One in four dodge duty on Christmas dinner

More than one in four Britons have never cooked or helped prepare the Christmas dinner, a new survey suggests.

Youngsters are most culpable, with 44 per cent of under-45s managing to avoid getting involved and almost a third still relying on their parents for the festive feast.

The poll for HelloFresh.co.uk, a recipe and ingredient delivery service, found that the “golden age” when people first cook or help with Christmas dinner is 23.

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But, overall, 28 per cent of Britons have yet to do that – equivalent to 17.5 million across the UK, according to those behind the survey.

Patrick Drake, head chef at HelloFresh.co.uk, said: “Unsurprisingly, a lot of people lose sleep over Christmas dinner and many get their parents to tackle the turkey for fear of dampening the festivities if they do it themselves.

“The key to a perfect Christmas dinner is to relax. When you think about it, the dinner is just a set of simple recipes strung together and the main thing you need is great ingredients and good timing.”

The survey found that not perfecting the timings was the biggest fear for those cooking Christmas dinner, followed by serving under-cooked food, burning the meal, not defrosting the turkey fully and forgetting a vital ingredient.

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