Stratford diner’s cheapest Christmas dinner - for £1.89

The Olive Grove restaurant in Stratford puts on what is believed to be the cheapest Christmas dinner in the country at £1.89. Picture: Ron Lamb

Melissa York, Reporter Monday, December 17, 2012
12:30 PM

We’re all looking for a bargain at Christmas - but one restauranter in Stratford may have bitten off more than he can chew.

Christmas recipe

The Olive Grove’s £1.89 Christmas dinner consists of:

n Two slices of turkey n Five brussel sprouts n Seven roast potatoes n Two scoops of mixed vegetables n Gravy

Bobby said his approach involved buying a lot of food wholesale and measuring exact portions so he knew exactly how much each component costs.

The restaurant even invested in a turkey slicing machine so they could serve fresh turkey but measure out precise portions.

Bobby Chan, manager of The Olive Grove in The Grove, says word has spread around Newham about his Christmas dinner for £1.89.

Last year, Bobby and owner Mostaque Ahmed read about an eaterie in Lancashire that created the UK’s thriftiest festive feast for £1.99 and set about trying to beat them - and he has even managed to make a 42p profit margin.

He gave out posters advertising the feat in local churches and soon found himself getting calls from all over the borough.

Bobby said: “People just started talking to everybody, it was word of mouth.

The Olive Grove resturant in Stratford puts on what is believed to be the cheapest Christmas dinner in the country at £1.89. Picture: Ron Lamb

“We’ve had people phoning up from Plaistow and Forest Gate asking if we can reserve a table but sometimes it comes to the point where we don’t have a table and they have to wait outside.”

While the dish is a fine novelty that is bringing in the customers during a recession, Bobby says he has a much more generous motive in keeping with the spirit of Christmas.

Bobby said: “We’re doing it mainly for the old people who don’t have very much money.

“We went round the old people’s homes, I know some of the caretakers in them, and between 12 o’clock and 3 o’clock we get a lot of elderly people.

“They can’t afford to buy a Christmas dinner so for £1.89, they can come in with a group of their friends and they can enjoy themselves. It’s like a day out for them.”

Have you seen a Christmas dinner cheaper than The Olive Grove’s? Write to us at newsdesk@newhamrecorder.co.uk, Tweet us @NewhamRecorder, or Facebook us at www.facebook.com/Newham.Recorder.