If you want to enjoy the culinary delights of Easter without splurging out, the results of Good Housekeeping’s annual Easter shopping basket price index might just pique your interest.
Consumers can feed eight people Easter lunch, including a leg of lamb and two bottles of prosecco, for just £20.71 or £2.59 per person if they head to Lidl this year.
An analysis of 10 major supermarkets tracked the price of seven items to feed eight people for Easter lunch.
Lidl came out on top with its Easter goods for eight costing just £20.71, while Aldi came a close second (£21.63), with Morrisons (£24.89) also in the top three.
The most expensive place to shop was Waitrose – although it’s basket was cheaper than its offering last year, the contents still cost £37.03 – almost double the price of Lidl’s.
M&S was the third most expensive basket, but with a significant reduction from last year, dropping from £37.83 to £34.18 in what appears to be a deliberate price cutting move. An M&S spokesperson said: “Currently over 400 products have been reduced in price (by over 10%) and this number is still increasing.”
Iceland has also dropped its prices, with its basket coming down £9 compared to 2018. An Iceland spokesperson said it is offering its “best value Easter ever”, including the core frozen range.
Caroline Bloor, consumer affairs director at Good Housekeeping, said: “The discount retailers come out on top once again with Lidl and runner-up Aldi both offering up great prices this Easter.
“With consumers more money conscious now than ever before, we’re delighted to see such great options to feed a family of eight this year.”
Consumers can make their total spend slightly cheaper if they’re happy to go to multiple supermarkets. By shopping across two different supermarkets, (Lidl and Aldi) the basket for eight could come to just £20.43 - that’s £2.55 per head.
The Good Housekeeping £2.55 per head* Easter shopping basket across all supermarkets consisted of:
- Leg of lamb (at least 2kg): Aldi and Lidl – whole leg of lamb, £9.90
- Maris Piper or King Edwards potatoes (at least 1kg): Lidl, 29p
- Frozen Peas (at least 900g): Aldi, Tesco and Lidl, 62p
- Carrots (at least 1kg): Aldi 19p
- Mint Sauce (one jar): Aldi and Lidl, 45p
- Hot cross buns (at least eight): Aldi, Morrisons, Tesco, £1
- Two bottles of prosecco: Aldi and Lidl, £7.98 (£3.99 per bottle)