Shoppers who scour the high street for the best possible deals will face the most expensive Christmas dinner in a decade, with the price up by 50 per cent since 2013.
Turkey and all the trimmings for eight people will cost 13 per cent more this year than last year, according to the latest annual survey by Good Housekeeping magazine.
Even for those prepared to shop around for the cheapest options, the traditional meal will cost £4.14 per head, up from £3.67 last year and £2.75 per person 10 years ago.
Emilie Martin, Good Housekeeping Consumer Affairs Director said: “This year, we’re seeing an increase in the cost of Christmas dinner that is roughly in line with food inflation.
“At a time of year when budgets are stretched anyway, any increase in the cost of feeding the family at Christmas will be unwelcome, but it’s a relief this year that we haven’t seen the total cost of items in our Christmas basket rise as much as they did last year when prices jumped by over a third.”
10 of the 13 supermarket items analysed – covering everything from turkey to mince pies – were more expensive than a year ago.
With food inflation currently running at 10.1 per cent but falling, this year’s results may come as no surprise, the magazine said.
But it’s the price of festive veg that shocked the most, with the cost of carrots jumping up by a staggering 158 per cent and sprouts by 150 per cent.
The price of parsnips is also up this year, by 71 per cent, while the price of potatoes increased by 45 per cent.
Turkey (up 11 per cent) and stuffing (up five per cent) are also pricier this year, according to the data collected from eight of the UK’s leading supermarkets.
There’s some good news for those with a sweet tooth, however. Although the price of Christmas cake is up by 10 per cent this year and mince pies up by 15 per cent, the cost of a traditional Christmas pudding is down by one per cent.
The price of brandy butter and cranberry sauce – which adds a sweet and tangy taste to our turkey – are both the same as last year.