The cost of Christmas dinner and festive treats has risen sharply, with some chocolate items up by 70% compared to last year, according to consumer group Which?. Turkeys have also seen significant price hikes, with one Tesco crown increasing by nearly £15.
Which? analysed a range of Christmas dinner ingredients and festive treats, including mince pies, sparkling wine, and chocolates. Festive chocolate saw the steepest mark-ups, with a Lindt Lindor milk chocolate truffles box at Asda rising 72% to £1.98, and Lindt Milk Chocolate Teddy Christmas tree decorations at Morrisons up 71% to £6. Overall, chocolate prices increased by an average of 14% year on year, driven by poor cocoa harvests due to extreme weather.
Among higher-priced items, turkeys saw the biggest monetary increases. A Tesco Finest free range medium bronze turkey crown rose by £14.95 to £68.77, a 27.8% increase. Across all turkey types, average inflation was 4.7%, attributed to bird flu and rising farmer costs. The popularity of turkey as a Christmas centrepiece has declined, with Waitrose and Marks & Spencer no longer selling whole frozen turkeys.
Which? found that Waitrose raised prices the most overall, up 6.2% compared to last Christmas, while Asda kept increases lowest at 3%. Waitrose noted some products previously discounted were not reduced this year. A Sainsbury's spokesperson highlighted offers including mince pies from £1.25 and vegetable trimmings for 15p with Nectar prices.
