In a disastrous turn of events just hours before Christmas Day, outraged shoppers have taken to social media to express their frustration after discovering that the turkeys they purchased from popular supermarkets, including Asda, Aldi, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s, had gone “rotten.
Angry customers posted images and complaints on X, formerly known as Twitter, recounting their dismay at finding their festive turkeys in an inedible state, with some describing the poultry as “slimy” and “rancid.
One user, whose Christmas plans were marred by a spoiled turkey purchased from Asda, shared their disappointment, saying, “Asda, Christmas Day officially ruined. Purchased this earlier, and it’s rotten. It smells disgusting. It’s shocking how you can sell something rotten and then leave people worried about where they are going to eat another turkey with limited time left.”
Accompanying the complaint were images of the turkey, showing grey-coloured flesh splotches. Despite the best-before date being set for Boxing Day, the customer had purchased the turkey at a reduced price of £15.81, down from £23.60.
Another disgruntled shopper directed their ire at Aldi, stating, “@AldiUK Loving your Turkey crown, which is rotten two days before its use-by date.” They had paid £13.60 for the turkey crown with a best-before date of December 26.
An additional Aldi customer wrote, “@AldiUK Christmas ruined, thanks for the rotten turkey. Research tells me that a fresh raw turkey only lasts two days, so why are you selling them on the 19th with a best-before date on the 28th? Looks like we are having chicken on Christmas day.”
A Tesco customer, who had purchased a £53 turkey from their local store a few days ago, expressed their dismay, saying, “This is a bit of a blow. Bought a ‘fresh’ turkey from the local Tesco superstore a couple of days ago. Just unwrapped it to prepare everything for tomorrow, and it stinks. The meat is rotten. So… Christmas dinner? It’ll not be quite as we might’ve hoped.”
Sainsbury’s was not spared from the wave of complaints either. One customer revealed their disappointment with the supermarket, writing, “Just went to prep the turkey crown for tomorrow, and it’s rotten!!! Cheers Sainsbury’s.” Another Sainsbury’s customer echoed these sentiments, sharing, “Just checked my turkey I brought on the 20th (dated for the 27th!) and it is rancid and slimy! Nearly threw up from the smell of it! Disgusting!”
The supermarkets have faced criticism on social media, not only for the turkey mishaps but also for a technical issue that prevented customers from redeeming their Nectar points during their Christmas shopping. Some shoppers expressed frustration, stating that the problem had disrupted their Christmas budgets.
Nectar is Sainsbury’s loyalty scheme, allowing customers to earn points with each purchase. Many customers rely on these points to cover the cost of festive groceries, gifts, and treats. However, due to the technical glitch, some shoppers reported being unable to claim significant amounts of their Nectar points, leaving them financially burdened during the holiday season.
Sainsbury’s is working to resolve the issue and address the concerns of affected customers.
