As the festive season approaches, households across the UK are scrutinising their budgets, with the traditional Christmas dinner shop posing a significant expense. While overall food inflation has cooled, the cost of the celebratory meal presents a mixed picture for 2025.
Festive Price Hikes: The Meat of the Matter
According to year-on-year price tracking from the consumer group Which?, the most substantial increases are centred on meaty classics. Shoppers will pay notably more for stuffing, turkey, and pigs in blankets this December. These items have surged beyond November's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate of 3.2 per cent.
In contrast, vegetable lovers can breathe a slight sigh of relief. While peas saw a 3.5 per cent rise, carrots matched the CPI exactly. Other staples like potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and parsnips experienced only minor upturns, effectively making them cheaper in real terms as their price rises lagged behind general inflation.
Sweet Savings and Supermarket Strategies
There is brighter news on the treats front. Mince pies and sparkling wine have registered only very small price increases. Remarkably, Christmas pudding has bucked the inflationary trend entirely, becoming 1.8 per cent cheaper than in 2024.
Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor, advises financially conscious consumers to shop strategically. "For any shoppers worried about their finances, you 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," she stated.
The Overall Cost: A Penny-Pinching Victory?
So, will the festive feast cost more in total? Surprisingly, data suggests a slight overall decrease. Research from Worldpanel by Numerator indicates the average cost of a Christmas dinner for four will be £32.46 in 2025, down from £32.57 in 2024. This continues a downward trend, as the 2024 figure was itself 6.5 per cent lower than 2023's.
This marginal saving is attributed to aggressive promotional activity by retailers keen to attract customers during a crucial trading period. Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel, explained: "Retailers are pulling out all the stops to win shoppers over... With the cost of living still biting for many this Christmas, just under one third of all spending is on promotion as supermarkets find ways to shield shoppers from the impact of price rises."
This comes against a backdrop where one in five households report ongoing financial struggles. While the national CPI fell to 3.2 per cent in November—the lowest in eight months—this signifies prices are rising less quickly, not falling, and remains above the Bank of England's 2 per cent target. For Britons planning their holiday spread, careful shopping and taking advantage of offers will be key to a merry, and more affordable, Christmas.
