We're a nation of 'No Fuss' foodies
A poll of 1,000 Brits, commissioned by living solutions specialist Häfele UK, shows that when it comes to hitting the kitchen we're a little reluctant to finesse our supper times, with a third of us opting for fuss-free mealtimes. Most would think that, as we're a nation hooked on the Great British Bake Off and Masterchef, some culinary flair would have rubbed off on us Brits but apparently not – according to the latest research, one in three of us consider ourselves a No-Fuss Cook.
Maybe we're just too busy watching our cooking idols in action, or perhaps we're merely too strapped for time to spend hours in the kitchen – second spot went to The Multi-Tasker.
The survey also threw up some interesting statistics on just what we're doing in our kitchen...and with whom. Other than cooking, socialising was identified as a popular kitchen activity, with Londoners leading the charge (46%), while East Midlanders are the most likely to be found getting to grips with their ironing while hanging out by the hob (40%). Northern Ireland was also singled out as the corner of the population that puts their kitchens to the most use, using theirs for eating (61%), working (20%) and entertaining the children (20%).
Rachel Willcock, Marketing Communications Manager at Häfele UK, said: "It's amazing to discover what we're doing in our kitchens. With the popularity of cooking programmes showing no signs of waning, you'd have thought we'd all be aspiring chefs, but it's not the case – The Chef and The Family Baker options came third and fourth in our survey, with The Entertainer scraping into the fifth slot. If you apply some clever maths to our statistics, the average Brit will spend 9 days per year cooking dinner but cooking clearly isn't the only thing we're doing in the kitchen".
"Interestingly, the top three reasons why people don't enjoy cooking are that it's boring, they can't be bothered and it takes too long. We're confident that we have kitchen solutions to solve every one of these stumbling blocks, from handy storage systems that keep your utensils close at hand, to the latest Bluetooth speaker systems that bring a bit more creativity and enjoyment to mealtime preparation."
Interestingly, the research also found that the majority of women (52%) spend 31-120 minutes cooking dinner while the most of the male population (59%) will spend less than 30 minutes preparing the evening meal – that’s a little ironic when men mainly identified themselves as The Chef, and women as The Multi-Tasker. In addition, 1 in 3 women (34%) use the kitchen for ironing compared with 1 in 4 (25%) of men.
Rachel continues, "We may be a nation of No Fuss Cooks but it's not all about fast food. The average 55+ year old will cook from scratch at least 16 times a month and 18-24 year olds came out as the biggest cooking enthusiasts, with 4 out of 5 (85%) of young adults enjoying cooking – it's great to know that we’re here to give a helping hand to the next generation of Jamie Olivers and Rachel Khoos!"
Top 5 Kitchen Personalities
1. The 'No Fuss Cook' - you like your kitchen to be efficient, where meals are prepared quickly and tidying up is simple
2. The Multi-Tasker - you're always on the go and juggling different priorities
3. The Chef - you have a deep love of food and enthusiasm for trying new recipes
4. The Family Baker - you bake, cook and create lots of fresh treats for the whole family
5. The Entertainer - you enjoy sharing food with friends and your kitchen often doubles as a dining room
Take part in our online quiz to find out your Kitchen Personality at www.ideasforliving.co.uk
Check out our Kitchen Personality animations below
