Aldi has said that while turkey will remain the centrepiece for most households this Christmas, an increasing number are opting for alternative roasting joints such as gammon, beef and lamb.

With two weeks left until Christmas Day, the retailer said more and more and consumers are choosing to shop with it this year.

Aldi estimates that more than half of British households will tuck in to at least one Aldi product this Christmas.

Managing director of buying at Aldi UK, Julie Ashfield, said: “Although we’re all feeling the pinch a little more this year, that doesn’t appear to be dampening the appetites of our customers, who are shopping earlier and treating themselves a little more in the run up to the big day.

“And while many still want the tradition of our ultimate free range turkey, more and more families are trying something new, and based on current sales trends we expect British beef and gammon joints like our specially selected Wagyu Picanha to do particularly well, along with meat alternatives such as our no gammon joint and specially selected festive wreath.”

Christmas 2023

The retailer predicts that it will sell more than five million bottles of sparkling wine, including champagne and prosecco, over 43 million pigs in blankets and more than 1,400t of sprouts in the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year.

More than a million packs of smoked salmon and two million jars of cranberry sauce are also predicted to be sold as well.

In November, Aldi announced it had invested a further £12 million in cutting the prices of more than 180 Christmas products, from smoked salmon to frozen party food.

“As many of us try to celebrate on a little less this year, the price gap between Aldi and the traditional, full-price supermarkets is as big as ever,” Ashfield said.

“Our unbreakable promise to customers is simple: whether it’s for a weekly shop or for all you need for an amazing Christmas, Aldi will always offer the lowest prices.

“That’s why we’ve seen people switch and stick to Aldi in their droves this year, being impressed by our prices then amazed by our quality.”