How to celebrate Christmas in July in Melbourne

Most winter festivities in Victoria have been cancelled, but you can still make a fist of Christmas in July this Saturday. In fact, with the second lockdown coinciding with the dead of winter, there's never been a better time to dig into all of the richer dishes enjoyed in the northern hemisphere that are unthinkable on a scorching December 25.

Meatsmith is bringing back its Christmas classics, including their ham glaze and rare-breed hams to apply it to, bacon, maple and sage stuffing, and smaller turkey breasts for households that have downsized celebrations from big family gatherings. Order at meatsmith.com.au.

Catering company Cookes Food, which pivoted to home-delivered feasts, is doing a full roast turkey dinner finished with Christmas pudding, ice-cream and brandy cream. Dinner for two is $80 for pick up or delivery. Visit cookesfood.com.au.

Is this the year to cook a goose? The dark-fleshed birds are available to order online from Arthur's Poultry at Prahran Market, along with turduckens. This might also be the time to attempt the fiddly exercise of deboning and making the chicken, duck and turkey frankenfood yourself. arthurspoultry.com.au.

It's certainly the most sensible time in history to make a vat of rich egg-and-cream-based eggnog (virgin or boozy).

• Christmas recipes