London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 23, 2025

What cost of living crisis? Parliament orders 1,500 puddings and 159 turkeys

What cost of living crisis? Parliament orders 1,500 puddings and 159 turkeys

MPs and Lords can tuck into potted duck legs and guinea fowl with apricot and cranberry this Christmas after the House of Commons stocked up on festive provisions.

Caterers at Westminster have bought in 1,500 ‘individual’ puddings and 159 Essex Grove Smith stag turkey supremes for the estate’s restaurants, according to a working list of ingredients. 

The supplies have been purchased after it was revealed that MPs can claim some Christmas party costs on expenses and as the country faces the worst cost of living crisis for generations.  

The order for festive birds was placed with Grove Smith Turkeys, which says on its Twitter feed that it is an award-winning, family-run farm.

The ingredients ordered in so far have been disclosed by the Commons after a Freedom of Information Act request by Metro.co.uk.  

Catering in parliament’s restaurants and bars is not directly subsidised but data for the 2021-2022 financial year shows they all ran at a loss, meaning taxpayers’ money effectively supports the overall operation.

Christmas meals include potted duck leg, pancetta and cranberry with piccalilli, sage toasted sourdough and Shawsgate vineyard ‘Frampaign’ poached pear, which is available for £4.65 in the Members’ Dining Room.

Another option is the turkey, wild mushroom and smoked pancetta ballotine, which comes with parsnip puree, glazed sprouts, sausage meat stuffing and thyme roasted potatoes, priced at £8.75.

Desserts include a rum-laced eggnog tart infused with nutmeg and a Mont Blanc mandarin trifle which comes with vanilla custard, chestnut cream, white chocolate and candied chestnuts.


Christmas puddings are among the festive fare on offer at the houses of parliament

At Bellamy’s restaurant, seasonal fare includes a savoury muffin filled with oregano roasted tofu, caramelised baby onions, sundried tomato and red chard salad dressed with whole grain mustard. The vegan dish costs £3.30 and contains 318 calories, according to the menu.

Festive dishes at The Adjournment contemporary restaurant include the guinea fowl, apricot and cranberry terrine with pickled red cabbage, clementine and sourdough, which is part of a two or three-course menu.

With millions of households facing soaring food and power bills, the perks afforded to MPs and Lords have come under close scrutiny.

Under new advice released in November, MPs were told they can claim the cost of food and drink at their Christmas parties on expenses.

Lights, tinsel and trees, but not alcohol, are covered by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority advice.  

The House of Commons’ restaurants are well stocked up on Christmas puddings


The festive provisions at Westminster come as the Trussell Trust network of foodbanks warns that the branches are facing a Christmas of record demand amid the intensifying cost of living crisis.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘We all need a bit of festive cheer after a tough 2022 but the taxpayers propping up the affordable prices in Parliament are suffering, thanks to the highest taxes in 70 years and bruising inflation.

‘The parliamentary authorities must ensure they get bang for their buck, as families across the country are struggling to make ends meet.’ 

The Metro’s mock-up of how West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock might look served with a brandy and rum pudding at parliament


Will Morris, director of the House of Bread, a vulnerable and homeless support charity in Staffordshire, said: ‘If I was an MP sitting in Parliament eating turkey this Christmas, I would be thinking of other people who have nothing or less this Christmas. 
 
‘With great privilege comes great responsibility, and MPs should be guided by their moral compass and think of the food shelters, food banks and charities on the frontlines. 
 
‘It speaks volumes that the community come to us with very little and are willing to share it with others less fortunate in their local community.’

MPs have been reminded about the plight of those who are less fortunate this Christmas

In its response to the request, the Commons stated that the parliamentary estate and its catering venues are open to around 15,000 passholders.  

A spokesperson said: ‘Christmas food at our catering venues is accessible to all parliamentary passholders, which includes staff, members, contractors and members of the press gallery, as well as the many visitors to parliament.

‘The volumes served will be in line with demand and we continuously seek to reduce costs. Our food and drink offering is regularly benchmarked against similar outlets outside parliament.

‘The services are not directly subsidised and all food and drink items are sold above cost price.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
×