Should you charge guests to come around for Christmas lunch? If you said yes, you’re not alone

Sitting down for a festive lunch with friends and family might be one of the highlights of Christmas — at least for those who aren’t doing the cooking.

But, were the host to hand you a bill with your After Eights, you might be left with rather a sour taste.

Yet in today’s tough financial climate, it seems guests are not so shocked by the notion of having to pay towards their Christmas feast — in fact, 46 per cent think it’s perfectly acceptable.

Research found the country is divided over the question of whether to charge guests, with 54 per cent voting against the idea.

The survey of 2000 Britons, conducted by price comparison website Money Supermarket, also found regional divides over the issue.

“It isn’t really appropriate”

In Brighton, only 33 per cent supported charging guests, while in Manchester 39 per cent were in favour. And across the Pennines in Leeds, as many as 57 per cent backed charging while a majority of Londoners — 51 per cent — had no qualms about the idea either.

The research also uncovered a “notable” difference in attitudes between the sexes, with a majority of women in favour of charging while men were split.

It also found a quarter of Britons had no plans to invite people round for Christmas dinner and almost a fifth were frustrated by guests failing to contribute to the meal. It comes as market researchers Kantar found Britons will spend an average £32.57 on a Christmas meal for four — up 6.5 per cent year on year.

And a separate survey by Nat-West found more than one in four — 27 per cent — would ask Christmas Day guests to contribute to the cost of the meal, partly influenced by the fact the cost of turkeys has gone up by 8.5 per cent and potatoes by 16.2 per cent.

But experts in etiquette critcised the idea. Renee Kuo, former managing director of Debrett’s, told the BBC: “You have invited them to your home, and it therefore isn’t appropriate to expect them to contribute monetarily to the cost of your dinner.”

Instead, she suggested good guests ought to bring a bottle of wine or offer to contribute a dish or to help out.

It comes after a mother of four last week revealed she’s charging her family £200 a head for their Christmas Day roast, and said they’ll be kicked out at 8.30pm on the dot.

Carla Bellucci, 42, caused uproar last year when she revealed her family would need to fork out £150 each for a festive lunch. And this year, the internet personality from Hertfordshire says the cost of living has forced her to up the bill to £200 — not including alcohol.

“As we are in a cost-of-living crisis and everything has gone up, I need to cover the costs somehow,” the former glamour model said.

“It includes a three-course meal, with a glass of champagne, but they can bring spirits and other drinks, that’s not my problem.”

She added: “I’m not here to make a profit, the cost literally covers only the food and bills.

“They should be grateful I’m taking the pressure off them — paying up is the least they could do for all the time and effort I’m putting in. And to anyone who doesn’t agree, get stuffed like a roasted bird.”