Christmas food delivery slots 2026: they're all open, and the 15 December deadlines

Tesco opened its Christmas delivery slots to all customers at 6am on 5 November, so every major online grocer is now taking Christmas bookings, with Ocado releasing its remaining slots in batches. The best slots in the days before 25 December go first. Here's what each one offers, based on Which?'s round-up of the supermarkets' announcements, last updated on 12 October 2026. Slots depend on where you live, so check your postcode as soon as you can.

At a glance

Supermarket	Open to everyone	Christmas slots	Finish your order by
Tesco	5 November	Latest slots on 23 or 24 December, by area	Ask at checkout
Sainsbury's	23 October	18 to 24 December	11pm the day before delivery
Asda	20 October	21 to 23 December, with Christmas Eve slots released later	15 December for its Food to Order range
Morrisons	7 October	18 to 31 December	Ask at checkout
Waitrose	30 September	20 to 24 December	Midnight on 15 December
Ocado	Released in batches	20 to 24 December	11.30pm two days before delivery

Supermarket by supermarket

Tesco. Slots opened at 6am on 3 November for customers on an Anytime Delivery Saver or Click+Collect plan, and at 6am on 5 November for everyone else, including Off-peak Delivery Saver customers. Which? says Tesco has added 60,000 extra delivery slots this year. The Anytime 12-month plan costs £6.99 a month and the Off-peak 12-month plan £3.99. Its same-day Whoosh service costs £2.99, plus £2 on orders under £15, and availability at Christmas varies by store.

Sainsbury's. Delivery Pass holders could book from 16 October and everyone else from 23 October, for deliveries from 18 December to Christmas Eve. You can change your order until 11pm the day before. Without a pass, delivery costs £7.50 to £9.50 on orders under £50, or £1 to £6 on orders over £50.

Asda. Delivery Pass customers could book from 13 October and everyone else from 20 October, for slots from Monday 21 to Wednesday 23 December. Christmas Eve slots will be released closer to the time. Anything from Asda's Christmas Food to Order range must be added, and you must check out, by 15 December. Other groceries can be changed until 11pm the night before delivery.

Morrisons. Slots opened to pass holders on 1 October and to everyone on 7 October. For the first time, they run from Friday 18 December right through to Thursday 31 December, so you can book a New Year delivery too. You'll need to spend at least £25 for a Christmas slot.

Waitrose. Slots opened to all customers on 30 September, for 20 to 24 December, with a £40 minimum spend. You can change your food choices as often as you like until midnight on 15 December. Which? says Waitrose has 10,000 more slots than last year, and orders from its Food Made to Order range for New Year must be in by 21 December.

Ocado. Anytime Smart Pass members who signed up by 1 September had early access to slots from 20 to 24 December, and were emailed a free delivery voucher, since the pass's usual free delivery doesn't apply in Christmas week. Everyone else gets the remaining slots in staggered batches, so check the app or booking page regularly. Christmas week orders need a minimum spend of £90, and you can edit your order until 11.30pm two days before delivery.

Is a delivery pass worth it?

Which? lists these monthly costs for an anytime pass, as at 2 October 2026: Asda £6.95, Tesco £6.99, Sainsbury's £7.50, Morrisons £8, Waitrose £8 and Ocado £9.99. Midweek or off-peak passes are cheaper: Asda £3.95, Tesco £3.99, Sainsbury's £4, Morrisons £5 and Ocado £4.99. Waitrose doesn't offer one. Some of these are the monthly cost of a 12-month plan, not a rolling monthly price.

A worked example. Say you do three online shops at Sainsbury's over £50 between now and Christmas: a big stock-up, a party shop and the Christmas order. Without a pass, the delivery charges are £1 to £6 each, so £3 to £18 in total depending on the slot. Sainsbury's Anytime pass costs £7.50 a month, £43 for six months or £80 for 12 months, and includes up to one free delivery a day on orders of £50 or more. If you'd mostly pick evening or weekend slots near the top of the range, a pass can pay for itself in a month. If you'd pick cheap midweek slots, it probably won't. Check the minimum term before you sign up.

What to do now

1. Check your postcode today at each supermarket you'd use. Popular slots on 22 to 24 December go fastest.
2. Book a slot and add a few items to hold it. Waitrose asks for a £40 minimum and Morrisons £25.
3. Put the order deadlines in your diary: 15 December for Asda's Food to Order range and Waitrose changes, 11pm the day before for Sainsbury's, and 11.30pm two days before for Ocado.
4. Order long-life items early, such as gravy, stuffing and Christmas pudding, so the Christmas order is smaller.
5. Have a back-up: click and collect, or a same-day service such as Tesco Whoosh, if your slot falls through.

Questions

What if my supermarket has no slots left? Keep checking. Ocado releases slots in batches, and Asda will release Christmas Eve slots later. Click and collect slots are often easier to get than delivery.

Will Christmas vegetables be cheaper if I wait? Possibly. Which? says several supermarkets cut the price of carrots, parsnips, potatoes and sprouts to as little as 10p in the week before Christmas last year. Those cuts are usually announced closer to Christmas, so you may want to add fresh veg to your order last.

What if my delivery doesn't turn up? The supermarket is responsible until the goods reach you. Contact it straight away for a refund or a new slot, and see our guide to deliveries that never arrive.

Ways to save

Check what you've built up in loyalty schemes such as Tesco Clubcard, Sainsbury's Nectar, MyWaitrose and Morrisons More before your big shop. Our Ocado page lists 25% off a first shop plus three months of Smart Pass free with code 25OCADO, and our Iceland page lists free next-day delivery on online orders over £40.

When you shop through Voucher Magpie, part of the commission the shop pays us goes to the charity or club you pick. You pay the same price.

Sources: Which?, supermarket Christmas delivery slots, updated 12 Oct 2026, read 8 Nov 2026

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