Turkey sales slump over Christmas as lamb benefits

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woman basting turkey on top of oven

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The levy board said turkey was the ‘clear casualty’ this Christmas as shoppers cut back on whole birds and primary cuts

Turkey sales declined by 12% at Christmas compared with 2024, according to new data from AHDB.

The levy board said it was the “clear casualty” at Christmas as shoppers cut back on whole birds and primary cuts.

However, ready-to-cook offerings saw volumes purchased increase by 18.4%, showing consumers had moved towards convenience, AHDB said.

This comes as latest data from the levy board revealed grocery sales reached a record £13.8bn at Christmas, with shoppers spending on average £476 at supermarkets during the festive month.

AHDB said that despite half of consumers claiming they were planning on cutting back on overall Christmas spending, food remained a “protected spend” and grocery sales were up 1.1% in volumes [Worldpanel by Numerator 2 w/e 28 December 2025].

While turkey suffered this year, lamb was the “runaway success of the season” with a 24.7% increase in volumes purchased.

Targeted promotions were effective as shoppers responded to value-led deals with half of lamb volumes sold on deal.

Pork also did well, as AHDB predicted, with an increase of 8.3% in volume. While average volumes purchased per shopper reduced year on year, this was offset by an additional 484,000 shoppers who purchased gammon in the two weeks ending 28 December 2025.

Shoulder roasting joints performed especially well: volumes purchased increased by 43.7%. Pigs in blankets continued being a festive staple, with pre-made options up by 12.7% this year, equivalent to an additional 315,000 kilos.

AHDB said this showed that convenience was top of mind with sausages (+0.6%) and bacon (+7.5%) up at a lesser extent.

Beef delivered a strong Christmas in terms of spend, but a decline in volume of 4%. Significant price inflation throughout the year put pressure on the category, but beef roasting joints performed strongly, with joint volumes up 8.6%.

“It’s clear that Brits are not yet bored of the cheeseboard, but the red meat performance this season suggests that consumers are changing up their Christmas centrepieces, and we expect more people to explore alternatives to turkey in 2026,” said Charlotte Forkes-Rees, retail & consumer insight analyst at AHDB.

In dairy, volumes were up by 0.7% this Christmas, with cow-based dairy categories showing increased demand and the majority in volume growth.

Cow cheese volumes increased by 4.4% year on year, with cheddar up 6.3%, stilton and British blue up 0.8% and snacking cheeses up 26.7%, all contributing to this growth.

Block butter, which had seen increased demand throughout 2025, also did well at Christmas, with an additional 898,000 purchase occasions this year.

Meanwhile cream volumes purchased increased by 1.6% and increased promotional activity boosted demand for clotted (+11.4%), extra thick (+2.2%) and single (+5.4%) cream.

“At Christmas, shoppers are willing to splurge on a treat,” said Forkes-Rees. “When promoting their premium ranges, retailers should ensure they emphasise indulgence and added value to encourage consumers to spend that little bit more.”