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The Review Featured Business:
wm. allan & son
Every quarter we’ll be featuring an interview with a local business
and you get to vote for who it will be... look out for more details on
our facebook page www.facebook.com/thereviewstewarton
the review popped in for a chat with
alasdair m c farlane to hear his story...
how long has allan & sons been established?
We’ve been established since 1903, celebrating our
110th year.
tell us about a fond memory you have from your time
in the shop?
Working with my family over the years has to be
up there, when I started I worked with my Dad,
Mum, Gran and Papa and now I work with my
wife, sons and sister in law.
why should customers come to you for their meat rather
than shopping in supermarkets?
Quality, value for money and personal service.
what do you love about your stewarton customers?
I like the fact that our customers acknowledge
the importance of supporting their local small
businesses, of all types.
what three words would you use to describe stewarton to
someone who has never been here before?
Welcoming, friendly and vibrant.
how do you like your steak?
Medium.
give us a top tip for cooking steak...
Always allow your steak to rest at room temperature
before cooking.
how has social networking evolved your business?
It has given us a wider target audience and
customer base at the click of a button.
have you got anything new and exciting for your
customers to look forward to?
We always try to devise new and exciting products
for our customers to enjoy, some are a success, and
sadly some are not! (laughs)
tell us something we might not know about your shop
Our shop is not actually our original shop, the
business started on the opposite side of the street,
roughly between the factory shop and the bank.
alasdair shares his christmas dinner secrets...
Even if you regularly host dinner parties
or cook for a large family, the Christmas
dinner is likely to be the most challenging
you’ll put together all year. How long do
you cook the turkey for, will you get it all in
the oven and will you get it all on the table
in time to keep everyone happy?
Hopefully with the help of a few hints and
tips you’ll serve up a Christmas dinner to
be proud of.
PREPARATION:
Consider writing a list in advance of jobs to
be done, if well drawn up it will make life so
much easier on the big day.
Take the turkey out the fridge the night
before. Remove all the packaging, any
bands etc and cover with a clean dishtowel.
(you may also want to season with salt)
CHRISTMAS MORNING:
Remove the wishbone with a sharp knife,
this will make carving much easier later
on. Cover the turkey with butter, pepper
and anything else you fancy, maybe a bit of
thyme or sage and throw a couple of onions
inside the carcase.
COOKING:
As a guide you want to do 220c/425f Gas
Mark 7 for 30-45 minutes (depending on
size) then down to 170c/325f Gas mark 3.
Allow 30-40 minutes per KG so as a guide
a 5-7kg bird will take 3.5-4 hours, a 7-9kg
bird 4-5 hours and the larger 9kg + birds
5-6 hours.
Cook the bird unstuffed, but if you must
give an additional 20-30 minutes on top of
the time above.
Cover the bird with tinfoil to stop in
burning or drying out while cooking, you
can remove the tinfoil for the last half hour
or so of cooking.
Remember to rotate the turkey while its
cooking as the legs can take a little longer
to cook. It’s a good idea to place it on one
side then the other with the breast down
and place breast up for the final phase of
cooking.
Baste the turkey every 25 minutes or so
during cooking. When cooked allow to rest
for 45 minutes before carving.
Hopefully this brief guide will help
you have a wonderful Christmas
dinner with minimal fuss, allowing
you to enjoy the day with your family.
Merry Christmas!
this year wm. allan and sons turkeys will be available for
collection / delivery on the 21 st, 23 rd & 24 th december