– One in seven Brits admit they are stuck in a mealtime rut
– Over a third say adding spice is the best way to liven up a boring meal
– Stephen Fry is named most desirable dinner guest
With 8.5m* Brits scoffing a sandwich on a daily basis and one in seven (13 per cent) slurping soup at least once a week, research from Haywards Pickled Vegetables reveals nearly three quarters of Brits (72 per cent) are fed up with their food choices and are looking for ways to liven up their meals.
The research reveals that Brits are lacking inspiration and are in the habit of making the same meals every week despite finding them dull. One in 12 people (8 per cent) named Spaghetti Bolognese as their dinner time failsafe, eating it at least once a week even though more than one in eight (12 per cent) say they are sick of it. Similarly, salads are eaten by one in 20 Brits (5 per cent) on a daily basis, with one in six (15 per cent) admitting to being fed up with them.
One in seven (14 per cent) admit they are stuck in a mealtime rut and are bored of their food choices, with over a third (39 per cent) relying on spices to liven up their meals and a quarter pimping up their plates with colourful food. Some are so bored they go as far as mixing up their mealtimes, with one in 14 (seven per cent) eating breakfast at dinner time instead. Other tricks to make mealtimes more exciting include entertainment, with almost one in 20 (4 per cent) playing games at the table and three per cent hosting themed dinners.
One in five fed up foodies (17 per cent) named TV presenter Stephen Fry as the personality most likely to liven up boring mealtimes, thanks to his incredible wit and intellect. Deceased British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was second favourite, with more than a tenth (11 per cent) naming him their dream dinner guest. Geordie duo Ant and Dec rounded off the top three with one in 12 (8 per cent) thinking they’d perk up teatime with their lively banter.
Top five living personalities Brits believe would liven up a dinner party:
- Stephen Fry – 17%
- Ant and Dec – 8%
- Holly Willoughby – 7%
- David Beckham – 6%
- Cheryl Fernandez-Versini – 5%
Top five deceased personalities Brits believe would have livened up a dinner party:
- Winston Churchill – 11%
- Elvis – 7%
- Marilyn Monroe – 6%
- Michael Jackson – 5%
- George Best – 4%
Kate Charman, Haywards Brand Manager, comments: “It’s interesting to see the different methods people use when trying to make a meal more exciting, such as the quarter of Brits who like to have colourful food on their plates to liven up their meals. We understand that it’s the little things that make all the difference here at Haywards, and our colourful range of products with their intense, eye popping flavours can be used to liven up any meal.”
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For further details please contact:
Cally Sheard or Ruth Bennett at Eulogy!
Email: haywards@eulogy.co.uk
Telephone: 020 3077 2000
Notes to Editor
Survey of 1,000 adults by One Poll on behalf of Haywards between 29th May 2014 – 2nd June 2014
*50.1m (adult UK population) x 17% (total Brits who have a sandwich on a daily basis) = 8,517,000
The food art was created by Nathan Wyburn, commissioned by Haywards and was photographed by TNR.