Carving the Christmas dinner: The traditional ritual of the meat from the bone is in decline

The family gathers around the table, crackers are pulled, paper hats are donned and then the head of the household carves the turkey to get the meal underway.

But the traditional ritual of the meat from the bone is in decline as increasing numbers are buying deboned poultry because it is easier to slice.

The trend is being fuelled by younger parents who grew up while the traditional Sunday roast was in sharp decline and did not learn the necessary carving skills.

Many are put off by the prospect of carving the turkey in front of everyone on Christmas day and getting it wrong.

Sales of boneless meat products have risen by 38 per cent in the past year, according to the leading supermarket chains, and culinary experts warn that the skill of carving could disappear altogether within a generation.

Sainsbury's is predicting a big rise this Christmas in the number of turkeys sold as crowns with the legs removed.