A grandmother from Cardiff who charges her family for their
Christmas dinner has had to raise her prices for this year. Caroline Duddridge, 63 and from Fairwater, previously charged her adult relatives up to £15, with a price of just £2.50 for her youngest grandchildren. But
BBC News has reported that this year Caroline's prices have gone up in order to cover the rising food prices amid the cost of living crisis. While speaking to WalesOnline last year , she said charging a fee was a sensible solution. "I've got to be clear," she previously said. "I'm not out to make a profit. It's a contribution; I'm not getting one up on my children. READ MORE: The grim underworld of Welsh loan sharks where exploited victims live in fear of lenders with
baseball bats LATEST: 'Cold enough for snow' says BBC weather forecaster as he warns 'keep up-to-date if travelling' "It sounds, on the face of it, like 'oh my god, how could she do that?' But it started when my husband died just before Christmas 2015. My income was halved and I lost my
Job, so I said to my kids that they'd have to contribute to all the food." For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here In 2022, Caroline charged her two sons and her son-in-law £15 each as they worked full-time. She charged her daughters £10 each as they work part-time. Then her older grandkids would pay £5, and her younger grandkids £2.50 - although Caroline added that it was more likely to be paid by their parents than to be taken from their pocket money. This year however, she explained that prices would go up. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live , she said: "I have put the girls' prices up (this year) by £2 because I did get a bit of stick from people saying I was being sexist - not that I listen to public opinion, particularly". Get the best user experience with WalesOnline’s Premium app on
Apple or
Android Caroline argued that inflation or not, her fees were still good value for money considering what she was offering (Image: Caroline Duddridge) She added that she wasn't certain if increased prices would cover the amount supermarkets were charging. She said: "I'm not sure it will, because when you buy a few bits and pieces it comes to like £30 or £40 and it's barely a bag full. This is not Christmas stuff either but just general shopping - it's just horrifying and you wonder where it's all going to end." During the interview, Caroline argued that whether there was inflation or not, her fees were still good value for money considering what she was offering. Last year, she hosted up to 12 people for Christmas dinner, while also putting on a buffet on Christmas Eve and another on
boxing Day. "I also do food for my parents and take it round to them - they find it a bit too much coming to mine now," she said. And while she understood that some people may call her a 'Scrooge', she said that many thought it was a good idea. "There were the usual trolls, but some people thought it was really good idea - they even said they were going to adopt it themselves," she said.