Fine food retailers have celebrated a strong Christmas trading period after a difficult year.
Delis and farm shops told FFD of a strong climax to 2025 with customers turning out in their droves both online and in person.
Last year saw shops battle with rising employment costs, soaring business rates and a subdued economy that constrained consumer spending.
But Sangita Tryner, owner at Delilah Fine Foods in Nottingham, expressed her relief at the positive end to 2025.
“We were holding our breath with all the doom and gloom around,” she admitted. “But we had a really good Christmas.”
Delilah’s in-store takings were up 2% on the previous year but the deli’s online sales rocketed by 50% and its corporate hampers did 60 % better than in 2024.
“We had lots of pre-ordered collections,” says Tryner. “Two days in a row we were here for four or five hours after closing cutting cheese for pick-ups.”
Selling online also meant the East Midlands shop sold produce to customers from Scotland to London.
Tryner added: “We had a diabolical summer. We were on the back foot, but the buoyancy of Christmas has pulled it back and I feel a lot better.”
Ian Evans, co-owner at Broad Bean Deli in Ludlow, said the final two months of 2025 were the best end to a year since he bought the Shropshire shop a decade ago.
“We are 17% up on the previous December and 14 % up on the prior November,” he said.
“Across the final quarter of 2025 we were probably about 13% up year-on-year.
The firm reduced its profit on individual items as costs rose last year.
“Where we would aim for 32% gross profit margin on ambient products it is now about 27%. But with increased turnover, there is more money in the bank going into January than previously.”
Nick Sinfield, co-founder at Teals, said the Somerset farm shop enjoyed a strong festive period – eventually.
“Christmas came very late, we were very busy the last 10 days, and we are on a main road so we stayed busy until New Year because people were traveling.
“There was a moment when we thought the period might be softer than expected but we pulled it back. In the end we were up on the prior year.”
Rob Copley, owner at Farmer Copleys, said the Yorkshire business took 6% more than during the previous Christmas run-in but had spent more to achieve the sales.
“Prices are 10% up, wages are up, so we made a bit less profit but it was still a very good effort.”
Premium chain grocer Booths also posted bumper results over Christmas. The family-owned retailer said like-for-like retail sales were up almost 5% on last December.
Booths, which has 28 stores across the North of England, said turkey sales were up 12%, cheese sales 4% and mince pies 5%.
“We did build-your-own hampers, which really worked for us and we had companies buying from all over the place. Cheese and meats were mental, also miso and Japanese-style hampers. I was holding off buying stock and ended up panic buying. We had an eclectic range of wine, including Georgian, and sold a lot, especially to London.”
Sangita Tryner, Delilah Fine Foods, Nottingham
“We don’t buy Christmas-themed produce, we have winter stock. This year I spent 30% more than previously and still had to do last-minute top-ups in the week before Christmas. Italian classic winter fare sold well, as did French nougat. We find people buy a lot of our normal shelf products as presents as they realise they are worth gifting.”
Ian Evans, Broad Bean Deli, Ludlow
“All the areas you would expect to come through, came through – butchery, special event bits. Our price points are quite gift-orientated in December, that was the fastest moving element, items around £20. So books connected to what we do, such as on sustainability or food systems, and biscuits, crackers, cider. Things that go in stockings or under the tree.”
Nick Sinfield, Teals, Yeovil
