Cost of Christmas dinner in the UK set to decrease slightly this year

The cost of Christmas dinner in the UK is set to decrease slightly this year, primarily due to lower prices for key festive items such as turkeys and Brussels sprouts. According to research conducted for the BBC, overall, a family Christmas dinner in 2024 is projected to cost £31.66, down from £32.18 in 2023. This reduction is attributed to slower rising food prices over the past year, coinciding with a decline in UK inflation rates.

Data collected by Retail tracking platform Assosia indicated that the price of a typical frozen turkey, weighing 10lb (4.55kg), has dropped by £1.21 compared to last season, with a general price reduction of around 6% for turkeys overall. Tom Copas, managing director of Copas Turkeys in Cookham, Berkshire, shared insights into this price trend, stating, “Prices have begun to stabilise after a couple of ‘incredibly turbulent’ years that had pushed up the cost of rearing my birds.” He noted a shift in consumer behaviour with slower sales and increased demand for smaller turkeys as families potentially look to cut back on overall grocery spending.

Brussels sprouts, another traditional Christmas staple, have also seen a price decrease, with 500g bags available for 12p less than last year. John Inglis, senior commercial manager at ESG Drysdale, one of the UK’s largest sprout producers, explained that crop production has returned to normal following the challenges posed by extreme weather conditions in previous years.

However, not all items have experienced price reductions. Root vegetables, particularly Maris Piper potatoes, have increased significantly in price, rising 26%. Tracy Bush, co-director of Provenance Potatoes in Kent, attributed this surge to poor planting weather earlier in the year, stating, “We’ve had a particularly wet spring, making planting difficult for any root crops.” Carrots have also seen a price rise, climbing 13.4% to £0.69 per kilo, following similar weather conditions that disrupted planting schedules.

Despite these increases, Rodger Hobson, a carrot farmer in Yorkshire, anticipates price adjustments as Christmas approaches, suggesting that carrots frequently serve as loss leaders in supermarket promotions, especially in the week leading up to Christmas. “When it comes to Christmas week they’ll be down to 20p a kilo,” he remarked.

Additionally, the cost of festive desserts has increased, with Christmas pudding prices up by 11% and mince pies by 5%. Jessica White, owner of Meg Rivers artisan bakery, acknowledged the rise in ingredient and production costs yet noted that her company decided against raising prices. She reported that customer demand remains robust, leading to sold-out stock for Christmas puddings this year.

The BBC conducted a comparative analysis of Christmas dinner costs across major UK supermarkets. The findings indicated that Aldi emerged as the most inexpensive option, with a basic list of Christmas essentials priced around £24.30, followed by Asda at £28.22. Morrisons and Sainsbury’s were next on the list, while Tesco had the highest expense for the same items at £36.51. The supermarket landscape has shifted from previous years when Morrisons held the title of the most expensive retailer.

As the holiday season approaches, it is expected that supermarket competition will heighten, influencing prices further. Shoppers are encouraged to keep an eye on changing costs as they finalise their Christmas dinner plans.

Source: Noah Wire Services