Turkeys: The more we order, the more we sell!

The festive favourite ran out at Derek Shaw Butchers in Western Road by mid-December and Iceland at Ravenside sold out of the traditional bird on Saturday.

Mr Shaw said: "We sell out right across the board - turkey, lamb, beef - literally everything. People like to stick to the traditional.

"We up our orders each year, and each year we sell out. We start taking orders at the beginning of November."

It's been a busy one at Dewhurst in Devonshire Road, too.

Butcher Ian Godfrey says they've sold around 120 turkeys and they were still flying off the shelves on Christmas Eve.

Ian said customers were switching from the traditional full bird to boneless turkey crowns - preferring to 'gobble' just the succulent white meat without legs or wings.

TG Matthews butchers in, appropriately, Turkey Road, say they were taking orders for months.

Gary Canham told the Observer on Christmas Eve: "Turkey's still very much the favourite.

"It's not too deer compared with goose or duck and you get plenty of meat."