‘Half of Britons expect shortage of turkey during Christmas’

Despite the repeated assurance from the government and food industry leaders, Britons seem to be worried about their Christmas this year, suggests a recent survey findings released today (28).

According to YouGov, most Britons (49 per cent) expect shortages of turkey while four in ten people think there will be shortages of pigs in blankets.

While a previous YouGov research had shown that roast potatoes are the most important component of a Christmas dinner, far fewer Britons expect shortages of potatoes (20 per cent). Almost half the population (47 per cent) would be distraught if they couldn’t have tubers for their festive feast.

One in five Britons suspect there will be shortages of chocolate selection boxes amid reports that Nestle’s Quality Street could be in short supply.

Very few Britons are  bothered by the lack of a gobbler on the Christmas table (18 per cent).

About a third (37 per cent) people fear it will actually be harder to find Christmas presents this year, says the survey. More than half expect big delays in parcel deliveries for online shopping (58 per cent).

The survey findings seem to resonate with the mood in the country as recent reports claim that sales of frozen turkeys have almost doubled this year as eager Britons continue to stock up for Christmas.

As per new data from market analysts Kantar, apart from turkey, frozen stuffing sales have also climbed by a fifth in the four weeks to Oct 3 compared to the same period last year, while other savoury festive items have gone up by nine per cent.

Frozen party food sales at Iceland have tripled while frozen turkeys are up by 400 per cent, reports said, adding that Aldi and Tesco have also reported a surge in frozen turkey sales, suggesting shoppers are planning well ahead this Christmas, reports said.