Great British Fake Off
54% of Brits state they don't enjoy cooking
Not all of us are naturally gifted in the kitchen, with over half of Brits (54%) stating they don’t enjoy cooking at home. When cooking from scratch however half (50%) of Brits believe the food they cook themselves tastes better and is healthier compared to pre-cooked meals.
A further 37% believe that home cooked meals are of a higher quality than processed ones, with 42% of Brits stating they like to see exactly what is going into their food.
46% of Brits cook from scratch so they can personalise the meal to suit individual tastes with one in ten (10%) Brits having to cook meals to suit their dietary requirements such as vegan, vegetarian or any allergens.
One in 10 Brits are not confident in cooking a jacket potato
When it comes to which meals Brits are the most confident in cooking for themselves, the humble jacket potato ranks first with 90% of UK feeling confident in its preparation.
Sausage and mash come in second place with 88%, while the mighty full English breakfast follows in third place with 87%.
At the other end of the scale, sushi is giving Brits cooking grief, with over three quarters (76%) of the UK not feeling confident in its preparation. This is followed by fajitas at 37%, then a staple of British cuisine the pie at 32%.
Almost one in five (19%) Brits do not feel confident in preparing a roast dinner, with those aged between 16-25 being the least confident at 66%. It’s clear from the data that with experience comes wisdom, as those aged 55 and over are the most confident at 88%.
Time is the biggest barrier to stopping Brits cooking more
The biggest barrier to stopping Brits cooking more in the time it takes, with 39% of Brits agreeing so. This is followed by the cost of raw ingredients (30%) as well as the increased cost of running household appliances (26%).
One in five (20%) Brits site their lack of cooking knowledge as a barrier, with a further 17% not having the needed equipment.
Because of these barriers, almost a quarter of Brits (23%) go to their parent’s house at least once a week to avoid cooking themselves. A further 36% order at least one takeaway per week while a quarter (25%) eat out in a restaurant at least once per week.
Almost half (49%) of Brits got their cooking knowledge from family members
Cooking is an acquired skill that is only mastered through lots of practise. That being said, almost half (49%) of Brits gained their current cooking knowledge from family members, while a further 29% gained through the trial-and-error cooking of dishes.
A further 21% of Brits got their cooking knowledge via Google, with another 18% through cooking TV shows and YouTube videos. Notably there is a shift between the generations here, as 42% of those aged 16-24 turn to YouTube for cooking inspiration while 41% of those aged 55 and over turn to good old cookbooks.
