Why Christmas dinner will cost 16% more this year

Families celebrating Christmas with a traditional festive feast should stock up on gold chocolate coins this year - as the meal price has jumped by 16%.

Thrifty shoppers can buy the cheapest roast ingredients for a serving of eight from Britain's top supermarkets at £23.53.

The seasonal sum is up from £19.82 last year.

Brexit's weakening of the pound and inflation are being blamed for the rise.

Caroline Bloor, consumer director at Good Housekeeping, which conducted the survey, said it was "no surprise" the Christmas grocery bill had rocketed given the pound's performance since the EU referendum.

:: How the cost of 11 ingredients have changed since 2016

For those who do not have time to shop around, here are the cheapest supermarkets ranked by price for a one-stop Christmas dinner.

:: Lidl - £25.53
:: Aldi - £25.68
:: Iceland - £28.12
:: Tesco (Swiss: TSCO.SW - news) - £28.48
:: Asda - £31.17
:: Co-op - £33.48
:: Morrisons - £36.23
:: Sainsbury (Amsterdam: SJ6.AS - news) 's - £36.59
:: M&S - £38.43
:: Waitrose - £41.47

Ms Bloor added: "Bargains are thin on the ground this Christmas, so supermarket choice is crucial.

"A turkey will usually be your biggest outlay, so if you can find quality and value, you'll be off to a great start.

"Aldi and Lidl have the cheapest one this year. Now (Frankfurt: 11N.F - news) is not the time for loyalty - swapping supermarkets is the best way to save."