Snapshot of daily life in average British kitchen

Sainsbury’s, in partnership with research agency Mintel Consulting, has launched new research that it says acts as a modern day census of our nation’s kitchen habits, covering everything from the weekly family grocery shop to how people behave in the kitchen on a daily basis. The “Kitchen Dynamics” study was carried out amongst 2,500 families and a further 25 families mapped their kitchen behaviour every day for a week via real time, online diaries. Key findings, commissioned as part of Sainsbury’s promise to help families Live Well for Less, included: Sunday lunch now Sunday evening feast: 84% of us still choose to cook a roast on a Sunday but for half of the families across Britain the time we choose to dish it up has been pushed back from the traditional lunchtime slot to the more amenable timeframe of between 4.30pm and 7.30pm, with one in five families eating their roast between 6 and 7pm. Families who were interviewed as part of the research suggested that the main reason for this was to enable them to fit more into their already busy weekends. Dinner before six: The average family eats at 5.54pm during the week. Those in London eat as late as 6.46pm, a whole hour later than those in the West Midlands who eat, on average, at 5.47pm during the week. Families dine together in dining rooms: Despite juggling conflicting diary commitments and hectic lifestyles, 84% of families find time to sit down together at least twice a week with over half of family households saying that they always eat together during the week. Nearly half (46%) are also choosing to serve dinner in a dining room, separate from the kitchen. Dinner diversity: Although we all sit down together as much as we can, it turns out we don’t all have the same food in front of us. Two thirds of households now consider themselves to have special dietary requirements – including an intolerance, low calorie regime or food group avoidance – meaning Mums across the country are cooking an average of 2.25 evening meals for each sitting. Food allergies and intolerances have also impacted the kind of foods we’re picking off the shelf, as recent Sainsbury’s data shows sales of their own-brand range of Freefrom have increased by 26% year on year. Meal Planners are order of the day for one in two households: When it comes to our stomachs, we are creatures of habit, with nearly half of British families (48%) eating the same meal on a particular night each week. Interestingly, women tend to stick to the same repertoire of meals week in, week out (59%) but say their partners are far less likely to stick to the same menu (15%). Women are still kitchen chiefs: Despite the perception of modern men increasingly sharing the domestic duties, the report shows that women still have overall responsibility for all things kitchen related with 86% of women saying that the majority of the time, they do the cooking and eight out of 10 times they are responsible for all things grocery related including shopping lists, all shopping trips, checking the fridge and cupboards, planning meals and even popping out for last minute necessities. The family kitchen budget is also controlled by women, with 74% saying they are the most economical with the grocery finances. When handed the shopping bags, men spend an extra £235 on groceries each year, which could be attributed to the fact that just 31% of men plan the meals they cook in advance, compared to 66% of women. Reconfirmed by the fact that 66% of women say they are more likely to use leftovers than their partners (14%). Susi Richards, Head of Food at Sainsbury’s, said: “Kitchen Dynamics offers a “fly on the wall” snapshot of how the average British family behaves in the comfort of their own kitchen. “Despite the downturn, reassuringly we are still seeing a real emphasis on the importance of eating together and the presence of routine as a way of coping with the pressures of the busy family week. The shifting backwards of the Sunday Lunch to early evening is a clear example of families ring-fencing meal time but adapting tradition to suit the modern day demands of a hectic family schedule. “83% of families in our study changed their grocery shopping habits. We are committed to catering for this change and helping families enjoy great quality food at affordable price. Research like this allows us to align our offer accordingly; ultimately helping our customers live well for less.” NamNews - Thursday 2nd May 2013