Steve and Gail van Veen have a large Christmas lunch with one side of family and dinner with the other. PHOTOS: PETER MCINTOSH

This will be the first year Dunedin woman Doreen Michelle will be celebrating Christmas without her daughter, who’s in Iceland.

But for her family there are some iconic foods that can’t be missed on the big day.

"The last few years we’ve done a traditional turkey roast," she said.

Her husband needed convincing when it came to the turkey but "lashings of bacon" put paid to that.

"You do the whole process of brining it over a couple of days and then stuffing it.

"Then wrapping it in lashings of bacon and actually getting your bacon under the skin and putting butter into it."

Doreen Michelle likes to buy local when it comes to providing for the Christmas day dinner table.

"My husband’s not a great turkey fan and that’s a good way of doing turkey so it’s really moist — the meat.

They also typically have a ham and a staple of vegetables.

"Your boiled potatoes, pea, feta and mint salad and more sort of warm, traditional vegetables.

Dessert varied.

"My mum always likes jelly and ice cream because she’s a very simple woman.

"I like trifle and we do like tiramisu."

Mrs Michelle said they loved to buy their ingredients locally, especially from the Otago Farmers Market held every Saturday morning.

"That’s better than what you buy at the supermarket. Even the stalls [around town] that sell your fruit, you’re better to get it at the market on Saturday.

"It’s that whole village feel as well. You know your helping those small businesses and your money is all staying in the community."

Aucklanders Gail and Steve van Veen have to try fit in two big meals on Christmas Day — lunch with Mr van Veen’s family and dinner at Mrs van Veen’s family’s place.

The jobs of bringing the right foods are delegated.

"Somebody does the turkey, somebody does the potatoes, somebody does the pudding, that kind of thing.

“It’s very regimented like that."

This year Mrs van Veen is tasked with preparing the ham.

"I’m doing the ham — one of the other cousin’s is doing the turkey.

"I’ve got a ham already cooked from the butcher.

"I’ll just decorate it. Cut it in squares like they do and put cherries and pineapple on and take it over wrapped in tinfoil.