Young Brits ditch traditional Christmas dinner for these three foods
Young British adults are increasingly ditching the traditional Christmas meal, with almost a fifth planning to serve up food such as curry, pasta or pizza this festive season.
Almost a fifth (17 per cent) of 25 to 34-year-olds are moving away from turkey and all the trimmings, opting to “mix things up” with non-traditional dishes, according to Tesco’s annual Christmas Trends Report, based on a survey of 2,000 UK adults and sales figures.
This trend extends to all age groups; only 52 percent of adults plan to serve turkey this Christmas; 23 percent prefer to eat chicken, 20 percent prefer beef, and 21 percent create a plant-based menu.
Even the decorations are evolving; While pigs in blankets remain the overall favorite, only 22 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds agree, preferring rice (32 percent) and even chips (23 percent).
Almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of people expect they will or will host meals at some point during the Christmas period, including casual, family-style meals (49 per cent), formal sit-down meals (30 per cent) and drinks and snacks (28 per cent).
Cheese is the most preferred party food, followed by chips and dips. 28 per cent of people plan to drink less alcohol this Christmas, while 12 per cent do not plan to drink alcohol at all.
The survey suggests the average table size for Christmas in the UK will be eight people, while hosts in Northern Ireland will go for up to 11 people.
The survey shows that the most meaningful part of Christmas for Britons is opening presents together (18 per cent), followed by playing games (13 per cent) and watching a Christmas movie with loved ones (8 per cent).
The most stressful moments occur while cooking the main meal, washing the dishes afterwards, and cleaning the house beforehand.
About 70 percent of people will put up an artificial Christmas tree this year, while 15 percent will have three or more trees.
Ashwin Prasad, CEO of Tesco UK, said: “For many of us living in the UK, Christmas is a hugely important time of the year. At its core, Christmas is all about spending quality time with loved ones and coming together over great food.
“Our research and data show that many people this year will be experimenting with the product they will serve and moving beyond the traditional turkey.
“We’ve added more than 260 new products to our already extensive Christmas range, including exciting and on-trend flavors such as hot honey, gingerbread and turkey tikka, so whether you’re looking for a traditional treat or want to try something new, we’ve got something that looks and tastes great, is of exceptional quality, offers great value and is easy to put together, so hosts can focus on what really matters – celebrating with those around them.”
