Younger British adults are increasingly abandoning the traditional Christmas dinner, with nearly a fifth planning to serve up the likes of curry, pasta or pizza this festive season.
Almost a fifth (17 per cent) of those aged 25 to 34 are turning away from turkey and all the trimmings, preferring to “mix things up” with non-traditional fare, according to Tesco’s annual Christmas Trends Report, based on a survey of 2,000 UK adults and sales figures.
This trend extends across all age groups, with just 52 per cent of adults planning to serve turkey this Christmas, with 23 per cent opting for chicken, 20 per cent turning to beef and 21 per cent preparing a plant-based menu.
Even trimmings are evolving; while pigs in blankets remain a favourite overall, only 22 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 agree, preferring rice (32 per cent) or even chips (23 per cent).
Nearly three-quarters of people (73 per cent) expect they will, or may, host at some point over the Christmas period, including casual, family-style meals (49 per cent), formal sit down meals (30 per cent) and drinks and nibbles (28 per cent).
Cheese is the favoured party food, followed by crisps and dips, while 28 per cent of people plan to drink less alcohol this Christmas and 12 per cent do not plan to drink alcohol at all.
The average table size for Christmas in the UK will be eight people, while hosts in Northern Ireland will stretch to 11 people, the survey suggests.
The poll suggests 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 film with loved ones (8 per cent).
The most stressful moments come when cooking the main meal, washing up afterwards and cleaning the house beforehand.
Some 70 per cent of people will put up an artificial Christmas tree this year, while 15 per cent will have three or more trees.
Tesco UK chief executive Ashwin Prasad said: “Christmas is such an important moment in the year for so many of us in the UK. At its heart, Christmas is about spending quality time with those we love and coming together over great food.
“Our research and data suggest that, this year, many people will be experimenting with what they’ll be serving and going beyond the traditional turkey.
“We have added over 260 new products to our already extensive Christmas range with exciting and trending flavours such as hot honey, gingerbread s’mores and turkey tikka so, whether you are looking for a traditional spread or wanting to try something new, we have something that looks and tastes amazing, is exceptional quality, offers great value and is simple to pull together so hosts can focus on what really matters – celebrating with those around them.”
