Donald Russell are quality butchers from Scotland, who sell their wide variety of products (not just meat) online. A couple of months ago I received a great selection of some of their newly launched products, and last week I was kindly sent a box of their seasonal offering, the Christmas Party Box. 
promptly invited a couple of friends over to share the food and the tasting. The Christmas Party Box (currently on offer at £39) is perfect for parties and family get-togethers.

The party box

The Party box con- 16 Pork Chipolatas, in packs of 8 (pack weight 225g e) – 8 Mini Fish Cakes, in packs of 4 (pack weight 216g e) – 24 Beef Meatballs, in packs of 12 (pack weight 240g e) – 1 Traditional Pork Pie (pack weight 500g – I did not receive this) – 12 Mini Steak Burgers, in packs of 6 (pack weight 270g e) – 16 Mini Artisan Sausage Rolls, in packs of 8 (pack weight 460g e)I also received mini Ham Croissants which went really well with some of the dips and cheeses I had bought locally to complement the Christmassy theme. 

We really liked the fish cakes, which I baked – they tasted light and well seasoned and they are small in size, so perfect for parties and sharing dinners. I served the Mini Sausages Roll with a mixed herb salad – we enjoyed these and the chipolatas too, however I would recommend defrosting the chipolatas and cook them straight in the oven once thawed, rather than parboiling beforehand from frozen. 

We tried both methods and I thought the flavour of the pork sausages was much stronger when defrosted slowly and oven roasted.
 

What about the meatballs? Well, not wanting to over load our dinner with so much meat, we kept them for ourselves (sorry, ladies!) and @bmcboy made a delicious Spaghetti with meatballs a few nights later – I thought the meatballs were the perfect size for this simple but delicious mid-week dinner. They were balanced in flavour (I find pre-made meatballs sometimes overpowered with spices and herbs, but not the case at all with Donald Russel’s). 

 Finally, we were also sent a beautifully presented and elegant Christmas Pudding by Mosimman’s of London. A lighter, healthier version of this Yuletide favourite – complete with reminiscent aromas and a rich nostalgic flavour, it can be ordered via Donald Russel at £15. It’s a pretty big size and feeds well over 8 in my opinion, it feels very fruity and spicy and went well with vanilla ice cream. 

^{I received the box complimentary from Donald Russell and Wild Card PR; I was not requested to write this post, opinions are my own. Another review of the Christmas Party Box is by Hot & Chili.}