'What a sad little life' for UK veggies - as prawn cocktail and steak and chips were crowned the nation's favourite dishes based off hit foodie TV shows like Come Dine With Me... while butternut squash and veggie tagine trailed last. Analysis of 100 'winning menus' from Channel 4's Come Dine With Me and ITV's Dinner Date combined with a survey of 2,000 Brits revealed which dishes are most popular to serve up to hungry guests.
Overall, the research revealed that a winning dinner party menu consists of a starter of prawn cocktail, steak and chips for the main course and cheesecake, ideally chocolate, to finish. The research, by online bingo site Jackpotjoy, found that more than a third (38%) of Come Dine With Me and Dinner Date winners dished up some form of seafood as a starter.
Of those quizzed, it was determined the nation's favourite fishy starter was a classic prawn cocktail (31%) closely followed by smoked salmon salad (30%). Soup was also a top option among the winning TV contestants with one in ten choosing to serve it to their guests.
Of those questioned, the most popular soup flavours served were tomato (24%) closely followed by French onion soup (21%). When it comes to the main course, almost half (44%) of the UK said steak would be their preferred main meal.
One in five meat lovers quizzed even stated they would rate this dish 10/10 at a dinner party. Classic steak and chips came out as the preferred main course among the winners of both TV shows too.
After steak, the two top main course options among Come Dine With Me and Dinner Date winners included curry and pasta. These also scored well in the national poll, with the public voting lasagne (35%), chicken tikka masala (27%), spaghetti bolognese (25%), and Thai green curry (23%) as their favourite five.
When it comes to the perfect sides, the winners of Come Dine With Me and Dinner Date chose to accompany their mains with potatoes (35%), rice (12%), and vegetables (10%). The top spud sides were Dauphinoise, with 8% of winners serving them, followed by chips (7%) and mash (5%).
For those looking for a vegetarian or vegan option, the most popular dishes included pizza (31%), stir fry (24%) and mushroom stroganoff (23%). The research found that cheesecake would be the best option to help satisfy your guests’ sweet tooth.
It wasn't just the most popular pud among winners of both TV shows but more than half (51%) of the nation too. The shows and the study revealed Brits to be a nation of chocaholics with a third (31%) of Come Dine With Me and Dinner Date winners using some form of the sweet treat in their desserts.
Chocolate mousse (37%), chocolate fudge cake (37%), and chocolate brownie (35%) proved to be very popular desserts according to those quizzed. At the other end of the scale, dishes that failed to steal the show include a butternut squash starter, which just 9% said they'd like.
This was followed by Caprese salad (13%) and a smoked trout pate (15%). Topping the least popular main course list is vegetable tagine (only 13% would like this), followed by monkfish (16%) and moussaka (18%).
The desserts not setting foodies' palates on fire include fruit salad (only 23% would like this), followed by banoffee pie and coffee and chocolates (26% each). Taking into account the findings, a butternut squash starter, followed by vegetable tagine main and a fruit salad dessert would be the least popular dinner party menu.
Even though Italian food proved to be popular across the nation, only 13% of those surveyed would like to be served a classic tomato and mozzarella Caprese salad for their first course. Head of Marketing at Jackpotjoy, Eileen Stubbington, said: "Although dinner parties are all about enjoying the company of those around us and bonding over good conversation, they can be tricky to plan.
"We wanted to help simplify the process and determine what would be the best courses to impress your guests. That way you can spend less time planning the winning party and more time having fun.
"At Jackpotjoy we’re all about celebrating the small moments in life, from sharing a delicious meal with your loved ones to enjoying a memorable party game.
"We hope the research has helped to inspire your next winning dinner party."
For more information, visit https://www.jackpotjoy.com/uk/blog/news/the-uks-winning-dinner-party-menu
