Those making Christmas dinner regularly do a ‘practice run’ to ensure everything goes smoothly on the big day – but Chef Sam Holland says there’s other ways to ensure a stress-free dinner.
A survey of 2,000 adults who have taken on the task of preparing a Christmas dinner revealed that 77% will dedicate an average of one hour and 43 minutes to prep work on Christmas Eve to make Christmas Day as seamless as possible. Vegetables such as carrots (39%), sprouts (31%), potatoes (36%), and even the gravy base (15%) are among the items people aim to get just right ahead of time to dodge the Christmas rush.
However, this doesn’t completely alleviate the stress. Timing everything to perfection (44%) and juggling multiple dishes (29%) ranked as the most daunting Christmas dinner challenges.
Sam suggests doing any prep in advance to spend more time with your family(Image: Getty Images)
On Christmas Day itself, those in charge of dinner will spend an average of over three hours cooking, with a third getting started before 9am.
The research was commissioned by Lyle’s Golden Syrup, which has partnered with chef Sam Holland to offer his advice on how to make the Christmas dinner preparation as stress-free as possible.
He explained: “Christmas cooking doesn’t have to be stressful. With a bit of planning, making a checklist of each dish and delegating simple tasks to family members can help lighten the load and turn cooking into a fun, shared experience.
“And a willingness to try something new – whether it’s adding a twist to classic dishes or getting creative with flavours and ingredients – can make the festive kitchen a place of discovery.
“Enjoy the process, get everyone involved and don’t be afraid to experiment, for me, cooking together is what Christmas is all about. “
The study also uncovered that the challenge of maintaining food temperature (29%), securing oven space (28%), and washing up whilst cooking (25%) left chefs feeling overwhelmed.
Those tasked with Christmas dinner often do a test-run to get it right(Image: Getty Images)
A mere 11% claimed to navigate Christmas dinner without breaking a sweat, whilst 28% have endured heated family arguments over creating the perfect feast.
The findings also showed 22% favour being left undisturbed to concentrate, with 9% even admitting they appreciate company but ‘no meddling’.
By contrast, 41% welcome help with specific jobs, and 21% appreciate a sous chef for the entire culinary marathon.
Opinions vary dramatically regarding culinary experimentation: 46% remained devoted to tradition, 29% are receptive to the odd innovation, and 14% declared they always relish attempting fresh approaches.
Truffle oil roast potatoes (22%), deep-fried stuffing balls (21%) and golden syrup and sriracha parsnips (18%) emerged as the most coveted dishes people were keen to attempt this year.
The survey, conducted via OnePoll, revealed that 25% view Gen Z as the most daring Christmas chefs, with Millennials lagging behind at 19%, and Gen X trailing at a mere 9%.
Moreover, 37% of Gen Z savour a Christmas season filled with unexpected delights, in contrast to the 5% of Millennials who favour keeping things classic.
Regardless of their preferred holiday mood, nearly half of all adults (48%) declared that preparing the Christmas dinner is one of their cherished Yuletide traditions.
In addition, 57% agreed that the effort put into the Christmas feast is well worth it when they see everyone relishing the meal, while 52% echoed this sentiment for the quality time spent together. Furthermore, 30% believe it’s all about the festive ambience that Christmas Day brings.
Olivia Haley, from Lyle’s Golden Syrup, commented: “We all know a lot more goes into Christmas dinner than meets the eye.
“From the hours spent prepping ingredients the day before, to the early start on Christmas morning, it truly is a labour of love. We teamed up with Sam to show how versatile ingredients can transform dishes – from a beautifully glazed ham to sausage rolls with a savoury syrup jam.
“Food is an absolutely golden part of Christmas traditions that brings people together. It’s what it’s all about.”
Dining and Cooking