Almost a half (47%) of UK adults can’t cook a full Christmas lunch from scratch, according to new research released today by Co-op.
The research reveals why people feel stuffed when it comes to cooking a Christmas lunch and puts the spotlight on the amount of food set to go to waste this Christmas.
When delving into the reasons why Brits are opting out of cooking at Christmas, one-third (33%) say they’ve never being taught how to cook and a further third (33%) said they don’t have the space or equipment.
Cranberry sauce tops the list as the item UK adults are least likely to be able to make from scratch, followed by bread sauce and Christmas pudding.
Top 10 festive foods Brits can’t cook from scratch:
Cranberry sauce (81%)
Bread Sauce (73%)
Christmas Pudding (73%)
Mince Pies (64%)
Pigs in Blankets (50%)
Parsnips (49%)
Gravy (44%)
Brussel Sprouts (43%)
Roast turkey (40%)
Roast potatoes (33%)
As a result, more than one in three (34%) don’t plan to cook a Christmas Day meal this year.
Instead of slicing and dicing, over half (55%) of UK adults say they’ll rely on others to cook for them instead. Almost a sixth (15%) will forego a Christmas dinner entirely and almost a tenth (8%) will eat at a pub or restaurant.
However, all is not lost as two fifths (41%) of UK adults say next year they want to learn how to cook from scratch.
When asked how they’d most like to do this, almost a third (30%) would want to learn from someone who is an expert or has lots of experience and a quarter (25%) want to learn close to where they live.
A fifth (20%) would want face to face sessions as opposed to virtual learning and almost a fifth (18%) want to learn from someone like themselves.
Perhaps as a result of a lack of culinary skills, over a third (35%) of Brits say 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.
Showcasing a want from Brits to reduce food waste, 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.
Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community and Shared Value at Co-op, said, “Cooking is not only a fantastic skill to have in terms of providing for yourself and eating well, but it’s one of the best ways to come together with members of your family and the community – especially at Christmas.
“However, 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.”
Liam Sweeney, Creative Partner at Hubbub, said, “Food has always been a way to bring people together but the role of a Community Fridge goes way beyond its contents. Not only do these fridges provide people with fresh food that would otherwise go to waste they offer a place for communities to come together, support one another and learn from each other.”
Co-op is encouraging people who are looking to learn new skills and to find their local Community Fridge to visit its online community Co-operate