Christmas is right around the corner and UK consumers are likely already preparing and planning for the big day. Alongside writing Christmas cards and squirrelling away gifts so loved ones don’t happen upon them, for many of us, this also means that the all-important Christmas dinner food shop is just over the horizon.
With this in mind, we surveyed 2,000 UK adults who celebrate Christmas about their plans for the upcoming festivities, quizzing them on whether they’d be cutting back or budgeting more for food and drink on the big day, and what festive fodder they believe deserves a place on the ultimate Christmas dinner.
So, which food items claimed a place within the top ten? Read on to find out...
Roasties, turkey, and chicken nuggets?!
According to our research, the humble roast potato was crowned the number one food item Brits are eager to tuck into as part of their Christmas day meal - even overtaking Turkey (48%).
It’s certainly clear from our survey that the majority of Brits relish tradition when it comes to their Christmas day feast, with a mix of festive meats, carbs, vegetables and condiments hailing the top 10 foods items across the nation.
In full, the nation’s ultimate Christmas dinner in 2022 is made up of:
- Roast potatoes (65%)
- Turkey (48%)
- Gravy (47%)
- Sprouts (45%)
- Stuffing (45%)
- Carrots (40%)
- Pigs in blankets (40%)
- Yorkshire puddings (39%)
- Parsnips (38%)
- Cranberry sauce (27%)
Likely to be the source of much debate was the revelation that more than half of UK adults do not believe gravy makes the perfect Christmas dinner (53%). Almost two thirds would even omit pigs in blankets (60%).
Regionally, Glasgow and Southampton are the biggest fan of the nut roast, with one in ten (10%) UK consumers in each of the cities voting this their top component.
Whilst Newcastle residents are the biggest lovers of Yorkshire puddings alongside their festive lunch (55%), with Leeds residents coming in a close second (51%). It was Belfast foodies favoured these the least (19%), followed closely by, Edinburgh (20%), and Glasgow (22%).
Tradition aside, the findings revealed that there were some more rather unconventional food choices that gained a few votes from Brits, including baked beans (6%), tomato ketchup (4%), chicken nuggets (4%), and gherkins (4%).
For six percent of Londoners, Christmas dinner wouldn’t be complete without a slice of toast. And you’re also most likely to find a chicken nugget on your dinner plate in the capital on this Christmas, with 6% of residents voting it an essential delicacy on the big day.
Almost ten percent of UK consumers (9%) would happily feast on salad as part of their Christmas day menu. Whilst on the other end of the food spectrum, one in ten men (10%) were found to enjoy chips as an accompaniment to their ultimate Christmas dinner.
And although gravy (47%) and cranberry sauce (27%) are clear winners in terms of sauce, Ketchup is the Christmas dinner condiment of choice for both 7% of Londoners, and 6% of Brummies.
Will Brits be cutting back on their Christmas dinner budget due to the cost-of-living rising?
We recently learned via a study by Network Digital, that three in ten UK adults (30%) admit to being more concerned about the cost of Christmas in 2022 than they have been in previous years.
However, despite this, more than a quarter of Brits (28%) told us they won’t be cutting back on their Christmas dinner plans and will be enjoying a meal at home with their nearest and dearest.
Just over a third of UK consumers (38%) will be exploring ways to cut food and drink costs. They plan to do so by tightening their budget, sharing the cooking with others, or asking their friends and relatives for a monetary contribution towards the feast.
Belfast (28%), Bristol (27%), Sheffield (25%), Southampton (24%), and Glasgow (24%) are the cities with the highest number of residents cooking at home for friends and family, albeit on a smaller budget this Christmas.
In contrast to this, those in Manchester (15%) and Newcastle (11%) are planning to spend more than in previous years on their home-style Christmas dinner.
Almost one in ten (9%) are opting for a much quieter celebration this year and will be dining alone at home. Manchester was revealed to be the city with the highest number of residents enjoying a solo dinner on Christmas day (14%).
How much will the UK’s “ultimate Christmas dinner” set you back?
To find out how much money the “ultimate Christmas dinner” as voted for by Brits would cost, we compared the lowest price items available for each of the food items on our top 10 list across eight different leading supermarkets. Our data revealed that the average cost of these top 10 items, including a box of crackers and a Christmas pudding, will set consumers back just £34 in 2022.
| The UK's "ultimate" Christmas dinner shopping list | Asda | Aldi | M&S | Morrisons | Sainsbury's | Waitrose | Tesco | Iceland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roast potatoes | £0.80 | £0.95 | £1.10 | £0.99 | £1.05 | £1.15 | £0.71 | £1.00 |
| Turkey | £13.50 | £13.99 | £19.89 | £15.00 | £16.00 | £29.00 | £12.00 | £19.00 |
| Gravy | £0.32 | £0.95 | £1.95 | £0.56 | £0.75 | £0.99 | £0.32 | £0.85 |
| Sprouts | £1.00 | £0.69 | £0.80 | £0.99 | £1.00 | £0.90 | £0.95 | £1.00 |
| Stuffing | £0.25 | £0.39 | £3.75 | £0.30 | £0.40 | £1.15 | £0.60 | £1.59 |
| Carrots | £0.49 | £0.24 | £0.45 | £0.35 | £0.40 | £0.95 | £0.45 | £1.00 |
| Pigs in blankets | £2.40 | £1.99 | £4.25 | £2.25 | £3.25 | £10.00 | £3.00 | £2.40 |
| Yorkshire puddings | £0.50 | £0.50 | £1.55 | £0.49 | £0.48 | £1.30 | £0.50 | £1.00 |
| Parsnips | £0.65 | £0.49 | £0.70 | £0.69 | £0.62 | £0.75 | £0.90 | £1.50 |
| Cranberry sauce | £0.85 | £0.55 | £1.05 | £1.00 | £0.75 | £1.00 | £0.80 | £1.00 |
| Box of crackers | £3.00 | £4.99 | £4.50 | £4.00 | £4.00 | £6.00 | £4.00 | £5.00 |
| Christmas pudding | £1.15 | £1.25 | £4.00 | £1.00 | £1.00 | £1.50 | £1.00 | £1.25 |
| Total | £25 | £27 | £44 | £28 | £30 | £55 | £25 | £37 |
| Average cost | £34 |
For those on a tighter budget this year, you will be able to pick up all ten items from the ultimate Christmas dinner list, plus a box of crackers and a Christmas pudding for just £25 at either Asda or Tesco.
If you’re looking to splash out on your festive food shop this year, then the most expensive retailer on our list was found to be Waitrose (£55) – over double the price of Asda and Tesco.
That said, if you’re willing to split your shop between the eight supermarkets compared as part of the study, you could be cooking up the ultimate Christmas dinner for a family of four for just £21.72.
| Supermarket | Lowest price of the “ultimate Christmas dinner” (inc. a box of Christmas crackers and Christmas pudding) GBP |
|---|---|
| Asda | £25 |
| Tesco | £25 |
| Aldi | £27 |
| Morrisons | £28 |
| Sainsbury's | £30 |
| Iceland | £37 |
| M&S | £44 |
| Waitrose | £55 |
Calories don’t count at Christmas!
It can be easy to forget that calories exist in the festive period, when surrounded by all your favourite foods and loved ones. However, with the rise of restaurant menus displaying the number of calories in each dish, the question arises, will this amplify the guilt of devouring your Christmas dinner this year?
Our study found that more than a third (35%) of UK consumers say they are likely to be deterred from ordering their festive favourites this Christmas thanks to the recent addition of calorie printing on menus, with almost a fifth (18%) of this total sharing they are already put off from ordering the dishes they once loved due to this.
Although, in true festive spirit, almost half of individuals will not be swayed from ordering their festive favourites (47%), with 17% of this number claiming that calories do not count at Christmas. Upon taking a deeper look into the data, we found that men are only marginally less likely to be put off by seeing calories on a menu at Christmas (49%) than women (46%).
Whilst one in eight (12%) admit that while they would not be put off ordering their favourite festive fodder, seeing calories printed on the menu would certainly make them think twice.
Conclusion
Here at instantprint, Christmas is one of our favourite times of year, and it’s lovely to see so many people already making plans for the big day, albeit on a tighter budget for some.
Christmas, to us and many others, means surrounding yourself with loved ones, so the simple act of spending time together is what makes the day even more magical. Splashing out on cards, gifts, wrapping paper, food, drink and entertaining can all add up, so it was reassuring to learn from our research that Christmas dinner, specifically, doesn’t have to cost the earth.
We’re still not entirely convinced that a chicken nugget has any place on the festive feast, but each to their own. So, whether you’re celebrating at home with loved ones, enjoying a quieter affair at home, or even opting to dine out, we wish you and yours a very merry Christmas.
Sources and Methodology
• Survey of 2,000 UK workers currently in employment correct as of 7.11.2022
• Using a combination of data from Trolley.com and the supermarkets own websites, we compared the lowest price item available for each product that would be suitable for feeding a family of 4. Data correct as of 8.11.2022. Please note, we have included household basic items such as olive oil or seasoning within our lists.
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