Christmas cheer is arriving early this year as pop icon Sophie Ellis-Bextor has teamed up with Ocado — the UK’s largest dedicated online supermarket — for a joyful celebration of Britain’s wonderfully unique festive food traditions. In true Sophie style, the collaboration comes with glitter, charm and, of course, a brand-new Christmas carol.
Ocado has assembled a choir of its own singing delivery drivers and employees, supported by the acclaimed Soul Choir, to unveil Season’s Eatings — a playful reimagining of Jingle Bells featuring lyrics inspired by modern Christmas food favourites.
But during what the group believed was a standard rehearsal, the choir received a surprise worthy of a Christmas advert when Sophie Ellis-Bextor appeared from the wings to join them. The behind-the-scenes moment, captured in heart-warming footage, shows Sophie stepping into the rehearsal wearing a shimmering purple sequin skirt and her signature red lip before blending into the session as if she’d always been part of the ensemble.
After rehearsals, the group enjoyed a festive tasting session complete with pigs in blankets, mince pies topped with cheese, and even snowman bao buns — dishes that feature in the revamped carol itself.
A Live Festive Performance in Richmond
The full choir — including Soul Choir, Ocado’s singers and a special guest appearance from Sophie — will perform Season’s Eatings live on George Street in Richmond on 12th December at 12:45pm. Visitors can also sample dishes from Ocado’s Season’s Eatings festive food truck for free, including:
-
Tikka-spiced pigs in blankets
-
Mince pies topped with cheese
-
Kimchi Camembert toasties
More details about Ocado’s Christmas range can be found via the Ocado Christmas hub: https://www.ocado.com
Sophie Ellis-Bextor on Spreading Christmas Joy
Speaking about the collaboration, Sophie said:
“It was so much fun joining the Ocado choir’s rehearsal and seeing everyone’s reactions as we started singing. There’s something magical about Christmas carols, the way they bring people together and remind you of festive moments. Christmas has always been beautifully busy in my house… My personal favourite tradition is handed down from my grandparents — we do a conga with my family when we light up and carry the Christmas pudding.”
You can explore more of Sophie’s world and music at: https://sophieellisbextor.net
Ocado Celebrates the UK’s Evolving Christmas Traditions
Dan Elton, Chief Customer Officer at Ocado Retail, added:
“Food is at the heart of everything we do at Ocado, so reimagining a Christmas carol to celebrate the dishes people truly love at this time of year felt like the perfect fit… Christmas looks a little different in every household, and we love that our range can help everyone celebrate in their own unique way.”
In a year where Christmas food is more adventurous than ever, Ocado highlights the changing landscape of the festive table — from Wagyu beef centrepieces to crab crumpet breakfasts, soy-glazed sides and hot-honey twists on classic dishes. Whatever a family’s tradition, modern or timeless, Ocado aims to make it easy to embrace.
