As half of Brits (52%) are expected to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Knorr, the nation’s favourite stock brand is encouraging couples to cook up the ultimate flavour of love with the launch of its limited-edition ‘Knorrplay’ pack.
Knorr is challenging the nation to reconnect by cooking together and experience the effect of Knorrplay’s “secret ingredients”. The secret spice? Cooking together is the ultimate ‘aphrodisiac’*.
New research by Knorr shows that dining in is the most common way to celebrate amongst UK adults, as over a fifth (23%) prefer to keep it intimate and have a date night at home with their partner on Valentine’s Day, whether that’s a home-cooked meal or a takeaway.
With dining at home now proving to be a popular date night, Knorrplay is inspiring couples to get creative in the kitchen together as 28% of people enjoy cooking with their partners, even though they might not do it often, and one in six aged 18-34 think cooking a meal for Valentine’s Day is romantic.
Couples across the nation relish the experience of cooking with their partner as it offers quality bonding time. Knorr’s latest research shows the top reasons people enjoy cooking with a partner is due to being able to work together as a team (45%), bonding over a shared and common interest (34%), showing thoughtfulness and effort (32%), and the intimacy it creates (32%).
Knorr has partnered with celebrity maître d’ and brand ambassador, Fred Sirieix, who is synonymous with love and food, to share his top three tips on how to cook up a romantic storm this Valentine’s Day.
Fred Sirieix says, “Date nights are about connecting with loved ones – life is so busy, it’s precious to get one-on-one time over an evening meal. I like to do phone-free meals and focus on the company I’m with. It’s good to get away from the screen when you can and use this time as a chance to properly reconnect.”
Fred emphasises the importance of patience when cooking, he states, “Don’t burn the house down when trying to achieve the perfect simmer. Take a step back and slow down, remember cooking is a marathon not a sprint. The way I like to ensure I stick to my timings is by preparing each part of the meal step by step. I put my classical playlist on and follow the tempo of the music. It gives my mind clarity and creates a calmer environment allowing me to avoid pesky mistakes.”
Lastly, Fred reveals how to switch up your Valentine’s Day evening, “One way you could spice up your date night is to host a cook-off with a friend or partner to see how people put their own personal spin on dishes. There are so many exciting and delicious recipes out there to try and so many of them use the same core ingredients too. I use my Knorr stock pots in lots of my dishes as an easy way to add more flavour, so give them a go when you’re cooking with water if you haven’t already!”
The nation is now swiping left to make a reservation on Valentine’s Day, as over a third (34%) of Brits reveal they don’t enjoy dining out on the 14th of February because it’s too expensive for what you get. A quarter (26%) say it’s busier than usual and almost one fifth (15%) don’t enjoy the Valentine’s Day set menus. Even more interestingly, the main reason why Brits don’t enjoy exchanging gifts or greeting cards is due to the expense (20%) as the cost of a box of chocolates or flowers rises, alongside its cliché nature (19%).
“Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love and what better way to do that than to create a meal together.” Said Inna Elwell, Marketing Manager, Cooking Aids & The Vegetarian Butcher. “We believe that the kitchen is the heart of the home and cooking together is a truly romantic and bonding experience. Our limited edition Knorrplay stock pots are designed to help couples create more than just a meal. It’s about helping couples explore the sensual side of cooking together, transforming the kitchen into a playground of culinary passion and discovery.”
Although the nation is not best known as being romantic, it is evident the UK celebrates love. Research reveals the top most romantic dishes voted by Brits includes steak (20%), sharing tapas (18%), pasta dishes (16%), and seafood specialities (13%). No matter what recipe you are making, Knorrplay will add extra flavour to any dish and tantalize taste buds.
Knorrplay is made using natural ingredients, packed with flavour, and provides the perfect base for any dish. Whether a seasoned chef or a kitchen novice, Knorrplay and the accompanying recipes will help you create a delicious meal that will ignite your senses and stimulate your passion whilst cooking together.
While Knorrplay stock pots are composed of Knorr’s original stock pots, the campaign encourages the nation that the key to reigniting love this Valentine’s Day is by cooking together.
From 27th January until 4th February, visit https://www.knorr.com/uk/knorr-play.html for a chance to get a limited edition Knorrplay pack.
For more cooking tips and recipe ideas, visit Knorr’s website or follow Knorr on their social media channels.
