The rising cost of Christmas food and drink revealed

Popular Christmas food and drink have soared in price, with some festive chocolates rising by more than 70%, according to Which? research.

Our food inflation tracker shows annual grocery inflation rose by 4.6% in November 2025. That's much better than March 2023, when grocery inflation hit a peak of 17.2% during the cost of living crisis, but our analysis shows some seasonal food items have seen much steeper rises.

Here, we reveal the Christmas food and drink with the biggest price increases, and offer expert tips on how to save money at the supermarket. 

Chocolate worst hit

Chocolate has seen particularly high annual inflation – 14.2% in November 2025, which was the highest across all the food and drink categories we looked at. 

Global cocoa prices rose sharply earlier this year following poor harvests in West Africa. However, commodity prices are now falling, with better harvests expected next year. Experts hope this means supermarket prices may stop rising as quickly. 

Among the sweet treats that saw significant price hikes this year were: 

• Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffles Treat Box (37g) from £1.15 to £1.98 at Asda – up 72%
• Lindt Milk Chocolate Teddy Christmas Tree Decorations (60g) from £3.50 to £6 at Morrisons – up 71%
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Puds Multipack 175g (5 x 35g) from £3 to £5 at Morrisons – up 67%
• Terry's Chocolate Orange Dark Ball (145g) from £1.50 to £2.50 at Tesco – up 67%
• Guylian The Original Seashells Chocolate Box (65g) from £1.25 to £2 at Morrisons – up 60%
• Galaxy Smooth Milk Chocolate Gift Large Sharing Block Bar (360g) from £3.85 to £6.10 at Ocado – up 58%

Prices are averages for the three months to the end of November 2025, compared with the same period a year earlier.

• Find out more: shrinkflation: the brands charging you more for less.

Turkey and trimmings prices are also up

We also looked at the prices for the typical items in a Christmas dinner.

The price of fresh Christmas turkey jumped by 4.7% year-on-year, while stuffing was up 5.1%. Pigs in blankets were up 3.9%, while peas rose by 3.5% and carrots were up 3.2%. 

It wasn't all bad news, though; we found Christmas puddings were actually cheaper than last year.  

Some of the worst examples of Christmas dinner foods included:

• Tesco Finest Free Range Bronze Turkey Crown Small 1-1.99kg (Serves 4-8) from £35.82 to £45.77 at Tesco – up 27.8%
• Paxo Chestnut & Cranberry Stuffing Mix (170g) from £2.13 to £2.90 at Waitrose – up 35.9%
• Tesco 12 Pork, Apple & Cranberry Pigs In Blankets (222g) from £2.50 to £2.75 at Tesco – up 10%
• Stamford Street Co Peas (850g) from 93p to £1.09 at Sainsbury's – up 17.2%
• Morrisons Wonky Carrots (1.45kg) from 53p to 80p at Morrisons – up 50.9%
• Nature's Pick Brussels Sprouts (500g) from 87p to 93p at Aldi – up 6.5%
• Bisto Best Vegetable Gravy (230g) from £3 to £3.87 at Ocado – up 28.9%
• Waitrose Baby Parsnips (300g) from £1.75 to £2.30 at Waitrose – up 31.6%
• Exceptional by Asda 4 Frangipane Mince Pie Slices (185g) from £2.50 to £2.98 at Asda – up 19.2%
• La Gioiosa Prosecco Brut (75cl) from £8 to £10.50 at Morrisons – up 31.3%
• Belvoir Sparkling Elderflower Presse (750ml) from £2.60 to £3.55 at Ocado – up 36.5%
• Tesco Finest Christmas Pudding (800g) from £14 to £15 at Tesco – up 7.1%

Prices are averages for the one-month period ending in November 2025, compared with the same period a year earlier.

• Find out more: best places to buy turkey, trimmings and more.

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What do the supermarkets say?

Which? approached all the supermarkets with details of the specific products mentioned. 

Sainsbury’s said: 'We believe Christmas should be joyful and generous, which is why we are focused on giving customers brilliant value with trusted quality. Last month, our delicious Taste the Difference All Butter Mince Pies and Mini All Butter Mince Pies were available through Nectar Prices for £1.75, more than 10% cheaper than the same time last year.

'We’re continuing fantastic offers as the big day approaches with price-matched mince pies from just £1.25 and from Thursday 18 December right through to Christmas Eve, Sainsbury's is offering classic vegetable trimmings including carrots, Brussels sprouts, parsnips and more for just 15p with Nectar prices.'

Morrisons said its Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Puds Multipack 175g (5 x 35g) were £5, but £2 for those with a More card. 

Waitrose also said some of its products were on discount last year, but not this year.

What's been happening with grocery inflation?

The cost of supermarket groceries is rising by 4.6% annually. It's a drop compared with August, when inflation was 5.2%. That means prices are still rising, but just not as quickly. 

The cost of living crisis saw grocery inflation hit a peak of 17.2% in March 2023, after Covid-related disruption, the war in Ukraine and other global supply issues sent it soaring. 

After that, grocery price inflation steadily declined, reaching a low of just 2.7% in August 2024 before gradually rising again. 

The rising global wholesale prices of products such as beef, coffee, and cocoa played a significant role in the increases over the past year, often driven by adverse weather or harvests. 

But food inflation has also recently risen more in the UK than in other European countries. The Bank of England says this shows higher labour costs (rises in the minimum wage and employers’ National Insurance contributions) could have had an effect, too. There are also new UK regulations on packaging waste that may affect the situation. 

• Find out more: how to spend less at the supermarket.

How to save money on Christmas food

As prices are significantly higher than before the cost of living crisis, grocery costs are still a worry for many. 

To save money, compare price per unit (for example, 100g or 100ml) across different pack sizes, retailers and brands to ensure you're getting the best value. 

You can also switch supermarkets to make significant savings – see our cheapest supermarket results for more information on how much you could save.

Having a loyalty card can also save you money. However, Which? has found that millions of people are excluded from accessing lower loyalty prices at major supermarkets due to their age, lack of an address or lack of digital access. 

We believe that the lower prices offered by loyalty schemes should be available to those who are currently ineligible to sign up through no fault of their own, and are calling on retailers to find a solution.

• Find out more: best mince pies for Christmas.

About Which?'s food and drink inflation tracker 

Which?’s tracker looks at popular categories of food and drink at eight supermarkets — Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. 

It compares average prices across the same three-month and one-month periods year-on-year, including discounts, but not multibuys or loyalty card offers. 

Overall inflation figures are weighted by supermarket market share and each product category's sales volume. 

Prices are provided by an independent data provider.

• Find out more: Which? food price inflation tracker.