How much will your Christmas dinner cost from the UK's top supermarkets?

Some turkeys are on sale for £116

Author: Ellis MaddisonPublished 7th Dec 2021

It's that time of year again when everyone starts to think about what they're going to do for Christmas dinner, and we've got just the thing to help you decide.

With data from Kantar showing that the price of a Christmas turkey dinner for four has risen by 3.4% to £27.48, we wondered how much one would cost to make from a shop near you.

With that in mind, we've found out the minimum price it would cost to make a Christmas dinner when getting the ingredients from each of the UK's top supermarkets.

So, if you fancied a change from your go-to shop for Christmas dinner, or if you wanted to know exactly which store does the cheapest (and most expensive), you've come to the right place.

Do note that the cheapest option of each ingredient has been selected from each supermarket's order online website.

No half measures

To fairly compare the list of ingredient costs from each supermarket, specific items were chosen.

There was not a weight or size of turkey that was chosen for comparison - just the cheapest whole turkey available from each shop online.

Each item on the list is also exactly as described, with no variation.

For example, the cheapest 'roast potatoes' option has been compared, with all other variations such as new or singular potatoes excluded.

The cheapest packet of carrots option has also been included, not the price of individual carrots.

Lidl is not in the list, as the supermarket does not have an order online or home delivery option for customers in the UK.

See how much a Christmas dinner costs to make from each supermarket:

Aldi - £17.50

Turkey (11.21), pigs in blankets (2.49), sprouts (0.79), stuffing (0.29), carrots (0.28), roast potatoes ( 0.75), gravy (0.79) and cranberry sauce (0.45).


TOTAL: £17.05

Morrisons - £17.24

Turkey (11.17), pigs in blankets (2.0), sprouts (0.99), stuffing (0.35), carrots ( 0.35), roast potatoes ( 0.99), gravy (0.69) and cranberry sauce (0.70).


TOTAL: £17.24

Sainsbury's - £18.25

Turkey (13.00), pigs in blankets (1.0), sprouts (1.0), stuffing (0.35), carrots (0.40), roast potatoes (1.0), gravy (0.75) and cranberry sauce (0.75).


TOTAL: £18.25

Asda - £20.06

Turkey (14.50), pigs in blankets (2.25), sprouts (0.85), stuffing (0.90), carrots (0.30), roast potatoes (0.80), gravy (0.50) and cranberry sauce (0.50).


TOTAL: £20.06

Tesco - £30.06

Turkey (23.96), pigs in blankets (2.00), sprouts (0.95), stuffing (0.40), carrots (0.40), roast potatoes (0.60), gravy (0.30) and cranberry sauce (1.45).


TOTAL: £30.06

CO-OP - £37.92

Turkey (28.00), pigs in blankets (3.0), sprouts (1.30), stuffing (1.55), carrots (0.42), roast potatoes (2.25), gravy (0.40) and cranberry sauce (1.0).


Note: 'Co-op Whole Turkey Medium (£28)' was the only whole turkey option available online when we carried out this study.


Total: £37.92

Waitrose - £38.62

Turkey (29.5), pigs in blankets (4.0), sprouts (0.70), stuffing (0.9), carrots (0.65), roast potatoes (1.35), gravy (0.52) and cranberry sauce (1.0).


Note: the price for the turkey above is the average of Waitrose's estimated price (£24.00-£35.00) for their cheapest turkey.


TOTAL: £38.62

Each supermarket had a wide selection of turkeys available for delivery before the big day, but co-op had the least choice online, with only one whole turkey coming up for selection when we were looking.

Waitrose had the most expensive turkey out of any other store, with the Waitrose No.1 Large Free Range Dry Aged Bronze Whole Turkey costing an estimated £87-£116.

Tesco had the second-most expensive turkey available for selection, with the Tesco Finest British Free Range Heritage Narragansett Whole Turkey Large costing £65.10 - what a feast!

Festive spending despite grocery inflation

A rise in the price of a traditional Christmas turkey dinner by 3.4% is a result of wider grocery inflation that's leapt 3.2% year on year in the four weeks to November 28, figures show.

Kantar also said overall supermarket sales dropped 3.8% to £29.6bn in the three months up to November 28 compared to a year earlier.

But, the data says UK shoppers aren't holding back on spending during the festive season, with sales of premium own-label ranges, such as Tesco Finest, the fastest growing in stores.

Grocery spending overall was still greater than pre-pandemic levels, up 7% over the quarter compared with the same period in 2019.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: "As we count down on our advent calendars to the big day, it's clear that shoppers want to have some fun and make this Christmas extra special.

"Price inflation doesn't seem to be denting their desire to treat themselves and loved ones."

He added that consumer behaviour "hasn't caught up" with rising food price inflation.

"Habits we'd expect to see shift, like swapping branded products for own label or seeking out promotions, haven't altered just yet," he said.

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