CHRISTMAS dinner is such a stressful production, from getting the timing right for the main features of the meal, to missing Morecambe and Wise as you slave away at the stove and then have to face all the washing up later. But fret no longer as a solution may be at hand - Christmas dinner now comes in a tin.

 

Christmas dinner…in a tin?

Indeed, it seems unlikely that you could ‘stuff’ the turkey, tatties, sprouts and all the trimmings into a tin, but Heinz claim to have done just that with their latest offering - The Christmas Dinner Big Soup, which contains “big chunks” of turkey, pigs in blankets, Brussels, balls of stuffing and roast potatoes, with a gravy and cranberry sauce added into the mix.

 

How is this possible?

It may seem quite an ask, but Heinz say their creation offers "no-nonsense seasonal satisfaction" with "full-on ingredients and big-time flavour”.

 

There has to be a snag?

The snag is that it is a limited edition, with online orders on the official Heinz store limited to four per person, means it has already sold out and is now reselling on eBay at inflated prices. Heinz were selling the new product for £1.50 a tin, but prices were around £50 per tin on eBay and rising.

 

Will it return next year?

The firm said initially that if the soup sold well it would bring it back. Anke von Hanstein, brand manager for Heinz Soups, said: “It is made for those with a big love for hearty festive flavours and tastes just perfect with a slice of warm crusty bread. Any soup that includes pigs in blankets and roasties is a winner in our eyes. And if these lucky few who managed to get their hands on it love it as much as we do, Heinz Christmas Dinner Big Soup might be back next year, bigger and better. Watch this space.”

 

Has there been anything like it before?

Gaming company, GAME, brought out its "Christmas Tinner" in 2013, saying it was a "three-course festive meal in a tin for those hardcore gamers that don't want to leave their gaming chair on Christmas Day.”

 

What was the snag with it?

There’s always a snag and in this case, one might hazard a guess that the inclusion of mince pies constitutes a catch.

 

Mince pies?

The traditional GAME tin has nine layers - scrambled egg and bacon, two mince pies, turkey and potatoes, gravy, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, sprouts with stuffing, roast carrots and parsnips and Christmas pudding. Diners are advised to “start from the top and work down”.

 

That's quite a feast?

It is and there are also vegetarian and vegan GAME offerings.  The Vegetarian Christmas Tinner switches out scrambled eggs and bacon for gingerbread pancakes and the traditional turkey for a nut roast. It also includes halloumi pigs and tempeh bacon blankets and a yule log. The Vegan Christmas Tinner, meanwhile, includes scrambled tofu and vegan chocolate cake.