TV DINNERS
- A quarter of Brits watch cookery shows while
eating take-aways -
Thursday 8 December 2011: As a nation, we are passionate about cooking – but only from the comfort of the sofa according to new research out today, which found that nearly a quarter of Brits (24 per cent) eat microwavable meals or take-aways while watching shows such as Saturday Kitchen, Come Dine with Me and Hell’s Kitchen.
The study(1) by Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance found that Brits under the age of 25 came out the worst with 39 per cent admitting to eating microwaved meals while watching cookery shows. As a result, they spend more time watching cookery shows each week (one hour 44 minutes) than they do actually cooking (one hour 41 minutes).
This year, Brits will not even be able to escape cookery shows on Christmas Day as TV schedules released this week reveal that over five hours of cookery programming has been planned, including Gordon’s Christmas Cookalong Live and Celebrity Come Dine With Me.
Although the dinner table is traditionally the setting for families to catch up on the day’s events, almost two thirds of Brits (61 per cent) now regularly eat their dinner on the sofa, while even more (65 per cent) keep the TV on whilst tucking into a meal. As if the sofa was not bad enough, one in seven (13 per cent) people polled under 25 said that they regularly eat their dinner on their bed.
Despite the popularity of Come Dine With Me – with two thirds of Brits having tuned into the docu-soap - most of those polled (56 per cent) have not hosted a dinner party in the past year, a third (33 per cent) have never ever hosted one and nearly a quarter (24 per cent) have never attended one.
One in seven men (14 per cent) revealed that they have never cooked a meal from scratch, compared to just five per cent of women who said the same. A sneaky five per cent of men have even asked someone else to pre-prepare a meal and then passed it off as their own when entertaining a date at home.
Half of Brits surveyed (50 per cent) do not know how to gut a fish, while one in ten (9 per cent) confessed to having dished up undercooked chicken. Little surprise then that a quarter of Brits (23 per cent) said they have resorted to phoning their mum for advice whilst cooking.
Furthermore, a third of Brits (33 per cent) said they would rather take friends and family out for dinner rather than cook for them. A quarter (24 per cent) of Brits say late nights at work are the most common reason for not cooking, while over a fifth (22 per cent) admit that it is just down to pure laziness. Nine per cent of men polled men say it is because they do not want to wash up afterwards.
Jacky Brown at Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance commented: “Programmes such as Saturday Kitchen and Come Dine With Me will have Britons glued to the tv, but the real highlight of the festive season will be reconnecting with family and friends over great culinary feasts within their homes.
“Hosts should watch cookery shows for their tips, but they need to be aware that their eyes should not be glued to the tv whilst cooking. It’s also crucial for hosts to plan ahead and make sure any expensive or delicate items are cleared out of the way to avoid any mishaps whilst the festive celebrations are in full swing.”
Age differences
Almost two thirds of Brits under 25 did not know how to gut a fish (63 per cent), while almost one in five (18 per cent) confessed to having dished up undercooked chicken. Over half (52 per cent) say they have had to phone their mum for advice whilst cooking.
Regional differences
Londoners may think they are most sophisticated, but they have clearly lost touch with the art of cooking. They were the most likely to serve up undercooked chicken (21 per cent) and the least likely to know how to gut fish with 54 per cent admitting that they were clueless.
Those living in the South West spend the most time cooking at two hours and 46 minutes each week, while people in Yorkshire spend the least amount of time at two hours and six minutes.
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For further information please contact the Sheilas’ Wheels press office at Mischief on 020 3128 6537 or email sheilaswheels@mischiefpr.com
Visit the media centre: www.sheilaswheels.com
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Notes to Editors:
(1) Sheilas’ Wheels used the independent online research company Fly Research who surveyed 1030 people from across the UK, aged 18 and over, between 9 and 12 September 2011.
