What Consumer has compared the cost of making popular party food from scratch to buying it from the supermarket. Perhaps just as important as the cost issue, is the concern over salt, sugar and fat content in the food we serve to kids. Therefore, this section also explores the costs associated with making higher quality meat dishes such as beefburgers, chicken nuggets and sausage rolls. Follow this link to find out more about the Food Money Saving Study.
Key Findings:
Only the meat products are more expensive if you make them yourself. This is simply because the producers will use lower grade meat and bulk out the products with cheap ingredients such as breadcrumbs. This is why making your own sausage rolls is 142% more than buying them ready made from the shop. You would not eat one of these sausage rolls if you know what actually went into them though and you certainly wouldn’t give one to your kids.
All the other party food is between 27% and 58% cheaper.
100% Beef Burgers (4 Large)
Ingredients:
- Minced beef: 500g – £2.89
- Onions: 1 – 18p
- Egg: 1 – 22.6p
- Parsley / sage: pinch: 7.8p
Total: £3.37
4 x Premium beef (90%) burgers: £3.29
Saving: -8p (2%)
Party Food Index
80% Sausage Rolls (6 Large)
Ingredients:
- Sausage meat: (taken from 6 quality sausages) – £2.59
- Pastry: 400g – 78.4p
- Egg to glaze: 1 – 22.6p
Total: £3.60
18% pork Sausage rolls: £1.49
Saving: -£2.11 (142%)
Party Food Index
Chocolate Birthday Cake
Ingredients:
- Egg to glaze: 1 – 22.6p
- Flour: 180g – 7.7p
- Cocoa: 40g – 20p
- Butter: 220g – 80p
- Baking powder: 10g – 4p
- Caster sugar: 220g – 20.5p
- Eggs: 4 – 90.4p
- Vanilla essence: 1 tsp – 11p
Filling and topping ingredients:
- Sugar: 150g – 11.8p
- Butter: 80g – 26.8p
- Cooking chocolate: 220g – £1.21
- Evaporated milk: 150g – 36p
- Vanilla extract: 1 tsp – 11p
Total: £4.41
Large Chocolate Happy Birthday Cake: £10.50
Saving: £6.09 (58%)
Party Food Index
Chocolate Crispy Cakes (Makes 12)
Ingredients:
- Vanilla extract: 1 tsp – 11p
- Quality chocolate: 100g – 55p
- Butter: 50g – 16.8p
- Golden syrup: 3 tbsp – 22p
- Rice crispies: 80g – 16p
Total: £1.09
Chocolate Crispy Cakes: £2.49
Saving: £1.40 (56%)
Party Food Index
Pizza (Makes 2 Family Sized Pizzas)
Pizza dough ingredients:
- Flour: 250g – 11.6p
- Yeast: 1 sachet – 10p
- Sugar: 15 g – 1.2p
- Salt: 7.5g – 0.2p
- Milk powder: 10g – 4.1p
- Egg: 1- 22.6p
Pizza: tomato sauce ingredients:
- Pizza topping (1 jar): 71p
Pizza: toppings ingredients:
- Pepperoni: 1.24
- Mozzarella: 79p
- Cheddar: 50g – 25.4p
- Mixed dried herbs: pinch – 5.2p
Total: £3.54
2 x hand-made luxury margarita pizzas: £6.98
Saving: £3.44 (49%)
Party Food Index
Victoria Sponge (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- Butter: 110g – 36.9p
- Caster sugar: 110g – 8.7p
- Flour: 110g – 4.7p
- Eggs: 2 – 45.2p
- Jam: 50g – 7.5p
- Double cream: 150ml – 42p
Total: £1.45
Fresh cream Victoria sponge (280g): £1.99
Saving: 54p (27%)
Party Food Index
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