Cookbooks’ recipe for trouble

Almost half of those glossy new cookbooks bought as Christmas presents will go unread, according to a survey that shows home cooks are being put off by expensive ingredients and complicated recipes.

Researchers discovered the typical British adult owns 10 cookbooks, but on average four of them will never have been used.

They also discovered cooks are going online more and more to find the right recipes, rather than wade through their cookbooks. The survey of 2,000 adults found two-thirds (67 per cent)) said they find recipes intimidating, with Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay getting a special mention for complicated cooking, while Jamie Oliver and Delia Smith were praised for their simplicity.

The survey, commissioned by Italian food firm Sacla’, found 35 per cent of people said they were put off by the cost of ingredients.