More Than 14 Million Brits Have Never Cooked A Traditional Christmas Dinner

- A fifth of Brits don't cook their first Christmas dinner until their 30th birthday
- One in five confess to lying about their culinary knowledge to impress dinner guests
- Over the festive period, the nation will gorge on enough cheese to reach the Earth's core

Proving that we are a nation still clutching on to our mother's apron strings, almost one in three adults (29 per cent) in the UK admit they have never cooked a Christmas dinner in their lifetime, according to a nationwide study by cheese brand Port Salut. It's not just men who shun cooking a Christmas dinner - 22 per cent of women have not attempted to cook the traditional Christmas meal with all the trimmings.

With twenty-somethings delaying marriage, home ownership and their career, Christmas is another one to add to the list with almost a fifth of Brits (18 percent) not cooking their first Christmas dinner until after their 30th birthday.

The One Poll survey of 2,000 Brits revealed whilst we may be a nation of cookery show lovers, only one in four (25 per cent) Brits spend less than half an hour planning their Christmas meals over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - an average of just a brief six minutes each despite endless advice and tips from celebrity TV chefs. What's more, one in five even confess to lying about their culinary knowledge (22 per cent) to impress dinner guests or swotting up on cheese and wine pairings before entertaining guests.

More than a third (34 per cent) of festive cooks will cheat on Christmas Day by using ready-made stuffing, 12 per cent will make their job easier by using frozen roast potatoes, 19 per cent will use packet sauce, 37 per cent will resort to instant gravy and 25 per cent will cook frozen vegetables.

The economic downturn has prompted more people to scrimp and save, even when it comes to Christmas dinner. Almost one in three people (31 per cent) only buy discounted food for their festive meals, while 57 per cent admit to spending more than normal on Christmas food.

To round off the festive treats almost one in five households ( 19 per cent) indulge in a cheese board only at Christmas voting it the most impressive end to a Christmas dinner party; while among those that do nearly one in four (23 per cent) will serve a ready-made cheese selection. Other foods eaten only at Christmas include mince pies, turkey, pigs in blankets, Brussels sprouts, parsnips and chestnuts.

But loosen your belts as, on average, each of us will consume over six portions (30g per portion) of cheese during the Christmas break; the equivalent of a whole Port Salut wedge (180g), or as a UK population enough to reach the Earth's core!

Aude Romelly, Brand Manager at Port Salut said: "The number of adults who have never attempted to cook Christmas dinner is certainly surprising but there are a number of social trends changing the way the family tradition is upheld. Brits cooking less from scratch or preferring to let someone else take the strain are both factors along with the growing availability of ready-made meal ingredients are changing the way Christmas meals are prepared and the rituals around it. Cheeseboards are the ultimate family treat and people can very easily create a great cheeseboard without spending hours preparing or spending much money."

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For more information please contact the Port Salut press office team at portsalut@threepipe.co.uk or 020 7632 4800.