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<p>Langoustine and lobsters are being targeted by organised gangs fuelling a Christmas crimewave</p>
Features

How high-end thieves are fuelling a festive food crime wave

From 3,000 bottles of wine to 22 tonnes of stolen cheese and boxes of langoustine, large-scale food theft is becoming big business. Emma Henderson investigates how inflation, organised crime and a taste for the finer things are fuelling a new black market in festive food

<p>Old-school comfort meets restaurant swagger, complete with a crackable caramel top</p>
Recipes

Three bright, comforting Barbary Coast recipes for darker evenings

<p>Top chefs reveal what they eat on Boxing Day</p>
Food and Drink

Top chefs reveal what they eat on Boxing Day – its not just leftovers

<p>Guinness’s unlikely cultural renaissance has been building for a while</p>
Features

Has Gen Z’s Guinness obsession ruined the pint for the rest of us?

<p>‘It’s the end of an era. McDonald’s has replaced it with a McFish Happy Meal. But it just doesn’t work for us. Many young children can’t bite through a bun’</p>
Voices

I’m a ‘McDonald’s mother’. How dare they come for our Happy Meals

<p>A proper winter pie: flaky pastry, deep flavour and the kind of roast-chicken comfort every cold evening deserves</p>
Recipes

Four British comfort-food recipes for cold nights

<p>Proof that the Christmas sandwich has finally broken from reality – and we’re still queueing for it</p>
Features

Why have Christmas sandwiches become so unhinged?

<p>Clare Bailey Mosley, whose kitchen has become both refuge and reminder</p>
Recipes

Clare Bailey Mosley on cooking through grief and Michael’s legacy

<p>While open cup milkshakes and coffee drinks are exempt from the government’s latest sugar tax, their calorific content can still be a problem</p>
Lifestyle

How embarrassing is your coffee order?

<p>Skye Gyngell</p>
Food and Drink

Skye Gyngell death: Pioneering Michelin-starred chef dies aged 62

<p>Mary Berry’s take on a Thai-style traybake proves one-pan dinners can still feel special</p>
Recipes

The best traybake recipes from Mary Berry, Jamie Oliver and more

<p>Batch cooking at its best: bold, comforting dishes that stretch your budget further</p>
Recipes

Cook once, eat all week with these budget-friendly recipes

Recipes

<p>Rick Stein’s tartlets prove that the best Christmas canapes deliver a jolt of flavour before anyone’s even taken their coat off</p>
Recipes

Chef-approved Christmas canapes to impress your guests

<p>Proof that a weeknight dinner can feel like a seaside holiday</p>
Recipes

Four easy pasta recipes for cosy winter cooking

<p>Turning the stray sprout and the last pig in blanket into pasta worth fighting over</p>
Recipes

The best Boxing Day leftovers recipes to save Christmas

<p>The chef at home, proving even the pros don’t need a picture-perfect bird to pull off the perfect Christmas feast</p>
Recipes

Rick Stein’s foolproof guide to the perfect Christmas dinner

<p>Gordon Ramsay’s perfect roast turkey</p>
Recipes

Gordon Ramsay’s secrets for the perfect roast turkey

<p>The humble baked potato gets a glow-up with cheesy cavolo nero filling for the ultimate winter comfort</p>
Recipes

Six easy veg-packed recipes to save money this winter

<p>The chef at home, proving even the pros don’t need a picture-perfect bird to pull off the perfect Christmas feast</p>
Recipes

Rick Stein’s foolproof guide to the perfect Christmas dinner

<p>Gordon Ramsay’s perfect roast turkey</p>
Recipes

Gordon Ramsay’s secrets for the perfect roast turkey

<p>The humble baked potato gets a glow-up with cheesy cavolo nero filling for the ultimate winter comfort</p>
Recipes

Six easy veg-packed recipes to save money this winter

Budget Bites

<p>Low on carbs, high on flavour – three quick, budget-friendly meals worth making on repeat</p>
Recipes

Three easy low-carb recipes that won’t break the bank

Recipes

Three easy low-carb recipes that won’t break the bank

<p>Low on carbs, high on flavour – three quick, budget-friendly meals worth making on repeat</p>
<p>Proof that picnic food doesn’t need pastry faff to impress</p>
Recipes

8 quick summer recipes for easy lunches and picnics

<p>Three meals, one shop: these recipes are designed to work harder for your wallet and your weeknight schedule</p>
Recipes

Three budget dinners with one shopping list to cut food costs

<p>Three ways to do dinner better this spring – fresh, fast and full of veg, these budget-friendly plates are made to share (or not)</p>
Recipes

Three easy spring dinners that look fancier than they are

<p>Three spring-ready fish recipes that are big on flavour, light on cost – and even lighter on washing-up</p>
Recipes

Spring dinners for under £10? These three fish recipes deliver

<p>Three spring-ready fish recipes that are big on flavour, light on cost – and even lighter on washing-up</p>
Recipes

Spring dinners for under £10? These three fish recipes deliver

<p>Spring on a plate – three easy, budget-friendly recipes that make the most of the season’s best</p>
Recipes

Three budget-friendly spring recipes you’ll want to make this week

<p>Big flavours, tiny shopping list – these 7-ingredient recipes are proof that cooking smart doesn’t mean skimping on taste</p>
Recipes

Big flavours, small shopping list: 7-ingredient recipes you’ll love

Restaurants

<p>Where Ancoats’ industrial past meets playful Italian energy – Bruco’s counter is the best seat in the house for watching the drama unfold</p>
IndyEats

Bruco, Manchester, restaurant review: Small plates, supersized flavour

<p>A set menu with just enough choice – Margaret’s lets the ingredients do the talking</p>
IndyEats

Cambridge’s new candlelit bistro is quietly brilliant

<p>A tale of two stars: Aulis’s Cumbrian trick door in Soho vs Gorse’s calm Cardiff corner – same Michelin badge, wildly different bills</p>
IndyEats

Fine and Dime: When does a Michelin star really earn its keep?

<p>Two bistros, one postcode, zero resemblance – Marylebone’s newest rivals could hardly be more different</p>
IndyEats

Fine and Dime: One neighbourhood, two bistros, totally different vibes

Chefs

<p>Getting the perfect sear starts long before the pan hits the heat – and no, supermarket beef won’t cut it</p>
Features

The foolproof guide to cooking perfect steak every time

Features

The foolproof guide to cooking perfect steak every time

<p>Getting the perfect sear starts long before the pan hits the heat – and no, supermarket beef won’t cut it</p>
<p>At 90, Mary Berry shows no sign of slowing down — her new cookbook and TV series prove she’s still the nation’s favourite cook</p>
Recipes

Mary Berry at 90: Three recipes from a lifetime of cooking

<p>Ruth Rogers is set to open the River Cafe Cafe, a more affordable sister eaterie </p>
Food and Drink

Ruth Rogers on the River Cafe’s new affordable dining experience

<p>Donal Skehan has traded slow braises for speedy suppers – and found joy in the chaos of family life</p>
Features

Donal Skehan on cooking through the chaos of parenthood

<p>A dish born from two worlds – smoky tandoor chicken meets the creamy comfort Britain fell in love with</p>
Recipes

How chicken tikka masala became a symbol of modern Britain

<p>A dish born from two worlds – smoky tandoor chicken meets the creamy comfort Britain fell in love with</p>
Recipes

How chicken tikka masala became a symbol of modern Britain

<p>Rich goulash and fluffy dumplings – the ultimate taste of Czech comfort</p>
Features

Everything you need to know about Czech food

<p>The No.1 restaurant in North America, according to the inaugural North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2025</p>
News & Advice

The 50 best restaurants in the US and Canada named

Wine

<p>Rosamund Hall picks The Independent’s best Christmas wines</p>
Features

The best Christmas wines: from a £6 quality bottle to £40 treats

<p>All these bottles cost less than £50 </p>
Wine

The best supermarket champagne, handpicked by experts

<p>The selection in your local has never been better</p>
Wine

Sommeliers reveal the best supermarket wines from Aldi, Tesco and more

<p>A good aerator gives wine a smoother and more balanced taste</p>
Wine

11 best wine aerators to unlock your vino’s full potential

<p>Rosamund Hall showcases the bottles proving Beaujolais Nouveau’s big comeback – from supermarket surprises to indie gems</p>
Features

Beaujolais Nouveau Day: The best reds hot off the (wine) presses

<p>Mulled wine contains antioxidants </p>
Lifestyle

Why a festive drink could be the best way to stay healthy at Christmas

<p>A good aerator gives wine a smoother and more balanced taste</p>
Wine

11 best wine aerators to unlock your vino’s full potential

<p>Rosamund Hall showcases the bottles proving Beaujolais Nouveau’s big comeback – from supermarket surprises to indie gems</p>
Features

Beaujolais Nouveau Day: The best reds hot off the (wine) presses

<p>Mulled wine contains antioxidants </p>
Lifestyle

Why a festive drink could be the best way to stay healthy at Christmas

IndyBest

<p>These pizzas were blind taste-tested</p>
Food & Drink

Best supermarket pizza for 2025, taste-tested

Food & Drink

Best supermarket pizza for 2025, taste-tested

<p>These pizzas were blind taste-tested</p>
<p>Decadent centerpieces, party food and desserts take the hassle out of hosting</p>
Christmas

Best supermarket Christmas food to elevate your festive dining in 2025

<p>Shop the best spirits from Aldi, Tesco and more </p>
Spirits

The best supermarket whiskies to buy, according to industry experts

<p>All the oils in this review are extra virgin olive oil, which is the highest quality</p>
Food & Drink

I taste-tested supermarket olive oils – these are the best bottles

<p>The deep-filled supermarket mince pies were a cut above the rest </p>
Christmas

We blind taste-tested supermarket mince pies – and one stole the show

<p>The deep-filled supermarket mince pies were a cut above the rest </p>
Christmas

We blind taste-tested supermarket mince pies – and one stole the show

<p>I tried own-brand supermarket loaves as well as higher-end bread options on supermarket shelves, to see which are worth their dough</p>
Food & Drink

I’ve found the best supermarket sourdough from Lidl, Asda and more

<p>Each week you can choose from more than 75 different recipes</p>
Deals

Gousto discount codes for December 2025 – exclusive 50% off

<p>Armagnac has been enjoyed for hundreds of years, and I’ve sampled bottles across a range of price points </p>
Spirits

Best armagnacs 2025, tested by a spirits expert

<p>This important mineral helps to ease aches, improve sleep, and supports bones and teeth </p>
Food & Drink

Best magnesium supplements, as recommended by experts and editors

<p>White wine is produced throughout the world but what should we be looking for?</p>
Wine

Best white wines to drink in 2025, taste-tested

<p>Stock up on your favourite supermarket wines with this deal</p>
Wine

Get 25% off six bottles of supermarket wine at Sainsbury’s

<p>My line-up includes a budget bottle from Aldi and an exceptional luxury buy from a renowned producer </p>
Wine

Best red wines of 2025, recommended by a vino expert

<p>I’ve been testing hampers for three years, so I know what to look out for</p>
Food & Drink

Best hampers for luxury gifts in 2025

<p>From frangipane to puff-pastry, sugar, spice and all things nice await</p>
Food

Best mince pies for Christmas 2025, taste-tested

<p>From Waitrose to Bobo, these boxed wines start from £11 </p>
Wine

Best box wines of 2025, tried and tested

Food and drink deals

<p>Stock up with your favourite chocolate brands using these Easter egg deals</p>
Easter

Best Easter egg deals 2025: Cadbury, Hotel Chocolat and more

<p>Stock up on your favourite chocolate for less</p>
Deals

Hotel Chocolat discount code 2025: 15% off in December

<p>Get your next coffee fix for less with these Nespresso deals</p>
Deals

How to save 35% on Nespresso coffee machines and pods

<p>Did somebody say Just Eat deals? </p>
Deals

Get up to 50% off orders with these Just Eat discount codes

More

More food and drink features

<p>Mary Berry received an outstanding achievement award</p>
TV & Radio

Beloved TV chef receives prestigious award at London event

TV & Radio

Beloved TV chef receives prestigious award at London event

<p>Mary Berry received an outstanding achievement award</p>
<p>Waitrose reported a change in buying habits</p>
Features

How Waitrose turned into middle-class Iceland

<p>The history of the Christmas Pudding goes back centuries</p>
Food and Drink

Christmas pudding isn’t just a dessert – it’s a relic of the Empire

<p>How to get ahead this Christmas by batch cooking</p>
Food and Drink

The classic Christmas foods that you can prep from today

<p>A chef prepares a vegan dish at Plates restaurant in London, Britain, November 21, 2025. REUTERS/Sam Tabahriti</p>
Food and Drink

Surprising fact about Britain’s first plant-based Michelin-star venue

<p>A chef prepares a vegan dish at Plates restaurant in London, Britain, November 21, 2025. REUTERS/Sam Tabahriti</p>
Food and Drink

Surprising fact about Britain’s first plant-based Michelin-star venue

<p>High street baker Greggs is launching its first range of Christmas cards that come complete with the gift of a sausage roll</p>
Food and Drink

Greggs unveils first-ever Christmas cards – with a free sausage roll

<p>In the hustle of a holiday kitchen, the risk of cross-contamination is real.</p>
Food and Drink

The vital Thanksgiving kitchen tools you need for a foolproof dinner

<p>Cranberry sauce is a thanksgiving staple.</p>
Food and Drink

Three quick and easy cranberry sauce recipes to try this Thanksgiving

<p>Turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid vital for melatonin production, which regulates sleep schedules.</p>
Food and Drink

The truth about Thanksgiving turkey and whether it makes you sleepy

Food and Drink

Why you shouldn’t trust a pop-up thermometer when cooking your turkey

<p>Thanksgiving</p>
Food and Drink

The pros and cons of buying a frozen turkey this Thanksgiving

Food and Drink

The five most-hated side dishes to avoid this Thanksgiving

<p>Smiling woman cooking Thanksgiving meal while following recipe on digital tablet in the kitchen.</p>
Health & Families

The common Thanksgiving cooking mistakes that you should never make

Americans could find themselves paying more for certain staples, including turkey, this Thanksgiving. However, other items like bread and potatoes could cost less this year
Food and Drink

Here’s the real reason why turkey is served on Thanksgiving

<p>Thanksgiving</p>
Food and Drink

What to do with Thanksgiving leftovers? The French have a recipe

<p>Turkey populations in the US are at a 40-year low</p>
Food and Drink

Thanksgiving favorites under threat as costs soar

<p>Almost overnight, this friendly pick-me-up seems to have become a nemesis</p>
Features

This is why you can’t handle coffee anymore

<p>A beautifully roasted Christmas turkey, golden and ready to be the star of your festive feast</p>
Food and Drink

How to avoid turkey disasters this Christmas according to top chefs

<p>A receipt with a shocking bottom line and a trolley that looks no fuller for it: the clearest sign that food inflation hasn’t followed the headline numbers down</p>
Features

Inflation is down – so why is your food shop getting more expensive?

<p>UPFs make up 56 per cent of the average UK diet – and a high proportion comes from snacks</p>
Lifestyle

One thing that could halve your UPF consumption in a week

<p>Only one restaurant was awarded three stars </p>
Food and Drink

Michelin awards new stars in three US cities

<p>Learn to read packaging to make the healthiest choice without giving up on convenience</p>
Features

The 5 ultra-processed food ingredients to avoid at the supermarket

<p>A generation accused of being chronically online is now choosing to eat this way – elbow-to-elbow with strangerson purpose</p>
Lifestyle

Lonely and antisocial, why Gen Z are bringing communal dining back

<p>Love at first sip: Kylie Minogue raises a glass to her next act – proving that glamour and moderation can happily share the same bottle</p>
Features

From pop to wine: How Kylie invented a low-alcohol rosé by mistake

<p>Improving sleep quality can boost cognitive performance</p>
Features

The foods that could be ruining your sleep – and how to fix it

<p>British strawberries are all yer round</p>
Food and Drink

British-grown strawberries to be on Christmas menu for the first time

<p>Participants take part in historic festival dedicated to Viking combats, competitions and culture</p>
Food and Drink

Did the Vikings really drink mead? The truth may surprise you

<p>A vendor sorts sweets at a Baumkuchen store on its opening day in Tokyo</p>
Food and Drink

The German POW who gave Japan one of its most beloved cakes

<p>Madees Khoury (centre) with Brewgooder co-founders Alan Mahon (left) and James Hughes (right) (Brewgooder/PA)</p>
Food and Drink

Palestine beer brewer says Glasgow trip was ‘emotional’

<p>Foster’s alcohol content will decrease from 3.7 per cent to 3.4 per cent starting in February</p>
Food and Drink

Popular beer reduces alcohol percentage in response to slump in sales

(James Murphy/PA)
Food and Drink

Rick Stein’s top tips on cooking the ultimate Christmas dinner

<p>Olive oil producers can do much to create a premium product - but there are things outside their control, experts say</p>
Food and Drink

Experts explain how to find the best bottle of olive oil

<p>Borough Market may not have been built by social media, but in 2025, can it survive without it?</p>
Features

Borough Market vs The TikTokers: Hospitality’s Frankenstein moment

<p>As rough sleeping rises across the UK, StreetSmart’s £1 restaurant campaign is helping fund vital local projects</p>
Features

StreetSmart: How dining out can help the homeless this winter

<p>Devonshire Duplins an Cream</p>
Food and Drink

There’s more to Devon than cream first – from ‘squab pie’ to ‘thunder’

<p>The author’s cookbooks have helped bring the flavours of Iran, Palestine and beyond into British kitchens – now she finds herself at the centre of an unexpected food fight</p>
Features

Foodie Fight: The woman trying to trademark the word ‘vegetable’

<p>A reminder that the real cost of eating out often shows up below the line</p>
Features

Why restaurants are now adding admin charges to your bill too

Food and Drink

Why one of the world’s rarest beers is now being opened, 150 years on

<p>Proof that beauty can be more than skin deep – beneath those orange shells lies one of nature’s most overlooked superfoods</p>
Features

The gut-health benefits of pumpkin and five best autumnal recipes

<p>Kefir contains natural probiotics like lacto and bifido bacterium</p>
Fitness and wellbeing

I drank kefir for a month and it made me feel like a superhuman

<p>A bowl of yoghurt and fruit – once hailed as the breakfast of the health-conscious, now caught in Britain’s food-policy crossfire</p>
Features

Why your yoghurt isn’t as healthy as you think it is – or is it?

<p>Wxtreme weather is wrecking harvests, hitting farm <a href="/topic/farm"></a>incomes and reducing our food security</p>
Features

The nation’s harvest is in trouble and so is your supermarket shop

<p>Butterflied sirloin, marinated in garlic and parsley, grilled until smoky and tender – South American steak at its bold, flame-licked best</p>
Recipes

Three foolproof Argentinian recipes for steak night

<p>When daylight fades and energy dips, even a simple soup can help reset body and mood</p>
Features

Six nutrition-packed recipes to eat your way to better health

Jerky Recall
Food and Drink

More than two million pounds of barbecue pork jerky recalled

<p>Some 13 supermarkets entered a combined 185 of their best Christmas products across 17 categories</p>
Food and Drink

Winners revealed in annual Christmas food taste test

<p>The Bard himself may never have cooked a meal, but his plays are seasoned with food, feasts and plenty of appetite</p>
Recipes

To eat or not to eat: How to cook from Shakespeare’s plays today

Features

The best new no and low-alcohol drinks to try now

<p>Cooking steak is an art - here is how to get it right</p>
Food and Drink

This is how to cook the ultimate steak, according to top chefs

<p>A bowl that captures Puglia in every bite – peppery olive oil, bitter greens and the quiet beauty of simple cooking</p>
Recipes

Mediterranean recipes to bring sunshine to colder days

<p>Proof that nostalgia has a sweet tooth – the Penguin bar looks the same, even if what’s inside isn’t</p>
Features

Why the chocolate we’re eating isn’t really chocolate anymore

<p>A stress-free Christmas is possible – The Batch Lady says it all starts with a freezer and a plan</p>
Features

The influencer who’s already cooking Christmas dinner

<p>Dating back more than 2,000 years, kombucha is the original gut health drink</p>
Fitness and wellbeing

Drinking kombucha has transformed my gut health – here’s how

<p>Crisp, molten and a little bit fiery – the toastie that’ll ruin all others for you</p>
Recipes

The ultimate kimchi and taleggio cheese toastie

<p>The once-reliable ‘big shop’ has become an act of endurance – shoppers say £100 no longer stretches as far as it used to</p>
Home News

The £100 weekly shop trend that shows how little food it really buys

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