Christmas turkey 2026: supermarket prices per kg vs farm and specialist birds

The price of a Christmas turkey depends far more on the type of bird than on where you buy it. When we checked on 1 November, a fresh whole turkey at Morrisons cost £3 a kg, while a free-range KellyBronze bird from Abel & Cole worked out at £24 a kg. Here's what each option costs, with the collection and delivery dates we could confirm.

At a glance

• Cheapest fresh whole bird: Morrisons, £3 a kg, available from 20 December.
• Cheapest listed overall: Aldi's Ashfields large British turkey, 6.3kg for £18.99 (£3.01 a kg).
• Mid-range: Morrisons The Best bronze turkey, £8.50 a kg.
• Premium: Waitrose's 5kg heritage and bronze birds at £110 to £120, and a 4-5kg KellyBronze at £96 from Abel & Cole.

Supermarket prices

Morrisons lists four fresh whole turkeys, all marked as available from 20 December:

• Medium whole turkey with giblets (3-5.49kg, serves 7-10): £3 a kg, typically £13.50 for 4.5kg.
• Large whole turkey (5.5-6.99kg, serves 11-13): £3 a kg, typically £18.75 for 6.25kg.
• The Best bronze, medium (3.5-5.49kg): £8.50 a kg, typically £38.25 for 4.5kg.
• The Best bronze, large (5.5-6.99kg): £8.50 a kg, typically £53.13 for 6.25kg.

Its frozen basted turkeys cost more per kg than the fresh standard birds, from £4.13 a kg (8kg for £33) to £5.24 a kg (4.2kg for £22). You pay by weight for the fresh birds, so the final price depends on the one you get.

Aldi lists Ashfields British turkeys: medium 4.7kg for £17.49 (£3.72 a kg) and large 6.3kg for £18.99 (£3.01 a kg). Its crowns cost £7.30 to £8.23 a kg. The listing didn't give dates.

Waitrose says all its fresh Christmas turkeys this year come from British free-range farms. Farmers Weekly reported on 30 September that a 5kg Bourbon Red heritage turkey is priced at £110 (£22 a kg) and a 5kg traditionally prepared bronze at £120 (£24 a kg). Its website was too slow to load when we checked, so confirm the dates there.

Farm and specialist birds

Abel & Cole lists a small free-range KellyBronze turkey (4-5kg average) at £96, or £2.40 per 100g, on pre-order for a single delivery on 21 December. KellyBronze's own site has turkeys on pre-order, but its delivery page still showed last year's dates when we checked, so ask before you order.

Farmfetch is a marketplace for independent British farms and butchers, and has Christmas turkey, goose and roasting joints open for pre-order. Each producer sets its own price and dispatch date.

A local butcher is worth a call too. Ask the price per kg, whether the bird is free range, the breed and how long it's been hung, and the last date to order and collect.

Worked example: feeding eight

A medium bird of about 4.5kg suits 7-10 people. Here's what one would cost:

• Morrisons standard: 4.5kg at £3 a kg = £13.50.
• Aldi Ashfields medium: 4.7kg for £17.49.
• Morrisons The Best bronze: 4.5kg at £8.50 a kg = £38.25.
• KellyBronze from Abel & Cole: 4-5kg for £96.
• Waitrose heritage: 5kg for £110.

That's a gap of up to £96.50 on the centrepiece alone. A crown has no legs or wings, so it carves easily but costs more per kg: an Aldi 2.15kg crown is £16.49, or £7.67 a kg.

What to do now

1. Work out the size you need from the serving guide on the label, not the weight alone.
2. Compare the price per kg, not the price per bird.
3. Write down the order and collection dates for whichever shop you use.
4. Check your fridge space. A large fresh bird has to stay chilled until Christmas Day.
5. If you go frozen, plan defrosting in the fridge well in advance, using the Food Standards Agency's guidance.

Questions

Is fresh worth paying more for than frozen?

At Morrisons, the standard fresh birds were actually cheaper per kg than its frozen basted ones. Frozen gives you more flexibility on when you shop, but needs days to defrost safely.

What does "bronze" mean?

It's a breed with dark feathers. It isn't the same as free range, so check the label for how the bird was reared.

Will prices fall nearer Christmas?

We can't predict that. Pre-ordering secures the size you want, especially for premium birds.

Ways to save

Check current offers at Morrisons, Aldi, Waitrose and Farmfetch before you order.

Prices checked on 1 November 2026 and can change. Sources: Morrisons: turkeys, Aldi: turkey, Farmers Weekly: Waitrose turkeys, Abel & Cole: KellyBronze turkey, KellyBronze, Food Standards Agency

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