FOOD COSTS AT CHRISTMAS

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28157, 21 December 1956, Page 19

FOOD COSTS AT CHRISTMAS

Basic Dinner For Four

MINIMUM PRICE £2/6/-

Christmas dinner this year for a family of four is likely to cost at least £2 6s. This would be without the delicacies, liquors and decorations that make the Christmas dinner table one of the most important of the year. Dinner at the leading hotels in Christchurch on Tuesday will cost £1 10s to £1 15s. All reported yesterday that tables have been fully reserved for some time. One hotel will assist its guests through a long and leisured menu with appropriate wines and dancing to a five-piece orchestra for this price. In return, the guests will observe the hotel’s tradition by serving dinner to the staff afterwards. The basis of a more modest menu likely to appear on most dinner tables on Tuesday is given below. The prices are based on an average of those ruling in city shops yesterday.

Poultry prices vary considerably. One store, which expects to sell 600 chickens by Monday, offers 3slb birds ready for the oven at 13s 6d each. Other shops, where poultry is not abundant, are selling their best birds at 17s and 18s. Turkeys are selling about 7s 6d per lb; geese cost about 25s each.

The last shipment of pineapples has been exhausted, but other fruit is plentiful. Some shops have a good stock of bananas ripening in their storerooms. The price of good strawberries may rise 2s to 3s before Christmas. and cherries may cost up to 6s per lb. Cold meat dishes can be expensive. Most city suppliers are selling hams at 4s per lb (uncooked). An averagesized ham sells at £2 10s. There is a good supply of lettuces in the shops at 6d and 9d each. The present price of good tomatoes, about 3s 6d per lb. is likely to rise before Christmas Day. Cucumbers cost Is 6d to 2s each.

Among the most popular grocery lines to garnish Christmas meals are mixed nuts at 3s ner lb.

Meat and Vegetables: £ s. d. Leg of lamb (51b) .. .. 0 15 0 Potatoes (21b) .. .. H 1 4 Peas (21b) .. .. ..028 Fruit Salad: Table strawberries (one punnet) .. ..056 Bananas (21b) .. .. 0 1 11 Oranges (lib) .. ..012 Pineapple (11b tin) .. .. 0 2 2 Extras: Christmas pudding 0 3 0 Christmas cake (not iced, 41b) 0 12 0 Cream (ifc pint) .. ..018 Total 2 6 5