Half of Brits plan to order takeaway on Christmas Day

Almost half of the UK plans to order a takeaway meal on Christmas Day, according to new research.

With the year drawing to a close and the countdown to Christmas officially beginning, the excitement is starting to fill the air. As people are planning their Christmas shopping, decorating their homes and prepping the kitchen ready for the traditional turkey with all the trimmings, not everyone is looking forward to that delicious dinner.

In fact, one in four Brits have said they are bored of the same traditional Christmas dinner on Christmas Day, according to new research published by food delivery app Foodhub.

Almost half (49%) of the 2,000 Brits polled plan to order a takeaway on Christmas Day. Four in 10 claim this will save preparation time and 35% say it will save time on the washing up.

When it comes to the UK’s favourite festive takeaway food ordered on Christmas Day, Indian takeaway is ranked top (42%) followed narrowly behind by Chinese (39%) and then Pizza (28%).

To reflect this, Foodhub has now produced a limited edition festive-flavoured musical pizza-box that plays a special seasonal Christmas jingle when the lid is opened. Anyone who orders a pizza from Foodhub over the Christmas period stands a chance of having their pizza delivered in one of the special musical boxes.

Wil Chung, Foodhub spokesman, said: “We produced our Christmas-themed musical pizza boxes to reflect not only one of the favourite Christmas Day takeaway options but also to help put a seasonal smile on our customers faces. It’s been a difficult year for everyone and we wanted to do something that would help get people in a festive mood.

“It is no surprise that, after such a difficult 12 months, more people are turning to takeaway food this year either - the average household spends over six hours cooking and preparing the Christmas dinner, according to our data, with 30% spending between four to five hours and a further 20% spending two to three hours preparing the main Christmas Day meal.”

Hosting a festive feast for the entire family isn’t cheap, as the average household spends £75 on food and drink for Christmas day, with 15% spending up to £50 and 10% splashing the cash on £150 worth of tasty treats.

Wil Chung added: “As more and more people are becoming bored of the traditional Christmas dinner, we’re noticing an increase in takeaway orders. Cooking and preparing a dinner for your loved ones can be a stressful affair, especially on the busiest day of the year. So, it comes as no surprise that more people are turning to takeaways to save the time and stress that comes with a traditional turkey and all the trimmings.

“With the average household spending up to £75 on their festive feast, Foodhub are here to bring the cost of eating way down. Unlike our competitors, we don’t charge takeaway/restaurants commission fees, which makes it cheaper for them and for you, as they can offer better prices then the likes of Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo.”

The new survey data shows millennials are the most likely group to order a takeaway on Christmas Day (17%) compared to those over 45 (7%), and pizza is their preferred choice (45%). They are also prone to ordering a takeaway as a late in the day meal or supper (36%).

So, which area of the UK fancies a change this Christmas?

People across the West Midlands are the most bored of the traditional Christmas dinner (16%) compared to the rest of the country, 66% of people in Wolverhampton claimed they are bored of the tradition, whereas people in Aberdeen would prefer to order a takeaway as it’ll save on washing up (55%).

Nearly half of Glasgow would consider ordering a takeaway on the holiday (47%), compared to just 11% of people in Portsmouth.

When it comes to who spends the longest amount of time preparing the Christmas feast, a whopping seven hours are spent by people in Swansea compared to just five hours in Aberystwyth.

Wil Chung added: “Our survey showed some distinct regional variations on our takeaway ordering habits. For instance, the region of Yorkshire has ordered a takeaway meal multiple times more than the rest of the nation.

“People in Coventry would be prepared to spend the most on a takeaway over Christmas (£54) compared to people in Gloucester who would spend just £20.”

Foodhub is also planning to give away a number of these festive musical pizza boxes plus other Foodhub surprises to customers in a special Christmas competition due to be launched on its Facebook page in the next week.