In this festive episode of the Cabernet Queens Podcast, hosts Matt Morgan, a travel specialist, and Deb Lee, a mortgage adviser, lean fully into their love of Christmas – from “Christmas milk” Baileys and Bucks Fizz breakfasts, to self-employed Christmas parties for two, chaotic shared office dos, and the fine art of Secret Santa. Alongside plenty of laughter (and mild chaos), they savour a deep, spicy mystery red and swap stories about cheese, port, and why time together beats presents every year.

Key Takeaways

Matt and Deb agree the build-up is the best bit, Christmas films, games, rubbish food, and guilt-free drinking at any hour. Baileys is rebranded “Christmas milk”, Bucks Fizz is mandatory at breakfast, and even the parents are on board with morning tipples.

Deb and her fellow director Tan are marking Christmas with a “party for two”. Lunch at Pasture on Christmas Eve doubling as their AGM, followed by an open-house evening at home. Matt’s got networking, a “respectable” lunch that will inevitably slide, and classic office cocktails with colleagues lined up.

Both have reached the stage where swapping £££ presents feels pointless. Instead, they choose meals out, day trips, and overnight stays with parents, because the most precious gift is time together, not another bottle of Baileys and a box of chocolates.

From the impossible £10 work budget to family draws, Secret Santa can go very right or very wrong. A notorious gimp outfit gift did not land well, but a lemon tree christened “Lily” was a huge win.

Best Moments

“He calls it Christmas milk. There’s always a bottle of Christmas milk in the fridge in December.”

“When you’ve got a decent standard of living, you don’t really go without… the most important thing, the most precious thing you can give is your time.”

“If I feel like dancing and nobody else does, I’ll dance. Dance like nobody’s watching.”

“Have you ever done it when you get a whole Stilton, scoop the middle out and pour port in?”

About the Hosts

Matt Morgan is a passionate travel specialist committed to turning your dream holidays into reality. Offering expert, impartial advice and 24/7 support, Matt ensures every step of your journey is stress-free. From crafting itineraries across all continents to arranging weddings, honeymoons, cruises, and city breaks, he handles every detail, including visas and check-ins. With strong industry relationships and ATOL protection, Matt delivers personalised, worry-free travel experiences tailored to your needs.

Find out more: https://luxurytravelexperts.co.uk/

Deb Lee is the owner of Aldridge Mortgage & Protection, a family-run business focused on helping clients achieve their property goals. From first-time buyers to seasoned investors, Deb offers tailored advice on purchasing, refinancing, and borrowing. Based in the West Midlands but serving clients nationwide, she provides flexible support through remote or face-to-face consultations. With a client-first approach and a passion for making the mortgage process simple and stress-free, Deb ensures her clients' property dreams become reality.

Find out more: https://aldridgemp.co.uk/

See the wine they drink and keep up to date with their adventures: https://www.instagram.com/cabernetqueens/

Get in touch with Cabernet Queens with any questions: cabernetqueens@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Cabernet Queens, Matt and Deb are joined by Deb’s very good friend Tim for a hilarious, slightly chaotic catch-up over a mystery bottle of red. Tim braves his first glass of red wine in five years after a legendary lockdown mishap, while the trio reminisce about life in Lloyds Bank, emotional Kylie Minogue gigs, lockdown love stories, and some truly messy Christmas nights out. As always, the wine takes centre stage… until the conversation inevitably veers off into chip shops, vet tales, and arguments about who is Deb’s favourite gay.

Key Takeaways

Tim hasn’t touched red wine since a lockdown incident where “two glasses” turned into a tiled-bathroom disaster. Cabernet Queens becomes the setting for his cautious but comedic return to red.

Deb and Tim share how they met working at Lloyds in Bloxwich (“Blocko”), bonding over customer-first service, legendary hissy fits, and chip-shop runs to SCOFFS. The branch felt more like a family than a workplace, complete with colourful characters and in-jokes.

Tim is a fully signed-up Kylie super-fan, having seen her live over twenty times, including the emotional post-cancer “Homecoming” tour. Deb adds her own Glastonbury Kylie story featuring an overly enthusiastic (and very unwanted) fan behind her in the crowd.

Tim reflects on how Covid changed his life trajectory, effectively fast-tracking moving in with his partner Dom the vet. Deb remembers sun-drenched lockdown afternoons with Tan, shorter branch hours, and Pimm’s on a picnic blanket – all while the banks and vets adapted to strange, distanced ways of working.

Best Moments

“If you’re gay and you don’t like Angela, you ain’t gay, that’s a hate crime.”

“I thought, I’ll just have a little lie-down on the lovely tiled bathroom floor… woke up two days later.”

“We used to have SCOFFS, I’d storm out: ‘I’m on my lunch, I’m going to SCOFFS!’… then stroll back in with chips and chilli sauce.”

“I split training groups by Minogue: Team Kylie and Team Dannii. A grad thought Kylie Jenner had a brother. Sit back down, there’s another PowerPoint coming.”

About the Hosts

Matt Morgan is a passionate travel specialist committed to turning your dream holidays into reality. Offering expert, impartial advice and 24/7 support, Matt ensures every step of your journey is stress-free. From crafting itineraries across all continents to arranging weddings, honeymoons, cruises, and city breaks, he handles every detail, including visas and check-ins. With strong industry relationships and ATOL protection, Matt delivers personalised, worry-free travel experiences tailored to your needs.

Find out more: https://luxurytravelexperts.co.uk/

Deb Lee is the owner of Aldridge Mortgage & Protection, a family-run business focused on helping clients achieve their property goals. From first-time buyers to seasoned investors, Deb offers tailored advice on purchasing, refinancing, and borrowing. Based in the West Midlands but serving clients nationwide, she provides flexible support through remote or face-to-face consultations.

Find out more: https://aldridgemp.co.uk/

See the wine they drink and keep up to date with their adventures: https://www.instagram.com/cabernetqueens/

Get in touch with Cabernet Queens with any questions: cabernetqueens@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.