Why This British Grandma Is Billing Her Family For Christmas Dinner?

A woman from Cardiff charges a fee from her family for Christmas dinner, and this year the prices have gone up. Caroline Duddridge has been following this tradition for the past seven years, owing to the escalating cost of living. The 63-year-old dinner hostess, who has become popular for her controversial family tradition, used to charge up to £15 for each family member but has upped the price this year. She revealed to the media why she does this and how much she plans on charging this year.

Since her husband's passing a few years ago, Duddridge has been struggling to make ends meet owing to the growing prices of food, she told the media. She described her weekly shopping trips as "horrifying." It was in 2015 that she got the idea to charge her family for Christmas dinner. 

The Priced Invitation

Caroline is not your typical host; she treats the Christmas feast as an exclusive event, requesting her three daughters to contribute approximately $15.21 for a seat at the dinner table. This marks a notable increase from the previous year's charge of about $12.67. The rationale behind this surge, as she candidly revealed to BBC Radio 5 Live, is an attempt to cope with the incessant rise in food costs.

In order to "avoid stragglers," Duddrige asks her family to transfer the money directly to her account ahead of the dinner. She said that last year, the bill for her two sons was £15 each, and her three daughters had to pay £10, saying her sons had to pay more because they work full time. Her four grandchildren over five years old were made to hand over £5, while the two three-year-olds coughed up £2.50.

Even with the adjusted fees, Caroline expresses doubts about covering the expenses entirely, given the escalating costs of basic groceries.

This year will be slightly different, Duddridge said. "I have put the girls' prices up 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," she told the BBC, adding that even raising her prices still may not cover the amount supermarkets charge.

"When you buy a few bits and pieces, it comes to like £30 or £40, and it's barely a bag full," Duddriged said about rising food prices. "This is not Christmas stuff either, but just general shopping; it's just horrifying, and you wonder where it's all going to end," she added.

Caroline argues that, inflation or not, her fees are still good value for money given that her festive spread lasts for two days after Christmas Eve. Her usual dinner table is decorated with a mini buffet of sandwiches before a slap-up turkey dinner with all the trimmings on December 25, along with a nut roast and a choice of four desserts. That would be followed by a full buffet on December 26.

While the Christmas feast pricing tradition has garnered attention and even appreciation from some quarters, it has not been immune to criticism. Caroline acknowledges the presence of trolls and naysayers but remains steadfast in her belief that the idea, though unconventional, has merit. In a season typically associated with generosity and selflessness, she has sparked a conversation about the intersection of familial traditions and economic realities.