For a bit of flash, there’s also the charcuter-wreath, an easy-to-assemble, DIY wreath with Italian Milano Salami, prosciutto, Manchego Cheese triangles, mini pickled cornichons and sweet red pepper drops, this stunning charcuter-wreath promises to be a Christmas showstopper.

Asda are also offering an Exceptional Butter Chicken Samosas in their festive frange.

The hand-folded into pastry, and double battered for an extra crispy finish, and filled with chicken thigh in a rich butter chicken sauce.

There’s also the Extra Special Raspberry, Pistachio & Passionfruit Pavlova Wreath. Made with free-range egg and British cream, this slow-baked, crisp pavlova wreath is hand-decorated with a scattering of raspberries, pistachio pieces, raspberry compote and tangy passionfruit cream for a pop of colour

There’s also an Exceptional Black Tiger Tempura Prawns. These prawns are cooked in a light & airy tempura batter for a delicate, crisp texture.

Also on offer for vegan guests is the OMV! Whole No Turkey.

Asda describe the dish as succulent and flavoursome. Made using soya protein to create a lean, white ‘breast’ meat alternative, succulent, dark ‘leg’ meat and golden, crisp ‘skin’. 

Also for those who don’t eat meat and dish is the  OMV! No Smoked Salmon. Made with rice flour, these salmon-style pieces are perfectly seasons for a sweet and smoky flavour, so no one has to miss out this Christmas.

And there’s also the OMV! 4 Cranberry Topped No Pork Pies. Topped with a tangy cranberry sauce with a festive finish, these mini pies are made up of a seasoned pea protein and wrapped in golden pastry.

For sweet treats, there’s Asda’s Exceptional Panettone.

Using traditional methods with a mother dough that has been nurtured for over 50 years, the Exceptional Panettone is filled with sultanas and candied orange and baked for a wonderfully soft texture and delightfully delicate aroma.

There’s also the Extra Special Raspberry, Pistachio & Passionfruit Pavlova Wreath.

Made with free-range egg and British cream, this slow-baked, crisp pavlova wreath is hand-decorated with a scattering of raspberries, pistachio pieces, raspberry compote and tangy passionfruit cream for a pop of colour.