Once again, the people of the UK have spent an astronomical amount on food for the Christmas period. Following the trends of previous years, the cost of Christmas food has continued to rise.
Studies show that Brits spent a whopping £4.24 billion on food and drink for the festive season in 2018. This is a staggering £1 billion more than food and drinks spending for the previous year.
Food is a significant part of the cost of Christmas for most people. Experian broke down these figures further by identifying how people spent their money. They also listed which regions of the United Kingdom spent the most and least on Christmas groceries.
The Highs and Lows of the Cost of Christmas
There are significant differences in how much people spent on Christmas food in different locations. One of the biggest expenses on the dinner table is roast turkey, regardless of location. You can keep costs down by buying a turkey crown or by using up your leftover turkey for other meals.
Leicester came out top as the biggest spenders on groceries for Christmas. People from this city were even willing to spend over £20 on a decent cheese board for the holiday period.
At the other end of the scale, Bradford and Wakefield were the most budget-conscious cities. The cost of Christmas was much lower in these locations. The people of Bradford spent less on chocolate than people from anywhere else in the UK.
The Additional Cost of Seasonal Drinks
It is not only food that people are spending money on at Christmas as they are also spending money on alcoholic beverages.
The people of Leicester were also the biggest spenders when it came to filling up their drinks cabinets. The average person in Leicester spent £65.19 on alcoholic beverages. There was a fairly even split between their expenditure on wines and spirits.
To the other extreme, those who live in Cardiff spent an average of a mere £43.68. It is unclear whether this is because they bought less alcohol or because they chose cheaper products. If you are only using wine for cooking and want to save money, then check out our guides for the best white wines for cooking, and the best red wines for cooking.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/12/uk-christmas-shoppers-record-spend-food-and-drink
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/09/morrisons-christmas-premium-food-sales-soar