I wish to speak up for the Herb Fed poultry company, based in Yorkshire I believe. I bought two of their free-range chickens a while back at Gloucester Services as they were half price due to that silly sell-by date thang. Great big hearty beasts they were, coming in at about six pounds each. I got them for just over six quid each and whacked them straight into the freezer.

Well we had one tonight, roasted with all the spuds and veg out of the garden. I've had many a damn fine bird in my time but this was the best chicken we've ever had. Lovely texture, gorgeously moist and full of flavour. They'd be well worth the money even at full price, which is actually not much more than Morrisons' corn-fed or Waitrose finest free-range (both very good). With chicken you get what you pay for. This one was the absolute numero uno. I will not countenance the pappy M&S Oakham jobbies, nor those other cheap supermarket barn chickens that give off a ton of watery slop when you cook them and taste like dirty dishcloths.

As for stuffing, I must make my own. Mrs Steve and I have almost approached divorce proceedings over the stuffing we have at Christmas, but all the rest of the year is mine.

Take twelve of the finest butcher's pork sausages you can get your hands on. Squeeze all the meat out into a big bowl and discard the skins.

In another bowl, put a good big handful of breadcrumbs, some finely-chopped fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, sage, or all three) and a finely-chopped onion. Add some salt and pepper. Pour in a small glassful of boiling water and mix like mad. Then add that to the sausage meat and mix thoroughly. I love doing it with my bare hands. I will not be deprived of that. Divide the mixture into three and put two lots in plastic bags and freeze them. The other third is for tonight. Form it into a shallow brick and put it on to a sheet of non-stick baking paper on a metal tray. It goes into your hot oven, along with the spuds you're going to roast, for about 45 minutes. You can't buy stuffing as good as that in shops, and it's so easy.