CHRISTMAS MEAT PILES ON THE PRESSURE FOR STRESSED OUT BRITS

 7 December 2011

•           Three quarters of us suffer stress as a result of planning Christmas

dinner

•           25% of UK have experienced a meat-based cooking disaster on Christmas

day

•           Independent butchers come to the rescue with new campaign

Research published today reveals that three quarters of the great British public suffer stress as a result of buying and preparing Christmas meat. One in 10 even described the experience as more nerve wracking than their first day in a new job or even moving house!

The study of 1,500 people by the Q Guild of Butchers revealed that 25% of Christmas cooks have experienced a meat-based cooking disaster over the festive period, as the pressure proves too much to handle! 

Christmas dinner stress capitals of the UK (with the highest number of people saying they experienced high levels of stress) include Manchester (38%), Glasgow (53%), Belfast (55%), Newcastle (40%) and Brighton (41%).

The biggest faux pas was buying the wrong size bird, with not enough turkey to go round, 3% of those surveyed admitted to leaving it too late and having to do without festive meat on the big day!

Other popular mishaps include dry meat (6%), uncooked turkey (5%) and un-defrosted turkey (4%).

The survey also found that the average UK household will spend £48.90 on Christmas Day meat alone – almost  five times what the average family spends on meat in a normal week!*  10% of the UK spends more than £100 on Christmas meat.

Despite the added pressure and expenditure that Christmas meat represents, over half of UK shoppers do not seek expert advice at their local butcher and instead buy off the shelf in the supermarkets.

15% of people questioned agreed that they wouldn’t know what to ask a butcher for or would be too embarrassed to ask for help, when ordering Christmas meat.  Shockingly 22% of the UK adult population have never been inside a butcher shop.

In reaction to this research, the Q Guild of Butchers, who represent 140 of Britain’s best butchers, is launching a campaign entitled ‘Meat Your Butcher’ in a bid to encourage more people to visit their local butcher and avoid Christmas meat disasters.

With the aim of creating a stress-free, culinary Christmas, Q Guild butchers are inviting shoppers to attend free 10 minute sessions, where they can offload their woes to a meat expert. 

Philip Cranston, Chairman of the Q Guild said: “Meat is certainly centre stage at Christmas, for many it will be the one time of the year when they have to cook for a large party or it may be the only time when all the family sits down to eat.  Add to this the extra expenditure that goes into Christmas meat and it’s not surprising that many of us are feeling the pressure.

“We believe that this is where quality, independent butchers can help as we offer expert advice that will save shoppers money and stress during the festive season.  Our Meat Your Butcher campaign is for those who have never ventured into an independent butcher – we hope they will change their shopping habits this holiday season and realise the benefits of asking for expert advice.”

For more information about Meat Your Butcher visit www.facebook.com/qguild

or www.qguild.co.uk.

*2005-2006 Office for National Statistics – average family £10.10 per

week on meat