Christmas dinner wars: this year’s deals unpacked

The cost of a traditional Christmas dinner for four is up by 1.3% compared with last year, to £31.71, according to Kantar data out this week.

The fact that’s nowhere near the overall grocery price inflation rate of 9.1% is “a sign of just how fierce the contest is between the grocers” in the battle for the Christmas dinner table, says Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.

So how is that playing out in the family Christmas dinner deals being promoted by supermarkets?

Not quite as many retailers have rolled out a Christmas dinner bundle or price pledge as in the ‘Christmas dinners wars’ of 2022 – which Tesco kicked off by pledging a meal for five for under £25 in a TV ad. Tesco is among notable absences this year, saying it doesn’t have a similar bundle. Not yet anyway.

Nevertheless, there is a haul to meet any budget. Here’s what’s on offer.

Sainsbury’s: £17.12 to serve six (£2.85 per head)

Sainsbury’s is one of a handle grocers to include a fresh turkey in its meal, the others being Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl and Booths.

The catch is it’s only available to loyalty card holders with Nectar Prices. Without Nectar the price is £27.54.

The traditional turkey dinner offer includes a 2.8kg By Sainsbury’s standard small turkey priced at (£3 per kg). Vegetables consists of white potatoes (2kg), carrots (1kg), parsnips and two bags of brussels sprouts (each 500g), all priced individually at 19p.

The trimmings are By Sainsbury’s Gravy Granules for Meat (170g, 60p), By Sainsbury’s Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix (170g, 40p) and 12 By Sainsbury’s Pigs in Blankets (260g, £2.50).

By Sainsbury’s Fruit Sherry Trifle (900g, £4.50) completes the meal bundle.

Sainsbury’s is also offering a vegetarian alternative, which costs £17 for six people with Nectar Prices. It replaces meat with a frozen Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Meat-Free Wellington (500g, £3.40), a veggie gravy equivalent and Plant Pioneers Pups in Blankets (241g, £3.40).

Asda: £25 to serve six (£4.17 per head)

At bang on £25, Asda’s frozen offer – which runs from 19 to 26 December – includes a 2kg medium turkey crown (£2.39 per kg) and seven sides. The vegetables comprise sliced carrots (1kg, 97p), brussels (1kg, £1), and parsnips (680g, £1.25).

The trimmings consist of 12 Asda Yorkshire puddings (220g, 98p), 12 Asda Maple Pigs in Blankets (230g, £225), frozen Crispy Roast Potatoes (800g, 75p) and Pork Sage & Onion stuffing balls (400g, £1.80).

The bundle is more expensive than last year’s £22 offering from the supermarket. However, Asda says the specific products included in this year’s bundle – which excludes parsnips and stuffing balls – would have cost £27.29 in total in 2022. It says the products included both this year and last are cheaper by an average 8%.

Aldi: £13.48 to serve six (£2.25 per head)

The Christmas dinner package communicated by Aldi costs £2.84 less than its similar suggested meal for six last year.

It comes with a 2kg fresh whole turkey (£3.75 per kg).

For vegetables, there are parsnips (500g), brussels sprouts (500g), carrots (1kg) and red cabbage, all priced at 19p, plus white potatoes (2kg, 15p).

Trimmings consist of Quixo Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix (170g, 45p), Quixo For Meat Gravy Granules (300g, £1.09). Bramwells cranberry sauce (200g, 55p), 12 Just Like Grandma’s Golden Yorkshire Puddings (99p) and 12 Let’s Party Pigs in Blankets (£1.99).

It comes alongside a string of other festive value initiatives, including the return of Aldi’s Super Six offer on Christmas veg, and a price lock on key festive lines as part of a £12m investment in lowering prices in the run-up to Christmas.

Lidl: £12.49 to serve six (£2.08 per head)

Lidl’s main is a 2kg, fresh Birchwood Small Whole Turkey (£3.75 per kg). The vegetables are carrots (1kg), British Parsnips (500g) Brussels Sprouts (500g) and shallots (300g), all priced at 19p each.  

The meal is finished with British White Potatoes (2kg, 15p), a 12-pack of PartyTime Pigs in Blankets (240g, £1.99), Newgate beef gravy granules (£1.09), Newgate sage and onion stuffing mix (170g, 45p) and a pot of Batts Cranberry Sauce (55p). 

Lidl’s Christmas dinner excludes the Yorkshire puddings Aldi has included in its meal, which cost 99p at Aldi (the same as the price difference between the meals). 

Iceland: £30 to serve eight (£3.75 per head)

Iceland’s online-only offer includes a choice of frozen centrepieces: Iceland Luxury The Perfect Turkey Crown (2.2kg), Bootiful By Bernard Matthews Golden Norfolk Whole Turkey with Giblets (£4.81 per kg), or a Bootiful By Bernard Matthews Golden Norfolk Basted Turkey Crown (£11.50 per kg).

It also comes with a choice of three out of a wide range of sides, including pigs in blankets, Cathedral City Cauliflower Cheese, Yorkshire puddings and a selection of veg.

It’s more expensive than last year’s £28 dinner deal, which served eight and included five sides.

Tesco: £12.54 to serve six (£2.09 per head)

Like Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s eight-product fresh dinner bundle is only avilable to loyalty card members.

The main, is a fresh Tesco White Whole Turkey (3.2 Kg, £9.74). The traditional veg line-up consists of Tesco Brussels Sprouts (500g), Tesco Carrots (800g)  and Tesco Parsnips (500g) all 15p with Clubcard Price. Tesco All Rounder White Potatoes (2kg) complete the veg bundle, it’s also priced at 15p. 

The dinner also includes a trio of trimmings: Tesco 12 Yorkshire Puddings (220g, £1.25), Tesco Stockwell & Co Gravy Granules (200g, 50p) and  Tesco Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix (170g, 45p).

The offer runs from the 19 to 24 December in larger Tesco stores. 

Heron Foods: £15 to serve four (£3.75 per head)

B&M-owned Heron Foods has matched its eight-product frozen offer from 2022. It comes with the choice of a Stuffed Turkey Joint (800g) or Honey Glazed Gammon (600g) individually priced at £7.50.

It also includes The Best Buy Red Cabbage & Apple (350g, £1.79), 12 Pigs in Blankets (240g, £2.89), Sprouts with Bacon (400g, £1.79) and The Best Buy Chantenay Carrots & Herb Butter (400g, £1.79).

Finally there are Aunt Bessie’s Sage & Onion Stuffing Balls (260g, £1.89), Aunt Bessie’s Duck Fat Roast Potatoes (700g, £2) and Aunt Bessie’s Four Spectacular Yorkshires (220g, £1.89).

Morrisons: £23.83 to serve six (£3.97 per head)

Morrisons twelve-strong Christmas dinner bundle is 12% cheaper than its equivalent offering last year, with “no compromise on quality”, said Morrisons chief customer and marketing officer Rachel Eyre.

The centrepiece is a Medium Fresh Whole Turkey (3.5kg), priced at £13.27 individually.

That’s accompanied by Brussels Sprouts (500g), Morrisons Parsnips (500g), Morrisons Carrots (1kg) which are all priced at 50p, or 19p with a loyalty card. Morrisons The Best Potatoes (2kg, £1) complete the veg lineup.

Trimmings begin with a 12 pack of Pigs in Blankets (210g, £2.50), Morrisons Sage & Onion Stuffing (85g, 49p) and Morrisons Yorkshire Puddings (230g, £1.25). Morrisons Gravy Granules for Beef (200g, 99p) and Morrisons Cranberry Sauce (200g, 59p) complete the main course.

Dessert is a pack of Morrisons Market Street Mince Pies (six for £1.45) and a 150ml tub of Morrisons Single Cream (80p).

The retailer said that the deal would cost £3.82 per person, 15p cheaper, with a Morrisons More loyalty card.

Booths: £220 to serve eight (£27.50 per head)

Not surprisingly, the six bundles from high-end northern grocer Booths are the priciest of all the dinners here, its newly launched Ultimate Christmas Dinner a three-course meal with all the trimmings.

To start are two 280g packs of Booths’ Smoked Salmon & King Prawn Terrines. For mains is a 3.5kg turkey crown, with a selection of prepared veg including Carrot, Parsnip & Swede Crush (500g), Booths Red Cabbage with Port (500g), two Booths Brussels Sprouts & Smoked Pancetta (350g), Booths Honey Roast Parsnips (400g) and two portions of Booths Gruyere Dauphinoise Potatoes (800g).

Trimmings include turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, sourdough bread sauce, two packs of pigs in blankets (250g) and the same for pork sage and onion stuffing balls.

To finish is a Lathams Winter Berry Pavlova (730g), Booths All Butter Sharing Mince Pie and an own label Brandy, Port & Walnut Christmas Pudding (908g). A 227g Booths Christmas Coffee and Dark Chocolate & Mint thins (150g) complete the dinner.

The grocer offers a trimmed-down Ultimate Christmas Dinner bundle to serve two people: for £90 it includes a bottle of champagne brut. It also has a two-serving Beef Dinner Bundle for £35. All need to be collected in-store.