While Christmas is a season of indulgence, not everyone is willing to spend a small fortune on their festive feast. A new Channel 5 documentary, World's Most Expensive Christmas, has put some of the UK's most extravagant holiday groceries to the test, with surprising results that prove a hefty price tag doesn't always guarantee superior taste.
The Great Festive Taste Test
In the programme, which airs on Wednesday, December 17 at 8pm, hotelier and former Gogglebox star Dominic Parker joined private chef Philippa Davis to sample three versions of classic Christmas items at wildly different price points. Their mission was simple: to determine whether the astronomical cost of certain luxury foods is justified by the flavour.
The duo sampled a £220 bottle of Cava, a £129.50 wild salmon fillet, £385 Wagyu beef, and an £86.80 Italian panettone from designer brand Dolce & Gabbana. Alongside these, they tried more affordable supermarket alternatives, with some outcomes challenging expectations of value for money.
Verdicts from the Tasting Table
The £220 Cava, the 459 Gran Reserva 2010 Brut from Codorníu Ars Collecta, was deemed the most expensive Cava available to the public. While it smelled 'more like Christmas', both experts agreed it wasn't worth the splurge. They preferred a £13 bottle from Waitrose, with Dominic praising its 'crunchy green apple' notes and saying he could 'do a lot of damage to a bottle of this in no time at all'.
For the starter, the £129.50 wild royal salmon fillet from H Forman & Son was called 'phenomenal' by Philippa. However, Dominic was 'stunned' by the price and couldn't say it was worth the difference. The winner, once again, was the cheapest option: Marks and Spencer's £21 smoked Scottish royal fillet.
The main course saw a reversal of fortunes. Waitrose's £90 Wagyu was a disappointment, tasting like an average steak. The £210 per kilo steak from Windford farm impressed, but the top prize went to Harrods' A5 Wagyu imported from Japan for £385, praised for its rich, buttery texture.
Finally, the £86.80 Dolce and Gabbana x Fiasconaro panettone, complete with a spritz bottle of wine, was deemed exemplary but not worth a small fortune. The tasters favoured Fortnum and Mason's £49.95 version for its festive fruits, though they also adored Marks and Spencer's 'thing of beauty' £12 alternative.
Other Astronomical Christmas Luxuries
The documentary also highlighted other extraordinary items on the market this festive season, though these were not tasted by Dom and Philippa. The list includes:
- Caviar costing up to £30,000 per kilo, specifically the rare, pale yellow Almas Diamond Caviar.
- A gold-plated mince pie created by chef Ben Tish, which once auctioned for £1,500 per pie.
- £1,500 for 1kg of Cabrales blue cheese from Spain.
- Bronze turkeys from Kelly Bronze selling for £120 for a 5.5kg bird.
- An ultra-rare 1945 Romanée-Conti red wine valued at $558,000.
- The world's most expensive port, a 1863 Niepoort in a Lalique decanter which sold for £102,000.
The show even details what is believed to be the most expensive Christmas lunch ever designed, with a price tag of £125,000. Created by Ben Spalding, the menu includes diamond-studded Champagne flutes, Almas caviar, gold-leaf-wrapped Wagyu, and the world's most expensive coffee. Reportedly, no one has ever bought it, though a Dubai prince once enquired.
The documentary World's Most Expensive Christmas ultimately serves a sobering lesson for festive shoppers: the most luxurious option is not always the most delicious, and sometimes the best flavours can be found on the supermarket shelf for a fraction of the cost.
