Cheaper alternatives to turkey: The cost of pork, chicken and beef compared

Christmas isn’t Christmas without turkey, right? It’s a tradition that can be traced as far back as Henry VII – but after hundreds of years, it might be time for a shake up.

With reports of shortages caused by avian flu, and amid the cost of living crisis, turkey remains one of the priciest meats of joint – even if you buy frozen.

But there are (arguably) plenty more flavourful meats on the market so Sky News has done a cost comparison if you’re looking for an excuse to do things differently this year.

We looked at the prices of turkey, pork, beef, chicken, and vegetarian alternatives at seven of the major supermarkets. But if these don’t excite you, there are plenty of other options we haven’t included – ham, salmon, goose, duck, and Cornish game hens.

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For the prices below, we looked at the cheapest available at each supermarket – they are all for fresh meat, not frozen unless specified. Lidl wasn’t included as they didn’t have comparable products listed online, but they usually come in at a similar price to Aldi.

They are not going to be the exact price you pay in-store as meat is priced on its weight. But by comparing the price per kilogram, you can see which works out better value for money. You can also compare the prices below to that of your local butcher – they likely have special offers in the run-up to Christmas.

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Turkey (for a minimum 2kg crown that will serve roughly four people):

Turkey ranges hugely in cost, and that is largely down to whether it is fresh or frozen. A frozen turkey can save you some quite significant pennies – we found fresh turkeys as pricy as £104.

Tesco: From £12 (for a joint) to £18 (for frozen) to £45 (free range crown)

Sainsburys: From £16 (frozen) up to £64 (fresh & free range)

M&S: From £28 up to £104

Waitrose: From £16 up to £112

Morrisons: From £14.97 up to £100

Aldi: From £13.99 (frozen) to £39.99

Asda: From £16.99 to £37.50

Pork (Loin joint – price per kg)

For boneless meat, allow roughly 225g per person – so serving four people you’d need just under 1kg – or around 1.5kg if you are aiming for some leftovers.

The price below (for 1kg) is about what you’d expect to pay for feeding four people.

Tesco: £6

Sainsbury’s: £6.40

M&S: £10.79

Waitrose: £8.85

Morrisons: £6

Aldi: £3.29

Asda: £4

Whole chicken (price per kg)

Unsurprisingly, chicken works out as the far cheaper alternative to turkey. With the prices below, we have picked the cheapest whole chickens – if you want something free range, organic, or generally just better farmed, you’ll be looking at adding a bit more onto the cost. However, even allowing for that, it is less costly than its poultry counterpart.

It is worth noting that a whole chicken usually comes in at around 1.5kg – 2kg. The upper end of that (2kg) is about the right amount you want for feeding four people.

As well as the price per kilogram (to make it easier to compare) we have also included the approximate price for feeding four people.

Tesco: £2.90 (£5.80 for four people)

Sainsburys: £2.27 (£4.54 for four)

M&S: Price not available online

Waitrose: £2.75 (£5.50 for four)

Morrisons: £3.86 (£7.72 for four)

Aldi: £2.48 (£4.96 for four)

Asda: £2.67 (£5.34)

Beef roasting joint (price per kg)

This worked out as the priciest of meats, although the price generally remained below that of turkey – excluding the expensive M&S Christmas option. But, on average you can buy a fresh joint of beef for the price of a frozen turkey, which arguably has far more flavour.

Similar to pork, you’d be looking at around 225g per person, so about 1kg for a family of four.

Tesco: £9.50

Sainsbury’s: £8

M&S: £45

Waitrose: £14.85

Morrisons: £12.50

Aldi: £7.99

Asda: £8

The vegetarian alternatives (price per kg)

One of the reasons these vegetarian alternatives are coming out more expensive per kilogram is because the quantities they are sold in are smaller.

Take, for example, Quorn’s vegetarian roast, which is sold in boxes of 454g. While each roast can be found as cheap as £2.50, if you’re feeding a family of four you are going to want to get two roasts which pushes the price up. To make it a direct comparison, the price below is per kilogram (so two boxes of the Quorn roast).

But if you’re a couple or a smaller family, these can provide a cheaper alternative to buying a large quantity of meat.

Tesco: Quorn roast (£8.75) & own brand Plant Chef festive nut loaf (£8.16)

Sainsburys: Quorn roast £5.51 & own brand Mushroom and Chesnut roast (£7.22)

M&S: Butternut, almond and pecan vegan nut roast (£12.50)

Waitrose: Plant Living nut roast (£18.34)

Morrisons: Quorn roast (£8.26)

Aldi: Nothing available online

Asda: Quorn roast (£5.51)

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