For most of us, the dinner is the main event, particularly after the Childhood present frenzy has left us.
In the last few days, in most of the National Newspapers, there has
been an article about a grandmother of 4 who charges her family £35 per head
for Christmas dinner (booze included).
I
was a little taken aback, I know as a frugal
person that to share the cost of Christmas is a very sound thing to do and I do applaud that, however personally I
prefer a Jacobs Join kind of affair where everyone brings a dish but if people
prefer not to, to just share the actual cost of ingredients is grand and not to make a profit. Article from one of the papers below
What concerned me was, and if you are to
believe reports, she makes a £150 profit from this from 12 of her nearest and
dearest. I have a problem with this, but I also do question her actual costs and if that figure is
in itself accurate? Based upon the Maths and again if its how its reported, which may not be the truth, it works out at (after deducting her profit) her actual cost being £22.50 per head.
I looked at the picture of her Christmas dinner below and I
was quite frankly aghast. Unless each person drinks at
least 4 bottles of wine each I can’t see where the money is spent?
Her dinner and I don’t mean to disrespest anyone but if I was
served that, which looks like frozen Yorkshire puds with Paxo stuffing and frozen
peas and hardly any meat and with a dribble of gravy I would send it back.
So I just want to show you an actual homemade and frugal Christmas
Dinner (apologies I forgot to take photos of the puds but they were drowned in
Brandy Sauce so all you would see was white) which came in at £5.54 per head using quality products and frugal
tips.
So our starters
Homemade Smoked Salmon Mousse Parcels with a little side
salad of cherry tomatoes, spring onion and balsamic glaze with 3 pieces of
Tesco’s French Toast came in for 44p per portion. Admittedly due to sister making the salmon
starter in return for 12 of my mince pies which cost me £5.90 to make so cost me
in actuality 94p per portion.
Homemade Chicken and Ham Terrine (recipe courtesy of
Slimming World and so flavoursome and meaty) with a little side salad of cherry tomatoes, spring onion, a few pickles and
balsamic glaze came in for £1.74 per portion with two thick whopping slices of
terrine plentiful for any starter.
Main Meal
We don’t like Turkey so I bought a medium chicken from Tesco’s
for £2.95 cooked to perfection it turned out uber Moist. A gammon joint (which I glazed in Honey) was
£2.99 ( noting I still have lots of meat for sandwiches even after the main
event. I bought I bag of Tesco’s Redfearn Carrots and Parsnips for 19p each (Made carrot and swede mash), Potatoes, for £1.59 which provided loads for
both Mash and roast potatoes and still left over. A cauliflower for 29p (Made cauli cheese).
Sausages (quality Irish sausages 12 for £2).
Finest Tesco’s Streaky Bacon 12 Slices again for £2, ends up with whopping pigs
in blanket for 34p each (don’t do the little chipolatas). Stuffing (no paxo involved ! purely pork
meat, herbs, onions, breadcrumbs, seasoning) free from Sister. Gravy granules (bisto finest well it is
Christmas, 25 per head) . The actual
cost of the main meal – photo below turned out to be £2.98 per head.
Dessert
Christmas Pudding courtesy of Iceland it was a great pudding
soaked in Cider, brandy and Sherry and was really lush, boozy, fruity and moist
for just £1.19 and will feed 4 people,
Topped off with 500ml, (again for 4 people more than enough) of Brandy
Sauce at £1.25 per pot. Dessert ends up
being 61p per head.
So for a fabulous 3 course meal and a couple of things I
bartered and exchanged my homemade goodies for (which I've included my costs for ) actual cost a total of £5.54 per head,
and I don’t mean to be bitchy but I think my Christmas dinner looks better than
the photo the papers provided and everyone thought tasted fabulous with very full bellies.
So where did her other £30 per head go? It is reported that this includes booze and other things but
crikey unless you have 12 alcoholics around your dinner table, I can’t fathom
how its spent and I personally would be a little disgruntled if any family member of mine
tried to charge me £35 for a dinner?
So what I would say is you can have a fabulous, lush,
indulgent and quality Christmas meal for little cost; you just have to be a savvy shopper and also share your
skills with friends/family.
Perhaps if she did a Jacobs Join as I mentioned above and
other members of her family brought a dish, even if they can’t cook, bring some
wine or cheese etc, you can have a
lovely family meal and with booze
without it costing an earth and certainly not everyone having to find £35 each.
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