Asda and Tesco have become the first two UK supermarkets to unveil their festive food ranges for 2024.
Sure, it may quite literally be August right now, and we’ve still got the rest of summer, and the small matter of a bank holiday weekend, Halloween, and Bonfire Night to get through first, but it seems two of the UK’s biggest supermarkets are already looking ahead to the most wonderful time of year.
That’s right, whether you can believe it or not, Asda and Tesco have already unveiled their festive food ranges for Christmas 2024.
Although we didn’t want to bring up the ‘C’ word nearly five months before the festive season is actually upon us, here we are – and considering Greater Manchester hasn’t really had much of a ‘summer’ so far this year, maybe there’s no harm getting in getting into the festive spirit a little earlier than normal?
Thankfully, there’s some real mouthwatering treats on the menu to make these early releases worthwhile.
ADVERTISEMENT
Asda and Tesco have unveiled their festive food ranges for 2024 / Credit: Tesco | Asda
Over at Tesco, you won’t just find the traditional turkey and Christmas pudding on the lineup this year, as joining those are inventive alternatives like a Dry Cured Bone-in Gammon Joint with a Black Cherry Glaze, a large Winter Berry Pork Pie, a Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Galette, a Roasted Vegetable & Cranberry Star, mini Pigs in Blankets Yorkshire Puddings, and even a whole range of festive-themed party foods and cheese selection.
For those with a sweet tooth, Tesco is serving up a Belgian Chocolate & Sea Salted Caramel Snowy Semi Freddo, and a Speculoos and Belgian Chocolate Highwall Cheesecake, both from the ‘Finest’ range among others.
ADVERTISEMENT
There’s also a giant Christmas star-shaped chocolate panettone to tuck into too.
There’s some real mouthwatering festive treats on the lineups this year / Credit: Tesco
Can Asda rival that then?
Well, aside from the usual classics, just like Tesco, the supermarket has some snazzy alternatives on the lineup including the a Slow Cooked Beef Shin, a Welsh Lamb Shoulder with Fig, Whiskey, and a Spiced Honey stuffing, and even a cleverly-named Charcuter-wreath, alongside lots of party food and ‘picky bits’.
ADVERTISEMENT
These include Butter Chicken Samosas, Prawn & Veg Dim Sum, and Tempura Prawns, all from the ‘Exceptional’ range.
There’s classics, inventive alternatives, and new and returning fan-favourites / Credit: Tesco
When it comes to desserts and sweet treats, shoppers are spoiled for choice once again, with some of the stand-outs being the fan-favourite Exceptional Panettone, and the new Raspberry, Pistachio & Passionfruit Pavlova Wreath from the ‘Extra Special’ range.
Both supermarkets also have a wide range of vegan and ‘Free From’ food options available across their ranges this year, so no one need miss out on the festive feasting fun.
It’s expected that we won’t have long to wait now until the rest of the other major supermarkets get into the Christmas spirit too, so keep your eyes peeled.
Featured Image – Tesco
Shopping
Celebrity-loved ‘facial fitness’ brand Facegym is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Facegym, the ‘facial fitness’ brand loved by celebrities, will be opening a brand-new studio in Manchester this month.
Promising ‘facial workouts’, Facegym uses high-intensity hand massage, deep-tissue manipulation, and skin-tightening electronic muscle stimulation to tone and lift the skin.
Facegym’s signature workouts are designed to be energetic, combining massage and movement with techniques intended to stimulate circulation, sculpt the face and leave you with that post-facial glow.
The Signature Sculpt workout, for example, includes a cleanse and warm-up, high-energy movements, sculpting and contouring using gua sha and muscle stimulation, before finishing with skincare and lymphatic drainage.
Basically, it’s a workout, but for your face.
Facegym will be opening its first ever standalone studio in Manchester on King Street this September.
It joins a raft of new openings on the street, including Reformation and American Vintage, with plenty more on the way soon.
The brand has already made a name for itself across London and internationally, with studios in cities including New York, Los Angeles and Sydney, as well as a presence inside Selfridges in Manchester.
Now, Manchester is getting its very own standalone studio on one of the city’s most recognisable shopping streets.
The new King Street studio will be led by franchise partners Minesh and Hoosein, who bring more than two decades of experience across franchising, finance, retail, telecoms and food and drink.
The pair say they were drawn to Facegym because of its innovative take on beauty and wellness, and see Manchester as the perfect city to introduce the concept to a new audience.
The new studio will officially open its doors on 9 September, bringing Facegym’s high-energy approach to facial fitness and wellness to the North West.
And if you want to get involved from day one, Facegym is currently offering a limited Founding Membership for its Manchester launch.
The first 99 members can get a membership for £62 per month, compared with the standard Manchester membership price of £77. The membership includes one workout each month, plus discounts on boosters, additional workouts, skincare and tools.
Aldi on Market Street is officially open again, with a major upgrade
Daisy Jackson
Good news for literally everyone in the city centre – Aldi on Market Street is BACK after a major upgrade.
The supermarket in the Manchester Arndale has been closed for what feels like an eternity (okay, three weeks) while it was given a refurbishment as part of Aldi’s Enhanced Project Fresh initiative.
The closure had left some shoppers less than impressed, with locals previously taking to social media to say it had ‘ruined my f***in day‘.
But after weeks of waiting, the Market Street branch is now back open, and Aldi says there are plenty of changes for shoppers to discover.
The revamped store has been given a new floor layout, upgraded refrigeration and repositioned departments, all designed to make navigating the shop a little easier.
Having popped in this morning, we can confirm that the aisles feel significantly less claustrophobic than they did previously.
One of the biggest additions is a brand-new in-store bakery, alongside expanded chillers and an enhanced fresh produce section.
Buzzball BiggiesThe new Aldi bakery on Market StreetAnd magnums of Aldi’s own chicken wineLoads of new self checkoutsThe aisles feel much wider and calmer in the new Aldi Market Street
There’s also a larger food-to-go chiller, while the freezer section has been redesigned with easy-to-browse freezers.
And for anyone who has ever found themselves trapped in a city-centre supermarket queue, Aldi has also introduced an improved queuing system for its self-checkouts, with the changes intended to ease congestion during the busiest periods.
Store Manager Mark Strickland said: “We thank our customers for being patient during this period of closure and we hope the improvements we’ve made to the store create a noticeably better experience for our shoppers.
“The new floor, upgraded refrigeration, and repositioned departments now make shopping at Aldi Arndale easier and more comfortable than ever.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming back familiar faces and new customers to showcase what we’ve achieved.”
The makeover forms part of Aldi’s wider investment programme across its stores, including the rollout of updated CO₂ refrigeration systems.
According to Aldi, the carbon reduction from the completed programme will be equivalent to the amount of energy used to heat more than 6,500 homes.
So, while Mancs might have had to survive without their Market Street Aldi for a little while, there’s now a shiny new reason to head back into the Arndale.
Emily Sergeant -
8th August 2024 
