Cheapest Christmas dinner 2022: which UK supermarket is offering the best deal for Xmas turkey and trimmings?

With the cost of living crisis eating into household budgets, finding the best deal this festive season has become more important than ever
Henry Sandercock
By Henry Sandercock
30th Nov 2022, 9:18am
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With Christmas 2022 just weeks away, festive decorations up in most shop windows and the customary TV adverts doing the rounds, your mind might well be turning to turkey and all the trimmings.

Those who are particularly organised are likely to have already got their supermarket delivery slot booked. But with a major cost of living crisis hanging over the UK, it could well be a pared back year for many.

Food prices have been one of the biggest drivers of the record inflation we’ve seen throughout the last 12 months. The cost of everything from milk to bread and meat to vegetables has risen considerably.

Even supermarket value ranges have seen hikes, with the price of many basic products rising well-above the rate of inflation. Traditional Christmas fare has not escaped these rises, with turkey in particular seeing major increases due to the bird flu crisis.

So, if you’re considering your options this Christmas, which out of the UK’s five biggest supermarkets is offering the cheapest deal for a typical Christmas dinner this year?

The battle for cheapest Christmas 2022 dinner has begun (image: Adobe)The battle for cheapest Christmas 2022 dinner has begun (image: Adobe)
The battle for cheapest Christmas 2022 dinner has begun (image: Adobe)

How have we decided who’s offering the cheapest Christmas dinner?

Supermarkets have begun to offer meal deals for Christmas dinners. However, in a bid to be the cheapest, they have opted to throw in some substitute items (like frozen peas) and leave out others (like stuffing) to keep prices down.

Of course, with finances tight, many people may not be able to afford all of the traditional fare. So, NationalWorld fully accepts that these deals might fit the bill for a lot of people.

But we also wanted to see how much it would set you back to source all of the food items you would normally expect to find on a Christmas dinner plate. So, we have trawled through each major supermarket’s online site to look for the following items:

  • Turkey
  • Pigs in blankets
  • Stuffing
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Carrots
  • Parsnips
  • Potatoes
  • Cranberry sauce
  • Bread sauce
  • Gravy
  • Brandy butter
  • Christmas pudding
  • Crackers

We have tried to select products that are big enough to comfortably feed four adults. Sometimes items that are a bit larger work out as better value for money, but we have gone for the cheapest shelf price.

Wherever possible, we have also chosen what we deem to be like-for-like products across the UK’s biggest five supermarkets. But sometimes, the cheapest item that can feed four is slightly different from what you find at other retailers.

Supermarkets are competing to attract consumers with cost of living deals (image: Getty Images)Supermarkets are competing to attract consumers with cost of living deals (image: Getty Images)
Supermarkets are competing to attract consumers with cost of living deals (image: Getty Images)

Prices may vary, but were correct at the time of writing. Here’s a product-by-product break down:

Turkey

Winner: Morrisons

Pigs in blankets

Winner: Aldi

Stuffing

Winner: Asda

Brussels sprouts

Winners: Tesco and Aldi

Carrots

Winner: Sainsbury’s

Parsnips

Winners: Tesco and Aldi

Potatoes

Winner: Aldi

Cranberry sauce

Winner: Aldi

Bread sauce

Winner: Morrisons

Gravy

Winners: Tesco and Asda

Brandy butter

Winner: Aldi

Christmas pudding

Winner: Morrisons

Christmas crackers

Winner: Asda

Overall results

  • Tesco: £30.11
  • Sainsbury’s: £36.48
  • Asda: £30.27
  • Aldi: £28.51 (missing one item)
  • Morrisons: £24.70

WINNER: Morrisons

Related topics:Food Prices