Festive Food and Drink Facts
by Patricia Montgomery, LincsMag Writer.
Date: 18 December 2011
For many, Christmas is synonymous with time spent in the kitchen, rediscovering the joy of home cooking and having a tipple, so for a little bit of festive interest here are a few facts...
A Christmas dinner
- One in five (20%) Brits admit that they only bake for a special occasion such as Christmas.
- It’s not Christmas without turkey. The nation spent £307million in 2011 (est.) on turkey.
- Christmas is a key time in the calendar for nuts and dried fruit. Overall, the market for nuts, seeds and dried fruit was worth £579 million in 2010.
- Over seven in 10 UK consumers are trying their hand at home baking, with standard cakes having the greatest appeal.
- Brits spent £163 million on Christmas chocolate in 2010, less than Easter (£264 million) and more than Mothers Day (£22 million).
- More than six in 10 British consumers will share chocolates with friends and family when they come to visit them. It looks like, with more time spent entertaining in the home, a box of chocolates is the perfect accompaniment to a night in.
- What about adding an Italian twist in the Christmas menu, such as the Italian Christmas classic Panettone? In 2010 it is said there was up to 16 different types of Panettone launched in the UK. And with flavours, the chocolate version was the most popular, accounting for three in 10 of new panettone launches in 2010.
Cheers!
- It’s not Christmas without a toast. Three in five British consumers who buy alcohol over the Christmas period buy it as a gift.
- Wine is the favourite in-home drink: white wine is the best choice for 44% of Brits, strictly followed by red wine which has 40% of preference.
- Like it or not, liqueurs are synonymous with Christmas: 71% of Brits will have one during the festive season.
- In 2010, Brits spent £226 million on Baileys and other cream-based liqueur - down from £251 in 2008.
- Christmas is also an excuse to try something different. Some two in five consumers find themselves having drinks outside of their normal repertoire over the Christmas period.
- Over Christmas, almost a quarter of Brits buy more expensive alcohol types or brands than usual.
- Some 61% of Brits make sure to stock up on alcohol for when people come around.
- Three in five UK consumers claim that they buy alcohol as a gift over Christmas.
Whatever you eat or drink this Christmas, have a Merry one!
