Iceland is freezing the price of its own-brand frozen turkeys to keep costs low for shoppers, as the Christmas staple is seeing price rises following an outbreak of avian influenza.
Last week the department for environment, food and rural affairs enforced a bird housing order in England as more than a third of all free-range Christmas turkeys have died following the UK’s worst-ever outbreak of avian flu.
As a result, prices are rising by as much as 32% in some UK supermarkets.
Iceland managing director Richard Walker has since pledged to freeze the frozen food retailers price on its turkeys, which he said it “will do until Christmas.”
“Recent news has suggested there’s been price increases on frozen turkeys as the outbreak of avian flu takes hold; we will be freezing our prices and will do until Christmas.”
Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free
Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning
He said that “as a cost-of-living initiative to support our customers ahead of Christmas, we’ve been working hard for months to ensure that everyone can buy their Christmas dinner at a low price.”
Iceland will also be re-launching its Turkey Insurance, which Walker said “guarantees a delivery slot along with the promise of a turkey this year.”
To secure the Turkey Insurance, shoppers need to create an Iceland account via its website by 18 November to receive updates and choose a time slot.
This news comes as last week, Walker said that food price rises “will get worse” but that Iceland is absorbing the price increases of some essential products, adding “we don’t make money on milk”.
When questioned on the BBC Radio 4 Today Show if Iceland’s current 89p priced milk will soon rise to £1, he said that he “doesn’t know” but is “working day and night” to keep prices lower.
