Search icon

Family dynamics

29th Nov 2017

Mum charges family €34 a head for Christmas dinner at her house

'No one has ever had an issue.'
christmas dinner

A mum has admitted that she charges her family members £30 (€34) each for Christmas dinner in her home.

Gemma Andrews has been serving Christmas dinner in her home for the past 10 years and believes that those who attend should contribute €34 each for food costs, preparation, and time.

The mum defended her decision to Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield today on This Morning. 

She explained that her son has severe food allergies so going to somebody else’s house isn’t really an option.

“No one has ever had an issue.

“The alcohol content has gone up as more children become adults, there are more people who have had children.

“Everyone gets a present. It’s literally open house. People come at 10am and leave at 10pm.”

Gemma also said that she has had to increase her charge from €12 to €34 over the years because it has become quite costly to make so many meals.

While Philip said that he thought the gesture was “lovely,” people on Twitter were not so convinced.

“This lady just lost the meaning of Christmas,” said one user.

“I would never charge £30 but it’s polite to bring something,” said another.

However, others agreed that Christmas was an incredibly expensive time of the year and that giving a host some money wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

“We all put in 20 or 30 quid wherever we’re hosting,” wrote one person.

So what do you think – clever, courteous, or just a bit much?