As many as 74% of Brits will be laying on a festive spread for friends and family this year – with 36% saying they love the festive picky bits, more than Christmas lunch itself.
According to the 2,000 Britons surveyed by Asda, no festive food table is complete without a baked camembert (27%), mini sausage rolls (47%), a glazed ham (39%), smoked salmon (28%), twiglets (20%) or mini gherkins (15%).
As many as 37% Brits love to use a melting fondue as their table centre piece, served with crusty bread (47%), pigs in blankets (45%) or serrano ham (22%) for dipping.
However, while it may be a joyous and proud occasion, a resounding 81% agree, there is a certain etiquette to conducting oneself at a festive food table.
When it comes to dining disasters, leaning across others to dip (49%), putting olive pits back in the bowl (48%) and dripping melted cheese over the table (48%) were among the worst buffet crimes, along with dipping meat into a veggie dip (27%), cutting pate or cheese with a used knife (23%) or hovering too long at the table (19%).
The survey was commissioned by Asda, who have cooked up a brand-new invention to prevent any festive dipping disasters – the Fonduuuuuue Fork. Measuring an impressive two metres long, this tongue-in-cheek creation stretches right across the table, letting everyone dip, swirl and share without awkward leaning, lunging or sleeve mishaps.
Currently being trialled for fun this festive season, the supersized utensil is Asda’s inventive fix to fondue faux pas, letting everyone join in the dipping, twirling and sharing while keeping manners (and sleeves) intact.
And with data from Asda showing that sales of platters and olives are up 55% year-on-year and cheese bakes have risen by nearly 10%1, it’s clear the nation can’t get enough of all things melty and moreish. Already in development, the Fonduuuuuue Fork’s extendable handle was created to cater to the nation’s cheese cravings, with the unique bend in the fork allowing Brits to dip at a distance. Tested on a variety of Asda’s festive food favourites, the fork extends and retracts with ease, helping to keep the peace at the dinner table.
And in the meantime, Brit’s can get their hands on Asda’s latest food range, developed to bring people together this Christmas. Crowd-pleasers like the Fantastic Grazing Platter have become firm favourites for hosting - big on flavour, generous in size, and designed to make entertaining feel effortless.
With baking cheeses crowned the fastest-growing cheese category last year, and over 1.5 million sausage rolls flying off shelves every December, Asda is serving up the ultimate festive crowd-pleaser: the Pigs in Duvet with Cheese Fondue Dip. This tear-and-share pork sausage roll wreath comes paired with a luxuriously rich Vintage Cheddar fondue bake – ideal for sharing, grazing and centre-stage party moments.
And for anyone dreaming of alpine vibes without the plane ticket, the brand-new Festive Fondue Kit brings full mountain-lodge energy straight to the table – perfect for melting, dipping and sharing (politely of course).
“The festive spread is where Christmas memories are made – and where etiquette sometimes melts away,” said an Asda spokesperson. “With eight in ten Brits saying there’s a right and wrong way to behave at the buffet, we thought it was time to give the nation a helping hand – or in this case, a longer fork.”
Despite the occasional social slip-up, the Christmas spread remains a much-loved tradition. 49% insist British festive food is top tier, and 37% agree that cheese is an essential part of Christmas.
And it’s not just for eating – 56% of Brits love to post their festive spread on social media to show off their tablescaping skills and cheesy creations.
On average, Brits tuck into four festive party spreads each year, with ten guests considered the perfect number for a Christmas soirée.
And when it comes to dipping technique, 12% identify as a “scooper”, 16% say twirling is the only way, and 6% admit to being a “dripper” – proving there’s more than one way to share the cheese this Christmas.
THE BAD ETIQUETTE GUIDE FOR CONDUCTING ONESELF AS A FESTIVE SPREAD
- Coughing or sneezing over the food – 55%
- Leaning across others to grab food items – 54%
- Leaning across others to dip – 49%
- Putting olive pits back in the bowl – 48%
- Dripping melted cheese from the fondue all over the table – 48%
- Letting pets jump up at the table – 44%
- Pushing in front of someone – 39%
- Putting food back because you changed your mind – 38%
- Knocking something over when reaching over – 37%
- Double dipping – 36%
- Using the same spoon for different chutneys – 35%
- Piling your plate high – 34%
- Dipping meat into a veggie dip – 27%
- Standing at the table and eating, rather than going to sit down – 27%
- Taking the last item without offering it around first – 24%
- Cutting pate or cheese with a used knife – 23%
- Hovering too late at the table – 19%
- Grabbing a handful of crisps and nuts – 17%
- Tearing up bread with your hands – 16%
- Going back for a third helping – 12%
