Supermarket shoppers hoping to secure their groceries in time have been set mid-December deadlines
Several major UK supermarkets have issued a ‘final warning’ deadline to shoppers who are planning ahead for their festive dinner on Christmas Day. Every year, there is often a last-minute rush as millions across the UK try to get their Christmas dinner sorted by buying essentials like roast potatoes, turkey and vegetables.
To ensure families get the ingredients they want and need, many supermarkets offer extra delivery slots around this time of year and allow people to order their Christmas dinner weeks in advance. The most common food item people race to get their hands on is turkey, and given the high demand, securing one can be tricky.
To help give everyone a fair chance, most stores have a specific cut-off date for adding items like turkeys to online Christmas food-to-order selections. These dates typically fall around mid-December to allow for processing and distribution before the holiday season.
For Christmas 2025, the key cut-off dates for ordering “Food to Order” items, including turkeys, are generally around December 14 to 16, depending on the retailer, with the final time usually late evening or just before midnight. The likes of Tesco, Aldi, Asda, Waitrose, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s have released their ‘last chance’ dates as a ‘final warning’ to shoppers.
Fresh turkeys are in short supply, so it’s advised to order early to get yours before they sell out. Frozen turkeys are a handy and cheaper choice for a holiday meal.
Most grocery stores will have frozen turkeys available as Christmas approaches, so you’ll have lots of chances to pick up your turkey in December. Due to current issues with the supply chain affecting frozen food storage, it’s advisable for shoppers to purchase their frozen turkey earlier in December than usual. If you’re planning to order online, keep things organised, since some supermarkets have a deadline for selecting turkeys in your online order.
This year, there are extra worries about the supply of frozen turkeys. This is due to a strike affecting a crucial frozen food storage and distribution centre. This surprising situation means that people who depend on frozen turkeys should try to get them much sooner than in past years to prevent running into shortages as Christmas Day approaches.
Supermarket turkey order deadlines 2025
The following are the approximate deadlines for ‘Food to Order’, with delivery or collection between December 20 and 24. However, it is highly recommended to check the specific dates and terms with your chosen retailer:
- Tesco: Shoppers have until December 14 at 11.45pm to check out their Festive Food to Order items.
- Asda: The final date for pre-ordering turkeys and other items is 10pm December 15.
- Waitrose: Orders for Christmas delivery or collection need to be finalised by 11:59pm December 15.
- Ocado: Amend orders until 11.30pm two days before delivery. Christmas week deliveries from December 20-24.
Morrisons has not yet announced the final ordering deadlines for Christmas turkeys for 2025. For Sainsbury’s, order slots are available, but no specific main order deadline for ‘Food to Order’ has been specified; it is best to finalise your items by amending your order closer to the date. Christmas week deliveries will be available from December 20-24. The same applies for Marks and Spencer.
Aldi does not offer an online ordering or a click-and-collect service for Christmas food this year, so there are no order deadlines. All turkeys must be purchased in-store. Frozen turkeys are already available in stores; fresh turkeys will be available in stores from Friday, December 19. Christmas vegetables (“Super Six” deal) will be available in stores from December 18 to 24.
Important considerations
To add “Food to Order” items, you need to book a delivery or collection time for the Christmas period, which is usually from December 20 to 24. Although the main cut-off for “Food to Order” is fairly strict, you can usually modify regular grocery items in your order until about a day before your delivery date.
Certain popular items, especially specific sizes or types of turkeys, such as organic or large crowns, may sell out before the cut-off date. It’s a good idea to place your order as soon as possible.
Purchasing a fresh turkey from the store right before Christmas is possible, but there’s a chance that popular sizes may be sold out, and prices could be higher. Supermarket experts recommend shopping on December 18th or 19th to avoid the chaos of last-minute shoppers.
