How 'normal' are your Christmas eating habits according to Tesco?

This year, Tesco released its fourth annual Christmas report, which uses Tesco sales and trends data, expert commentary, and new consumer research, to reveal the country's expected eating and drinking habits this year.

The study looks at cities from across the country, as well as regional and national statistics, and although Lancashire did not get its own spotlight, Lancastrians can compare how well they fit in with their North West counterparts, which in turn contrasts with the rest of the country.

Tesco chief customer officer Alessandra Bellini said: “As we enjoy the freedom to extend the dinner table and make wonderful memories, it’s perhaps no surprise that 86 per cent of the nation say nothing will stop them from having a joyful Christmas in 2021.

“In our fourth annual Tesco Christmas Report, we’ve lifted the lid on what the seasonal comeback will look like – from reviving family traditions to finding new food occasions and being sustainably savvy throughout celebrations.

"However you choose to spend this Christmas, Tesco is here to help you mark the moments that matter, with innovative, quality products at excellent value for money.

"On behalf of Tesco, we wish you a Merry Christmas."

Nationally, trends this festive season included a rising popularly for Christmas brunches and ‘Instagrammable’ spreads, particularly amongst the 18-34 age group; a reigning supremacy of the roast potato, with 87% people saying it is the most essential vegetable, a continued thirst for no and low alcohol; increasingly sustainable celebrations; a surge in popularity for turkey, and a bleak outlook for traditional Christmas pudding and Brussels sprouts as younger generations abandon both.

However those in the North West had their own unique plans too according to Tesco's data, do you fit in with your area?

For one, the North West is actually one of the leading sprout-loving regions of the UK, with over half (51%), still loving Brussels sprouts and 61% naming them as the MOST essential vegetable on the Christmas dinner plate, much higher than the other regions, North-East (47%), South-East (50%) and South-West (47%), and bucking the trend for the sprouts gradual decline.

Almost a third (29%) of North-West residents will also be re-creating dishes from famous Christmas movies or TV shows for their Christmas meal this year, which is more than other regions in the UK, for instance only 15% in the North-East will, 18% in the South-East and 23% in the South-West.

Then joining in on the rise of no and low nationally, 41% of hosts in the North-West will be serving low or no alcohol drinks during Christmas celebrations this year, with 16% of those in the North-West say they are planning on drinking less alcohol this festive season compared to last year in 2020.

A third of residents in the North-West will only be drinking no or low alcohol options on Christmas Eve, with 19% doing so on Christmas Day and 34% on Boxing Day

Meanwhile over a quarter (27%) of those in the North-West will be drinking no alcohol or no and low during their New Year’s Eve celebrations this year, rising to 48% on New Year’s Day.

Overall, the research was conducted with 2,000 nationally representative UK adults (aged 18+) between October 1-6, 2021.

You can read the Tesco Christmas Report 2021 here.