Steak instead of roast: What's on the table at Christmas
When it comes to Christmas dinner, people in Rhineland-Palatinate prefer simple and cozy, according to the butchers' association. "This typical Christmas roast is rarely bought", said Dagmar Groß-Mauer, State Guild Master of the Rhineland-Rhinehessen Butchers' Association, to the German Press Agency. "Customers want to have less work at Christmas, they want to enjoy the festivities with their family and not spend the whole day in the kitchen."
Ready-to-cook dishes are therefore popular, said Groß-Mauer. Her store sells fillet pots and steaks in aluminum trays, for example. According to the regional guild master, pork fillets and rump steaks sell well every year. "The prime cuts from the animal are the preferred choice at Christmas because it's something special," said Groß-Mauer. "It's always been the case that discounter customers buy from supermarkets and supermarket customers buy from butchers."
However, the coronavirus pandemic has changed people's purchasing behavior in general. "Because they could no longer eat out so much, they have discovered the value of the quality of specialist butchers' stores," said Groß-Mauer. "Young people in particular want to know what they are buying."
She is particularly concerned about the inflation rate "Prices have risen everywhere, they have risen here too", said the regional guild master. The renewed rise in VAT for the catering industry is also putting a strain on specialist businesses, for example in catering. "Turnover has increased for many colleagues, but earnings are much lower."
The shift towards ready-to-cook dishes for Christmas dinner isn't just limited to Rhineland-Palatinate, as customs across Germany reflect this trend. Furthermore, the high quality of food and drink offered by specialist butchers has become more appreciated during the pandemic, making traditional Christmas feasts more affordable for some.
Source: www.dpa.com
