Christmas Dinner Costs: London Splashing £350, But Wales and North East Get Biggest Bang for Their Buck
Festive Spend Breakdown
SPAR UK asked 2,000 adults about their Christmas dinner spend this year. The average bill? £191 per household. But it varies wildly across the UK:
- London leads the pack at a whopping £350
- East of England follows with £270
- East Midlands drops to £190
- Northern Ireland £184
- South West £176
- North West £175
- Yorkshire £174
- North East £157
- Scotland £156
- Wales £154
- West Midlands £144
- South East the stingiest at £121
Who Gets the Best Value?
Despite Londoners forking out the most, the savviest spenders are actually in Wales, snagging the biggest portions for their money. Here’s the value leaderboard:
- Wales
- North East
- West Midlands
- Yorkshire
- Scotland
- London
- South East
- South West
- North West
- East of England
- East Midlands
- Northern Ireland
Christmas Dinner Confidence and Quirks
Confidence is high in kitchens across Britain. Two-thirds (63%) say their family loves their Christmas dinner, and over half (53%) believe there’s no way to improve their feast.
Northern Ireland’s cooks are the most proud, with 76% boasting fans of their dinner. But West Midlands lag a bit behind, with only 51% as confident. Among those aged 55+, 22% feel their Christmas meal is perfect as it is.
Pressure, Perfection, and Portions
Half admit the pressure to nail the perfect meal is intense. Over a quarter (26%) confess to burning at least one ingredient on Christmas Day. Stress even puts people off eating much – 37% say they nibble less after slaving in the kitchen.
The average Brit devours three slices of turkey, four pigs in blankets, four roasties, two Yorkshire puddings, five Brussels sprouts, and 100ml of gravy on the big day.
Regional Dish Differences
- A third swap roast potatoes for mash
- One in four prefer beef over or alongside turkey
- North East eaters enjoy up to six slices of turkey – the UK’s highest
- Northern Ireland tops Yorkshire pudding lovers, with 8% having 5-6 puds on their plate
Only 10% cook a nut roast, but Brighton bucks the trend with 20% including it, followed by Bristol at 18%.
Food Waste and Feast Times
More than half (54%) admit to overcooking, with Northern Ireland (65%) and Edinburgh (67%) notorious for too much food. Leeds is more modest at 45%.
Most families tuck in between 1pm and 4pm, with the average dinner time hitting 3:10pm – just after the King’s first Christmas broadcast. Over-55s eat earlier at 2:40pm, with North East families starting just after 2pm. Londoners dine latest at 3:45pm.
Jamie Seymour, Head of SPAR Brand UK, said: “Christmas dinner is always an exciting but stressful part of the festive season, especially when you’re trying to get your timings right or if you’ve forgotten the pigs in blankets! Our research shows that we all love sitting down for dinner with our nearest and dearest, so if you do forget anything for the big day our stores can take some of the pressure off.”
