Hackney Chronicle: Supermarkets slash Easter prices with veg from 4p, meals from £1.25, Tesco’s half-price toy sale and Aldi wine deals.
A supermarket price war has erupted just days before Easter – and it could dramatically cut the cost of your celebratory food shop. Major retailers including Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons, Asda and Co-op are slashing prices across everything from vegetables to full roast dinners, with some items dropping as low as 4p. This could be one of the cheapest Easter shopping periods in years – with meals from £1.25 per person and toys at half price. But most deals are short-term, meaning shoppers may need to act quickly before stock disappears. Veg for pennies – but only for days The headline-grabbing deals are on traditional Easter veg. Aldi shoppers can get potatoes, carrots, onions, swede and parsnips for just 8p and 4p each, bringing the cost of a full veg shop to under 50p. Products include British white potatoes (8p, 2kg), British carrots (4p, 1kg), XL garlic (8p, each), brown onions (8p, 1kg), British swede (4p, each) and British parsnips (4p, 500g). Morrisons has carrots, parsnips and swede at just 4p, with savings of up to 96%. These offers are only running for a limited period in the run-up to Easter, meaning availability could be tight as demand surges. Full Easter dinner for less than £2 per person Supermarkets are also competing on full meal deals: Aldi: full roast for four at £8.01 total Lidl: Easter dinner from £1.63 per person Asda: over 50% off lamb, pork and salmon Core ingredients include: Whole leg of lamb from around £6 per kg Veg from 4p–8p Mint sauce and gravy under £1 Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: “Easter is a time where families can come together to celebrate… there’s incredible savings to be had.” The supermarket expects to sell millions of vegetables and 17.5 million Easter eggs, with branded eggs cut to 99p. Co-op enters the price war with £1.25 roast dinner Meanwhile Co-op has joined the battle with one of the cheapest deals yet. Its online-only “Quids In” bundle offers a full roast dinner for just £1.25 per person – or £5 for a family of four. The bundle includes: British whole chicken (1.7kg) British potatoes and carrots Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire puddings Available via its online platform, shoppers must use the code ROASTDEAL, with the offer running until mid-April. Rachel Halter, Customer Director at Co-op, said: “At £1.25 per head for our members, there is no compromise on quality or value… it makes a roast dinner a stress-free option.” Tesco launches half-price toy sale for Easter holidays It’s not just food getting cheaper. Tesco has launched a half-price toy sale to help parents keep children entertained over the Easter break. The sale, running until late April, includes more than 100 toys across major brands such as Disney, Star Wars, Pokémon and Barbie. Standout deals include: Disney Princess Doll set: £40 → £20 Pokémon Surprise Attack Game: £25 → £12.50 Star Wars Lightsabre Forge: £16 → £8 Throw Throw Avocado game: £15 → £7.50 Snackles Mystery Blind Bag: £10 → £5 The Lightsabre Forge toy is expected to be especially popular, tied to the upcoming Star Wars release featuring The Mandalorian & Grogu. Phoebe Howlett-Green at Tesco said: “We know with the Easter holidays parents are likely to need all the help they can get to keep their youngsters amused.” Demand typically spikes during the two-week school break, with toys becoming a key part of supermarket promotions alongside food. Easter eggs, meat and extras also slashed Beyond the roast, supermarkets are cutting prices across seasonal staples: Branded Easter eggs reduced to 99p Pork loin joints from £3.75 per kg Gammon joints from £3.99 per kg Salmon sides heavily discounted Some retailers are also adding giveaways and promotions to attract shoppers during the busy holiday period. Easter is a key retail moment – and supermarkets are using deep discounts to win customers. Ultra-low prices like 4p veg are typically “loss leaders”, designed to bring shoppers into stores where they spend more overall. With budgets still tight, price has become the biggest battleground. Recommended reading: Millions owed £829 each in car finance scandal – Martin Lewis explains what to do now Best Easter 2026 deals at supermarkets from Aldi to Waitrose Full list of DWP payments rising for parents, carers and families in 2026 Aldi’s wine deals going viral “summer in a bottle” Alongside food price cuts, Aldi has rolled out a range of low-cost wines gaining attention online. Standout bottles include: Specially Selected Muscadelle (£9.99) – “wine bar quality” Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc (£6.49) Algarve Red (£6.99) Toscana Rosé (£7.99) Chianti Governo (£9.99) Albariño (£8.99) Easter alcohol deals also feature: Easter weekend fizz deals Nicolas de Montbart Champagne Brut: £9.99 (was £13.99) Prosecco Spumante DOC: £4.69 Aldi “Wine of the Week” up to 50% off Rolling deals throughout April include: Bordeaux: £8.99 → £4.99 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: £8.99 → £4.99 Châteauneuf-du-Pape: £19.99 → £9.99 South African Chenin Blanc: £5.99 → £3.99 Australian Shiraz: £6.49 → £3.99 Argentinian Malbec: £7.49 → £4.99 The discounts are being pitched as a way to bring “affordable luxury” to Easter celebrations – but many are limited-time and while stocks last. With some bottles already trending and selling quickly, shoppers are being urged to pick them up early ahead of the Easter weekend.