to be amazed at the cost of my turkey?!?

[OhTheConfusion]

Last year I got a simmilar size (feeds 6-10, 4.5kg) turkey from the same shop (marks and sparks). Last year I paid £28ish this year it was £43.56!!!

We went to Tesco yesterday and bought a stuffed duck for £16. We don't have turkey but went to buy a chicken today from Waitrose and the only ones left were the free-range organic buggers costing an arm and a leg. Back to Tesco tomorrow to (hopefully) get one. Anyone else's Tesco not doing 3 meats for £10 or 4 for £12 this week? Only priced individually. We still have to eat for the rest of the week you know you uncaring bastards.

Turkey is gak so we're having beef this year. Sod tradition.

DH got a massive joint of topside in the local butcher's for £30. It will last us ages I think. We also have a duck that cost £5 in Asda and looks plump enough to do all 7 of us on Boxing Day.

We've got a Sainsbury's bog standard odered birdy. It was £23. It must have been raised on a hill because one leg is considerably smaller than the other. DH wants to return it and complain, I want to not do that, and in some weird way feel like fighting for this less than perfect bird's right to adorn our dinner table with the love it deserves.

Anyway yes, they are expensive. Could the rise in costs be related to the demise and death of Mr Manning do you think?

We usually get ours from a local butcher, we always paid around £20 for them and although they could possibly have been smaller have always been lovely, but our local butcher seems to be having difficulty obtaining turkey this year.

Never had a dry turkey notsostealthboast and we brine, brine, brine it for 2 days. And start the bird cooking upside down (with a sausagemeat 'cushion' so the bird doesn't look squished when righted later).

Sorry, waffling, feeling festive and in full on 'domestic goddess making condiments that no one likes, even me, because I like the smell of them cooking and it gives me an excuse to drink port' mode.

YANBU Ohtheconfusion not at all.

Roxy, I guess that's what I get for pre-ordering my one. We have the ultimate turkey with clementine and lemon and were told the size we ordered would be between 37 and 50 depending on final weight... as I said, it was £43.56 in the finish up. Perhaps I should just wing it next year (no pun intended!).

I do the Xmas dinner, told DP I would get a nice piece of beef unless I saw a half-price turkey on christmas eve (we got a severely-reduced organic Crown last year)

The rolled rib is sitting in the fridge, so is a half-ham and oddments. Had a stroll round the shops today and there seem to be lots of turkeys and hams left so will have a look tomorrow.

Either way there will be roast potatoes, parsnips and stuff, only extra thing I'll have to make if I see a turk is some bread sauce and stuffing.

You could wing it I suppose. Just keep abreast of the situation, but be prepared to leg it to Asda at the last minute.

Love it Hocus!

we have a 3kg (ish) rib of beef on the bone, which i though was pretty good value

our turkey last year was approx £50, but was an organic bronze which had been lovingly hand-fed peeled grapes and massaged by maidens or something.

MaureenMLove i used to work round the corner from Smithfield and go all my meat at the bargainous Crosby's. I miss that place.

the beef was £29.

I've got 5lb turkey crown, 1lb sausagemeat, 1lb stuffing,1lb streaky bacon, 1lb chipolatas, pork pie, xmas pud hamper from local butchers for £40.
Think thats quite good.

I work at a rather posh butcher's and we charge almost 10 quid a kilo for a turkey . Most of the turkeys I sold today (and there were many) were about 50 quid. And then people went on to buy gammon, sausages, stuffing, fillet steak etc! The meat is beautiful and all locally sourced but soooooo expensive although obviously some people can afford it!! And I don't live/work in an especially wealthy area!

I think I would buy a joint of topside or leg of lamb to be honest! A few pensioners have come in an bought 1 or 2 thick slices of cooked turkey for around 4 pounds in money for their Christmas dinner and I don't blame them!!

That is cheap, I agree people have become used to getting in feasibly cheap meat, it was a life that needed caring for. Ours was £65ish.

I'm having beef ,half price from Asda

I've no idea what the cows name was or how it was raised

Crazy. To spend that on something that tastes like an old boot.

bought a Copas turkey crown to feed 6,plus trays of sausages in bacon and some stuffing and spent £40.

Bought a fresh turkey crown this year for £34 but the same size last year was about £26 I think.

I also bought a small ham joint from Tesco but I have no clue how to cook it and there are no instructions?

Do I just bung it in the oven or wrap it in foil or what??

I got a small turkey crown in farmfoods for 7.95. Its a bernard matthews one too. And i got 15% discount as my dds dad works there!

No way was I paying 20 30 quid for a bloody turkey in Asda!1

Good. An animal has lost its life. Needlessly. And you moan about the cost to you?

Ours was cheaper! Got it from our local gamers market, like we do every year!

Farmers! Stupid phone

Our 10lb farm turkey was £75. But it's always v delicious.

10lb fresh turkey, 2lbs stuffing, tray of 10 pigs in blankets, 1lb sausages, 1lb bacon, 2 long black puddings, 4 tattie scones, 6 eggs, large steak pie, jar of cranberry sauce. Delivered for free. £45!

It's true

These turkeys were farmed specifically for food.