Wolverhampton TikTok star MealsByMitch cooks up Christmas dinner for less than £20

Known as MealsByMitch on social media, he has proven to be a massive hit, especially for his meals for under a fiver series, where he proves that people can still cook hearty meals for multiple people for £5 and under, despite the cost of living crisis that has seen food costs soar.

Not only does Mitch help his viewers by showing how to cook great food on a budget, but also shows the simplicity of cooking and not over complicating it, and proving that anyone can cook.

With Christmas right around the corner, families will be doing their food shopping and trying to buy the best meats and trimmings for their festive dinner, but Mitch wanted to prove the point that buying a Christmas dinner does not have to break the bank, as he proved in his video by buying all the ingredients for a dinner that can serve up to six people for £19.

The video has amassed well over 5.5 million views and over 500,000 likes across social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram - with many people showing great appreciation for the inspiration and reminder that cooking a great tasting, hearty Christmas dinner does not need to break the bank.

One user commented: "You are an actual hero for this. I've been worried sick as I'm cooking for my family this year and can't cook. Thanks to you I now can."

Another added: "This just reduced my stress levels and reminded me not to over to it on the spending!"

Around the festive period, families tend to spend more than usual and feel the pinch of the cost of Christmas, but that along with the cost of living crisis, can really put people under pressure, but Mitch Lane wants to send the message out there that there is no set rule to what to cook on Christmas day, and people should instead cook to their taste and budget.

Mitch Lane, the father of three, said: "I do the meals under a fiver videos but wanted to do a Christmas dinner one too, but decided on doing it under £20.

"I bought all the ingredients from Aldi, who I found to be the cheapest, and they even shared the video on the Instagram page which was nice.

"After cooking it, I was actually surprised with how good it looked. I wanted to make it a proper feast that people can enjoy, with all the sides and trimmings, and it will feed five to six people.

"The reaction to the video has been incredible - so positive with many comments saying I've taken the pressure off them and helped them.

"That was one of the main reasons why I wanted to do this video, because people make a big song and dance about Christmas dinner, spending extra on the best meats and foods but it simply is a Sunday dinner with some extra trimmings like pigs in blankets and sprouts.

"I used chicken in the video because there is no set rule on what to cook, and there is definitely no shame in having whatever fits your taste and budget - that is the main message."

With over one million followers on TikTok, Mitch has been a hero for many, especially with his series of meals under a fiver, and plans are now in place to publish a recipe book on how to feed a family for under a fiver.

Even after making the Christmas dinner video, he even had leftovers which he used for additional videos - such as salt and pepper roasties and parsnips, and a Yorkshire pudding wrap!