Christmas dinner costs rise as inflation bites

Christmas dinner is set to cost more this year with the price of staples such as turkey, Brussels sprouts and Christmas pudding all higher, according to analyst firm Kantar.

A meal for four now costs £27.48 on average, up 3.4% from last year.

But this has not dented people's "desire to treat themselves and loved ones" this Christmas, Kantar said.

The food industry has been grappling with soaring energy costs, supply chain disruption and labour shortages.

The average cost of a frozen turkey has jumped 7% in price to £12.46, while Christmas pudding, potatoes, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are all up 5% compared with last year, Kantar said.

"As we count down on our advent calendars to the big day, it's clear that shoppers want to have some fun and make this Christmas extra special," Kantar said.

"Price inflation doesn't seem to be denting their desire to treat themselves and loved ones, and supermarket premium own-label ranges, such as Tesco Finest and Asda Extra Special, are the fastest growing ranges in store."

In the past four weeks, grocery prices across the board have jumped 3.2% compared with last November, Kantar said.

While this is the highest rate of food inflation since June 2020, the research firm said it had not affected shopping behaviour so far.

"Habits we'd expect to see shift, like swapping branded products for own-label or seeking out promotions, haven't altered just yet," Kantar said.