Research by The Jolly Hog, producers of British high-welfare meat, reveals while 57% of the nation is looking forward to quality time with loved ones this Christmas, over half of the nation (55%) say that their favourite thing about the festivities is the food and a third (33%) are counting down to indulging in ‘guilty pleasure foods’ this year.
- Quality time with friends and family – 57%
- Christmas dinner/Christmas nibbles – 55%
- Receiving/giving gifts – 44%
- Christmas TV – 38%
- Decorating the tree – 36%
- Indulging in guilty pleasure foods – 33%
When it comes to the Christmas food shop, 64% will not be deterred by rising costs, saying they will not be spending less on festive food this year than in 2022. However, Brits will be trading in alcohol and chocolates to allow them to upgrade to better quality food this year:
- 24% look to make savings on alcohol
- 23% would upgrade a meat product, including pigs in blankets and roasted ham
- A fifth want to make savings on a turkey or chocolate (both 19%) and 13% on cheese a crackers.
The quality of meat is the biggest driver of meat purchases, according to 63% of meat eaters. This comes just above price, with 59% reporting this. The taste is also important for half (54%), while freshness is important for just under half (46%). Three in ten (29%) say animal welfare is important to them when shopping around for meat.
Top 5 important things to meat eaters when shopping around for meat:
- The quality (63%)
- The price (59%)
- The taste (54%)
- Freshness (46%)
- Animal welfare (29%)
The Jolly Hog range is Great Taste Award winning and RSPCA assured meaning all meat adheres to the RSPCA’s high welfare standard. The entire The Jolly Hog product range is produced in the UK using outdoor-bred British pork, and The Jolly Hog is also B Corp certified, the first meat producer in the UK to achieve the certification.
Olly Kohn, co-founder of The Jolly Hog, commented: “Shoppers have told us that they plan on ending the year on a high while still being super savvy on their Christmas food shop. For many of us, the challenges of 2023 aren’t going anywhere, but we’re seeing Christmas lunch as a time to treat our families to a few treats here and there.
“We all know how excited we get for the biggest meal of the year, so it’s unsurprising that when it comes to firm festive favourites like pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce and mince pies, we’re not willing to compromise on taste and quality by spending a little more to upgrade to the best.”
The Jolly Hog has launched its Christmas range for 2023 with tasty Caramelised Onion Pigs in Blankets (£4.50, 6 pack), Pork Hoguettes (£3.50, 8 pack), Apple and Honey Stuffing Balls (£4.50, 12 pack) and Caramelised Chunkies Cocktail Sausages (£3.50, 10 pack)joining the popular range all available at Ocado and Tesco supermarkets today.
The new recipes have been lovingly created by The Jolly Hog family with the party season in mind and as the perfect way to elevate the traditional Christmas lunch.
