Christmas is an expensive time of the year, so to help make your money go further I took on the challenge to find out which supermarkets you can bag a festive dinner for four for under £30.
Putting five mainstream supermarkets against one another, I wanted to find out just how much I could get for my money and where I could source the best deals from.
Shopping around the festive season can prove to be a tedious and costly task.
And as a result of the pandemic, which has left some with limited disposable income, the worry of pulling together a dinner spread with all of the trimmings is looming.
However, to help, I have scrolled through some of the supermarket websites and have picked out the best deals for Christmas dinner shopping for a family of four.
With a budget of £30, these trolleys vary in item quantity, as well as different starters and desserts.
However, a traditional Christmas dinner featuring turkey with stuffing, potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables remains regardless of the store.
So which store is the best value for money?
Asda
First up is Asda with a total number of 20 items costing £29.20.
For starters I purchased some smoked salmon, cooked and peeled prawns, a leek and potato soup mix, pork sausage rolls, cauliflower cheese, Camembert and butter Gruyere and poppy seed twists.
The main course consisted of chicken with stuffing, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Brussel sprouts, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings, cranberry sauce and gravy granules to make some hot gravy.
Finally, to complete the meal I got a Viennetta vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Price: £29.20
Items: 20
Tesco
Coming in with 16 items, Tesco’s price tag for a full Christmas dinner was priced at £29.69.
Starters are more of a mix in this shopping cart with prawns, vegetable soup, and onions bhajis, and a 16 piece Chinese selection box including wontons, spring rolls and prawn toasts.
The main course is again a traditional turkey with stuffing, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Brussel sprouts, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings, cranberry sauce and turkey gravy granules as well.
And similar to Asda, I’ve chosen to finish with Viennetta vanilla ice cream is for dessert again.
Price: £29.69
Items: 16
Sainsbury’s
Third on our supermarket list is Sainsbury’s, with one less item than Tesco at 15 items.
It was also only marginally more expensive at £29.72.
To begin the meal I chose mozzarella sticks, smoked salmon, and vegetable soup for starters.
Our identical main course of turkey with stuffing, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Brussel sprouts, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings, cranberry sauce and gravy granules was all easily sourced so ensured the full offering was available.
And stepping away from tradition, Sainsbury’s is offering a frozen Black Forest gateau that can be defrosted and eaten on the day.
Price: £29.72
Items: 15
Morrisons
Last but certainly not least on our budget-friendly shopping supermarket list is Morrisons.
Matching Sainsbury’s with 15 items and being 22p more expensive at £29.94, it is the most expensive budget-friendly offering I found.
For starters we again have a chunky vegetable soup, smoked salmon and some onion bhajis.
The main course has been matched with the others containing turkey with stuffing, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Brussel sprouts, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings, cranberry sauce and gravy granules.
And this time I have gone for a more traditional dessert of a rich fruit Christmas pudding which is very seasonal.
Price: £29.94
Items: 15
Marks & Spencer
Traditionally more expensive to other supermarkets when compared against the others, I decided to find out what a similar trolley would cost at Marks & Spencer.
The difference in price was quite significant at £55.24 which is around £25 more expensive than the other budget-friendly stores. And, only 14 items were purchased to make up Christmas dinner.
To start off I pocketed some smoked salmon and mini pastry appetisers.
The same traditional main course was created to allow for direct comparison including turkey with stuffing, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Brussel sprouts, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings, cranberry sauce and ready-made turkey gravy.
And to finish a matured alcohol-free Christmas pudding serving four.
Price: £55.24
Items: 14
The results
While it is clear it is possible to purchase Christmas dinner for four for under £30 it was Asda who came out on top as the cheapest place to purchase a three-course meal from.
It was also found that customers can purchase more items at Asda, too, meaning it is more economic to purchase your food from the supermarket than any of the others listed.
Don’t forget that it is important to take into consideration your travel costs when thinking about which venue to purchase your Christmas dinner from, as some supermarkets will be closer to home which may also end up saving you money.
