A 1960s Christmas Dinner – What Was Really On The Table In The Sixties

Discover what a 1960s Christmas dinner really looked like – from devilled eggs and liver pate to trifle and instant whip. A delicious trip back in time!

Last updated: May 2026

A 1960s Christmas dinner was a wonderfully retro and deliciously nostalgic affair – and quite different from the elaborate multi course feasts many of us sit down to today.

The sixties was the decade that instant food arrived in British kitchens and Christmas Day was no exception with some gloriously retro dishes gracing the festive table that would raise more than a few eyebrows today!

From devilled eggs and avocado cocktail to trifle and instant whip, join us as we step back in time to discover exactly what Britain was eating on Christmas Day in the swinging sixties.

Starters And Canapes – 1960s Christmas Style

The 1960s starter course was wonderfully adventurous by the standards of the era – the decade saw a huge surge of interest in continental European food influenced by the rise of foreign travel and the popularity of cookery writers like Marguerite Patten and later Fanny Cradock.

Devilled eggs, hard boiled eggs filled with seasoned yolk mixture, were considered the height of sophistication at a 1960s Christmas gathering.

Anchovy and cheese on toast circles were another popular canapé choice alongside the now iconic prawn cocktail which first appeared on British menus in the early 1960s and became the must have starter of the entire decade.

The Main Event – 1960s Christmas Dinner

Turkey was firmly established as the centrepiece of the British Christmas table by the 1960s, many households served this as the main meal throughout the decade with TV chef Marguerite Patten suggesting turkey and gammon as the perfect main course combination.

For those who fancied something different beef stew was a popular alternative and for the very few vegetarians at the table a cheese medley was typically the only option available.

Frozen vegetables made their first major appearance on British Christmas dinner tables during this decade, Birds Eye had launched frozen peas in 1961 making Christmas dinner preparation significantly easier for the busy housewife.

Christmas Pudding And Desserts In The 1960s

Dessert in the 1960s was a gloriously retro affair that perfectly captures the spirit of the era. Christmas pudding remained the traditional centrepiece, but the real stars of the sixties dessert table were the wonderfully nostalgic instant whip and trifle.

Trifle was considered the ultimate celebration dessert, layers of sponge jelly fruit cream and hundreds and thousands making it the most colourful and festive pudding imaginable.

Recreate A 1960s Christmas Dinner Today

Fancy throwing a retro 1960s Christmas dinner party this year? It is far easier and more fun than you might think — and your guests will absolutely love it:

Vintage recipe books: Marguerite Patten’s cookbooks are still available and absolutely brilliant for authentic 1960s Christmas recipes 🔗Marguerite Patten Recipe Collection — Amazon UK

Retro trifle bowl: no 1960s Christmas table was complete without a magnificent trifle in a proper glass bowl 🔗 Classic Glass Trifle Bowl — The Range

Vintage style serving dishes: bring that authentic 1960s Christmas table feel to life 🔗 Retro Style Christmas Serving Dishes — Amazon UK

Classic Christmas pudding: Just as it was in the sixties, rich dark and utterly delicious 🔗 Classic Christmas Pudding — Tesco

That’s us! A wonderful and deliciously nostalgic journey through the 1960s Christmas dinner table!

Whether you fancy recreating a full retro Christmas feast or simply adding a devilled egg or two to your festive spread this year we hope this glimpse into sixties Christmas food has brought back some wonderful memories.