A grandmother who charges her family to eat Christmas dinner has raised prices due to ongoing inflation.
Caroline Duddridge, 63, from Cardiff, Wales, began charging her children and their families to eat Christmas dinner, and this year she will be increasing the price for the meal, she told BBC News.
Duddridge’s holiday meal previously included a small buffet with sandwiches before a turkey dinner, along with a nut roast and four desserts. The day after Christmas, a full buffet is served.
“I have put the girls’ prices up (this year) by £2 because I did get a bit of stick from people saying I was being sexist – not that I listen to public opinion, particularly,” Duddridge told the outlet about charging different prices for her sons versus her daughters.
A grandmother from Cardiff defended her practice of charging her family, including her three-year-old grandchildren, for Christmas dinner.https://t.co/o0WoMGAqUi
— Harper's Magazine (@Harpers) December 29, 2022
Duddridge explained that she was inspired to start charging her family to eat the holiday meal after her husband passed away in 2015.
For last year’s holiday meal in 2022, Duddridge charged her sons, who work full time, £15, or almost $19. Meanwhile, Duddridge’s daughters, who work part time, were charged £10, or roughly $12 for the meanwhile.
Duddridge’s grandchildren over the age of 5 were charged, £5, or $6, while her 3-year-old grandchildren were charged, £2.50, or roughly $3 for the meal.
This year though, with the increased prices, her daughters will be paying £12, or roughly $15 for the meal.
Even with the increase in prices for the meal, Duddridge expressed being unsure that it would help with having to purchase her food items and ingredients, adding that “when you buy a few bits and pieces it comes to like £30 or £40 (roughly $38 or $50) and it’s barely a bag full.”
“This is not Christmas stuff either but just general shopping – it’s just horrifying and you wonder where it’s all going to end,” Duddridge added.
In September, the United Kingdom reported having an inflation rate of 6.7% with the prices of food and drinks being canceled out by high prices at gas stations, according to the Associated Press.