Harrods shrugs off cost of living crisis with a £450 Christmas lunch

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Harrods’ £450 Christmas lunch: Department store shakes off cost-of-living crisis with luxury festive fare

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Christmas will be a price cut for many families this year as the country struggles with the high cost of living.

But a lucky few for whom money is no object still believe that cutting back on the turkey is for the little folks – that is, if the price of seasonal treats at Harrods is any guide.

Supermarkets have struggled to come up with festive dishes at rock bottom prices to cater to their customers, millions of whom are on tight budgets.

Harrods advertises an 'ultra-gourmet' dinner for six to eight people, prepared by the chefs and either picked up in store or shipped from the world-famous Food Hall

Harrods advertises an ‘ultra-gourmet’ dinner for six to eight people, prepared by the chefs and either picked up in store or shipped from the world-famous Food Hall

Households are grappling with huge utility bills and rampant inflation, including sharp increases in food costs.

High Street supermarket chains are marketing Christmas dinners for less than five euros to their narrow clientele.

But while Asda is promoting a ‘Frozen Christmas Dinner for under £20’, Harrods, where the rich and famous shop is, is offering gourmet lunches that will cost its well-to-do customers a cool £450.

The shop, in London’s Knightsbridge, advertises an ‘ultra-gourmet’ dinner for six to eight people.

The feast is prepared by Harrods chefs and either picked up at the shop or shipped from the world famous Food Hall to the customer’s door – London postcodes only – in one of the green vans.

Delights include a crown of free-range turkey with smoked bacon, prunes and glazed oranges, pigs in blankets made from Sussex free-range pork and Brussels sprouts topped with crisp sage, chestnuts and cranberries.

For afters there is a ‘decadent’ Christmas pudding and brandy butter made with Courvoisier VS Cognac.

For those not in the mood for posh poultry, there’s a Beef Wellington luxury dinner for £450, or a cheaper – by Harrods standards – classic turkey lunch for £250.

The luxury emporium also sells other Christmas treats, including a block of duck foie gras terrine with French butter and sea salt flakes for £100.

By contrast, Asda’s more modest dinner comes in at just £3.24 per head based on six servings.

That’s less than half the price of a Harrods porcini and truffle parfait for one. These exquisite treats, which come with a tangerine glaze, cost £8 to serve one person.

Asda’s dinner consists of five items including a bag of mixed vegetables, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, pigs in blankets and a small frozen turkey for a total cost of £19.43.

The supermarket – which has always prided itself on its strong focus on price – markets the products on its website.

Unlike Harrods shoppers, Asda shoppers will have to choose the products themselves, either online or from the freezer – assuming they don’t have staff to do it for them.

Mainstream grocers have responded to the financial pressures many families face by trying to keep the cost of Christmas food down.

Tesco is promoting a ‘Frozen Dinner for £25’ with eight items including a small turkey, roasts, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and pigs in blankets.

Sainsbury’s says its ‘Christmas Roast’ of 11 products, including a sherry trifle for £23.90, costs just under £4 per person, based on six people.

Aldi is in similar territory with its ‘Amazing Value Christmas Dinner’, which is a little cheaper at £23.48 but doesn’t contain a trifle.

Marks & Spencer said a dinner for six around an Oakham turkey could be eaten off the aisles for £20.95 or just under £3.50 per head.

Unlike the Harrods dinners, which are sold as a package, customers must assemble the meals marketed by the High Street food outlets themselves.

The supermarket promotions show how families try to enjoy a well-fed Christmas, even when money is tight.

But for most, enjoying a mouth-watering £450 banquet remains in the realm of fantasy.