Britons are paying up to 70 per cent more for their Christmas food at supermarkets this year with chocolate and turkey soaring in price, a study revealed today.
The Lindt Lindor milk chocolate truffles treat box (37g) at Asda rose by 72 per cent from £1.15 last year to £1.98 this year, according to consumer group Which?.
Similarly at Morrisons, the Lindt Milk Chocolate Teddy Christmas Tree Decorations (60g) went up by 71 per cent from £3.50 last year to £6 this year.
Experts also found some of the biggest monetary increases were on higher value products such as turkey, where prices have risen by as much as £15 in just a year.
Issues such as bird flu and rising operational costs for farmers have had a major impact on prices for the Christmas dinner centrepiece over the past 12 months.
In one of the highest cash increases for a product, a Tesco Finest Free Range Bronze Turkey Crown Medium (2.99kg) rose by 28 per cent or £14.95, from £53.82 to £68.77.
Another stark price growth was for the KellyBronze Free Range Extra Large Turkey (6.5kg) at Ocado which was up by 13 per cent or £14.63, from £117.00 to £131.63.
Researchers added that whole frozen turkeys were less available this year after Waitrose announced it would no longer be stocking them due to falling demand.
Some drinks also saw big price increases, such as the Belvoir Sparkling Elderflower Presse (750ml) at Ocado which rose 37 per cent in a year from £2.60 to £3.55.
At Morrisons, La Gioiosa Prosecco Brut (75cl) increased 31 per cent from £8 to £10.50. Also at Ocado, Amie Sparkling Cremant de Limoux (75cl) saw a price increase of 27 per cent or £5.33 as it rose from £19.67 on average in 2024 to £25.00 this year.
Which? tracks the prices each month of more than 25,000 food and drink products at eight supermarkets in 20 categories including meat, vegetables and baked goods.
This month its experts also looked specifically at the ingredients needed for a traditional Christmas dinner as well as other festive treats such as mince pies, sparkling wine and festive chocolates.
Chocolate continued to be the category worst-affected by inflation at 14.2 per cent amid ongoing problems with poor cocoa harvests and supply issues.
Other high-inflation categories included Biscuits (7.1 per cent) and Butters & Spreads (6.3 per cent). Cereals had the lowest inflation at 1.9 per cent, followed by fresh fruit (2.1 per cent).
Turkey as a category – which includes fresh whole birds, crowns and other smaller cuts – was up by 4.7 per cent; while sparkling white wines and non-alcoholic alternatives had a rate of 0.3 per cent.
As for Christmas-specific foods, stuffing went up 5.1 per cent, pigs in blankets by 3.9 per cent, Brussels sprouts by 1.6 per cent and mince pies by 0.4 per cent.
The only festive category that has fallen in price since last year was Christmas puddings, down 1.9 per cent.
The inflation tracker also broke down the overall data by supermarket, with Waitrose having the highest inflation rate of 6.2 per cent, followed by Sainsburys at 5.4 per cent and Morrisons at 5.0 per cent. Asda (3 per cent) and Aldi (3.8 per cent) had the lowest.
The study also found it was supermarket’s premium own-labels that saw the biggest price increases (8.2 per cent), followed by budget ranges (6.6 per cent), while regular own-label and branded ranges had the lowest (4.7 per cent).
Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor, said: ‘Which?’s findings show that blanket inflation figures often do not show the full picture of what shoppers face at the supermarket when doing their Christmas food shop, as some individual items have shot up by up to 70 per cent in price year on year.
‘Shoppers worried about their finances this festive season can save money by shopping in Aldi, Lidl and Asda, which have among the lowest rates of inflation year on year and also tend to be the cheapest supermarkets overall.
‘It’s also a good idea when shopping at any time of year to keep an eye on the unit price as this makes it easier to compare across different pack sizes, brands and ranges to ensure you are getting the best deal.’
Which?’s tracker looks at 20 popular categories of food and drink at Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. It compares prices across the same three-month and one-month periods year-on-year, including discounts but not multibuys or loyalty card offers.
The experts then weight the figures based on supermarket market share and the sales volume of each product category.
This research is based on the one-month tracker of November grocery prices and as well as the usual 20 food and drink categories included each month, Which? looked specifically at the ingredients for a traditional Christmas dinner (turkey, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, stuffing and gravy) as well as sparkling white wine, mince pies and festive chocolates.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: ‘We believe Christmas should be joyful and generous which is why we are focused on giving customers brilliant value with trusted quality.
‘Last month our delicious Taste the Difference All Butter Mince Pies and Mini All Butter Mince Pies were available through Nectar Prices for £1.75, more than 10 per cent cheaper than the same time last year.
‘We’re continuing fantastic offers as the big day approaches with price matched mince pies from just £1.25 and from Thursday 18 December right through to Christmas Eve, Sainsbury’s is offering classic vegetable trimmings including carrots, Brussels sprouts, parsnips and more for just 15p with Nectar prices.’
A Morrisons spokeswoman said: ‘At Morrisons, we remain committed to offering our customers great quality products at affordable prices at Christmas and throughout the year.
‘Our More Card members can also earn More Points on every purchase and redeem those points for Fivers off their shopping. They also benefit from market-leading discounts as well as personalised offers and surprises.’
A Waitrose statement said: ‘We work hard to offer our customers great value combined with the highest quality and provenance.
‘We don’t recognise the Which? data and our internal inflation measures show we are tracking in line with other supermarkets reflecting the commodity and price pressures faced by the industry.
‘It’s also important to note that the majority of the items included in the tracker compare full prices with promotional prices so we’ve told Which? how misleading this is for customers.’
A Lidl spokeswoman said: ‘As demand for affordable, high-quality products continues to rise, we’re proud to be offering the lowest prices in the market this Christmas.
‘Our festive feast for eight is available nationwide for just £11.75 – £1.47 per person – and includes a whole British turkey with all the traditional trimmings.’
An Asda spokesman said: ‘The Which? research confirms Asda has the lowest inflation of any UK supermarket, including both discounters and reflects the investment we have made throughout the year to keeping prices low for our customers.
‘This is especially important during the festive season when family budgets are under extra pressure. Unlike other full-range supermarkets, our low prices are available to all shoppers and not just those with a loyalty card.’
An Ocado spokeswoman said: ‘At Ocado, we offer the widest range of any UK supermarket giving customers the opportunity to create a Christmas feast that suits them, whatever their budget.
‘What’s more, with the Ocado Price Promise, we continue to price match over 10,000 products our customers know and love with Tesco.com, including promotions and Clubcard prices, all year round.’
While Tesco did not issue a statement, the Mail understands its Finest Free Range Bronze Turkey Crown Medium (2.99kg) is £23 per kg at regular price, but £18 per kg on Clubcard prices, bringing the price to under £50 for Clubcard members.
Meanwhile the 145g Terry’s Chocolate Orange Dark Ball is currently £1.80 on Clubcard prices.
Aldi was also contacted for comment.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: ‘Retailers are doing everything they can to ensure customers can enjoy all their favourite seasonal foods this Christmas.
‘Fierce competition between retailers has kept prices low, with promotional activity particularly widespread this year.
‘This Which? study does not reflect discounts or loyalty prices, so it does not provide an accurate comparison of what shoppers are paying this year versus last year.’
Last week a separate study from Worldpanel by Numerator found that the average cost of Christmas dinner at a supermarket now stands at £32.46 with cranberry sauce and stuffing mix seeing the biggest increases over the past year.
Gravy granules, carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, sparking wine, potatoes and Christmas pudding also went up in price.
But a fall in the cost of frozen turkey and parsnips saw the overall cost in the four weeks to November 30 slip by 11p compared to last year’s total of £32.57.
