Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Half of Brits cannot cook traditional Xmas dinner, Co-op survey reveals

Brits cannot cook traditional Xmas dinner
Photo: iStock

Nearly half of adults in Britain cannot cook a full Christmas dinner that includes all the traditional trimmings, according to a survey unveiled on Wednesday.

Around 47 percent of respondents admitted they would be unable to cook a December 25 meal featuring roast turkey, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, Christmas pudding, mince pies and other storied elements.


The poll of 2,001 adults conducted earlier this month by researchers Censuswide on behalf of food and grocery chain Co-op found that around one in three do not plan to cook a Christmas dinner.

Around a third blamed never having been taught the cookery skills needed, while a third said they did not have the space or equipment to pull off making the dinner.

Cranberry sauce was the most challenging part to cook, with around four out of five people saying they could not make the sweet turkey accompaniment from scratch.

Bread sauce - another festive staple made from milk thickened with breadcrumbs - and Christmas pudding were next on the list of insurmountable dinner elements.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents conceded they would not be able to cook them.

However, people were more comfortable with roast potatoes and turkey, with only a third not able to make the vegetables and 40 percent not confident of cooking the bird.

More than half of those surveyed (55%) said they would rely on others to cook for them on December 25, while 15 percent revealed they would not eat a Christmas dinner.

Perhaps as a result of a lack of culinary skills, over a third (35%) said they expect to waste food this Christmas.

Brussel Sprouts, turkey and Christmas cake are most likely to go to waste followed by bread sauce, potatoes and Christmas Pudding.

However, over two thirds (67%) said they would find advice on how to reduce what they throw away helpful.

The research comes as Co-op commits to doubling Hubbub’s network of community fridges as part of its ongoing partnership with the environmental charity, funding a further 250 fridges, bringing the total to 500, which is expected to save a total of 34 million meals from going to waste annually.

In addition to reducing food waste, the fridges which will be open over the festive period and are a place where communities can gain access fresh food and learn skills such as cooking.

“The reality is that knowing how to cook from scratch isn’t a skill that everyone has access to. Through our partnership with Hubbub we hope that more people will take up the opportunity to meet with others at their local Community Fridge and share and learn skills such as cooking,” Rebecca Birkbeck, director of community and shared value at Co-op, said.

More for you

Co-op member shops for Aldi price-matched essentials like 85p milk in 2025 campaign
Photo: iStock

Co-op joins in Aldi price match race

Co-op is stepping up the price war in the convenience sector by rolling out its version of the Aldi price match pledge, which has been adopted by several of the supermarket multiples in recent years.

From Wednesday (26), the Co-op will start matching the discounter’s prices on over 100 everyday essentials, including fresh fruit, milk, eggs and bread.

Keep ReadingShow less
Riot Labs CEO Ben Johnson announces Chief Misinformation Officer role for vape industry in 2025

Vape industry’s ‘Chief Misinformation Officer’ role draws hundreds of applicants

Hundreds of potential candidates have applied for the vape industry’s first ever Chief Misinformation Officer job, according to the employer who created the role.

The job vacancy was opened through quit smoking missionaries, Riot Labs, in a bid to tackle the “flood” of misinformation on vaping in recent months.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lucky Saint 0.5% lager on draught in UK pub with Portman Group membership certificate

Lucky Saint makes history as Portman Group’s first AF beer member.

Lucky Saint joins Portman Group as first alcohol alternative member

The Portman Group has welcomed Lucky Saint as an associate member, making them the first alcohol alternative member company in our history.

Lucky Saint was launched in the UK in 2018 by its founder Luke Boase with a 0.5 per cent unfiltered lager product. Since then, it’s become one of the most recognised and popular alcohol alternative brands, now featuring on draught in over 1250pubs in the UK and expanding their range to include a 0.5 per cent hazy IPA in January 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less
UCLA researcher Lisa Lowe analyzes saliva for microplastics from chewing gum in 2025 study
Photo: iStock

Chewing gum may release microplastics, early study warns

Chewing gum releases hundreds of tiny plastic pieces straight into people's mouths, researchers said on Tuesday, also warning of the pollution created by the rubber-based sweet.

The small study comes as researchers have increasingly been finding small shards of plastic called microplastics throughout the world, from the tops of mountains to the bottom of the ocean - and even in the air we breathe.

Keep ReadingShow less