Over a third of Brits plan to ditch Christmas dinner for a takeaway
Getting everyone together for a big, traditional Christmas dinner is a highlight of the festive season - but as the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze household budgets, a new trend has emerged among those looking to keep costs down.
New research has revealed that more than a third (36%) of British households are planning to skip the traditional Christmas dinner altogether this year. Instead, interest in getting a takeaway for the big day has skyrocketed, according to Google search analysis by CouponBirds.
There has been a 900% increase in Google searches in the last week for the term “Christmas takeaway”, the trends analyst said. In a survey involving 2,560 people aged 18 and above, CouponBirds found that 87% of those who said they will skip the traditional Christmas dinner are set to embrace a festive takeaway instead.
The remainder (13%) are planning to cook a family favourite meal instead of a turkey and all the trimmings.
Respondents voted for their favourite takeaway options to replace Christmas dinner. The results showed that Indian takeaway was the most popular choice, followed by Chinese cuisine.
Indian cuisine (23%)
Chinese cuisine (20%)
Fish and chips (15%)
Italian cuisine (10%)
Burgers/American cuisine (6%)
More than half of those who are turning to takeaways this Christmas said they were foregoing a big dinner in order to save money. Respondents estimated the average cost per head for Christmas dinner to be £33.30, which would buy an indulgent takeaway with more than enough food for everyone.
Aside from worries about finances, about half (51%) of those surveyed said they would rather get a takeaway to avoid the stress and pressure associated with hosting, prepping, cooking and cleaning up Christmas dinner.
A separate study by vegetarian brand Quorn, released earlier this week, found that 64% of British adults will cut back on spending this Christmas because of the ongoing pressures of the cost of living.
Quorn’s research found that the average price of a large turkey dinner for a family of four, including trimmings like pigs in blankets, sprouts, potatoes, carrots, stuffing, and gravy amounted to around £67.58 - less than the figure estimated by respondents to CouponBird’s survey, but still a significant amount of money to spend. Meanwhile, a meat-free Christmas dinner would bring costs down by a huge 66%, to an average of £22.64.
The brand recommended turning to the frozen section to save some money if you are planning to cook a traditional Christmas meal, and utilising the microwave to prepare vegetables instead of the oven to save on energy costs.
Diana Howards, financial analyst at CouponBirds, said: “These results reflect a transformative shift in how UK households approach Christmas celebrations. The surge in 'Christmas takeaway' searches and the preference for non-traditional cuisines highlight a desire for convenience, variety and stress-free festivities.
“As Indian cuisine takes centre stage for Christmas 2023, it's evident that festive traditions are evolving to embrace the diverse culinary landscape available to consumers. The money-saving component to this, with an average spend of £33.30 per head for a Christmas dinner host, is stark.
“The pockets of many are being pinched to cover gifting and, frankly, day-to-day living in current times. I say, why not create your own traditions? There are no rules around Christmas - enjoy your time with family and friends in any way you see fit.”
Watch: Cheapest supermarket to buy your Christmas dinner: 10 festive foods ranked in price
Read more about Christmas:
The Worst Christmas Food Trends Of All Time (Mashed, 16-min read)
Best time to do your big Christmas food shop (Yahoo Life UK, 2-min read)
The most unpopular Christmas dinner item revealed, and surprisingly it’s not sprouts (GoodToKnow, 2-min read)
