Brits reveal biggest food mistakes, including serving dinner they dropped on the floor
BRITS’ biggest food mistakes have been revealed, from recipe stealing to double dipping.
One in six Britons admits to serving guests food that has fallen on the floor.
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A survey of 2,000 adults found that 28 percent had tasted food straight from a spoon they were cooking with – and then put it straight back in the pan.
While 28 percent have knowingly served food that has passed its use-by date, and a third (32 percent) have wiped and replaced a bread knife instead of washing it.
And 13 percent let a pet ‘clean up’ spilled food or drinks.
The research was conducted on behalf of the kitchen appliance brand NEFFas part of their Hidden Heroes campaign, which shines a light on the unsung moments in the kitchen that make hosting truly unforgettable.
Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, who is leading the campaign, even confessed to ‘stealing’ his mother’s famous Bolognese beef, proving that even the best chefs borrow a few tricks from their families.
Tom said: “I love seeing that so many of us share the same quirks and mishaps in the kitchen – whether it’s dropping food on the floor or ‘borrowing’ a family recipe.
“Cooking should be fun, and it’s those little imperfections that make it special.
“I’ve certainly had my fair share of disasters, and yes, I have been known to take credit for my mother’s beef bolognese.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about creating good food and great memories with the people you love, no matter how you get there.”
Interestingly, older Brits are more relaxed about their culinary mistakes; 60 percent of people over 65 say they would not feel guilty about an accident.
But 57 percent of guilt-ridden Gen Zers would ruminate over their mistakes.
The survey also looked at where Brits learned their best culinary tricks, with 58 percent doing so from family members.
In fact, 45 percent still rely on their family members to help with cooking and preparing food.
While respondents love ready-made dishes, 62 percent like to give these recipes a personal twist.
One in ten young Brits (11 percent) have even admitted to serving a family recipe and passing it off as their own.
TOP 20 KITCHEN BLUNDERS BRITISH ADMITS:
1. Leave the dishes in the sink overnight and wash them in the morning
2. Use the bread knife and wipe it, instead of washing it
3. Cooking with food that has expired
4. Taste food straight from the cooking spoon and then return it to the pan
5. Accidentally burning a dish and scraping off the burnt parts to make it look good
6. Don’t tie your hair back while preparing a meal, which puts you at risk of a hair falling into the food
7. Spilling something in the oven and hoping it will burn instead of cleaning it
8. Drop a piece of food on the floor, quickly pick it up and serve it to the guests
9. Let the dog/cat clean up spills on the kitchen floor instead of taking out the mop
10. Use ready-made ingredients (e.g. ready-made pastries or mashed potatoes) and pretend you made them
11. Adding extra spices or chili to a dish without warning guests who may not like or tolerate spicy food
12. Serving leftovers that are a little too old and should have been thrown away
13. Using the same tongs or spatula for raw and cooked food, risking cross-contamination
14. Not checking for allergies beforehand
15. Heat up a ready-made meal – and pass it off as your own
16. Telling dinner guests that a recipe is yours when it is actually a special recipe from a friend or family member
17. Forgetting to check dishes is suitable for vegan or vegetarian guests
18. Cough or sneeze into a dish and don’t tell anyone
19. Using dirty plates or cutlery and pretending they are clean
20. Dinner guests tell you your recipe is an old family recipe even though you recently Googled it
And the secret recipe swapping doesn’t stop there, with 43 percent admitting they’ve “stirred the pot” by tweaking a family recipe without telling anyone, fearing it could cause a stir at the dinner table.
For Gen Z and Millennials, this pressure is even greater: 66 percent worry that tampering with a beloved dish could spark a full-blown food feud within the family.
Despite the potential chaos in the kitchen, adults under the age of 24 are leading the way when it comes to hosting, with 60 percent enjoying cooking for guests.
However, 23 percent of respondents, via OnePoll, would rather have a job interview (23 percent), meet parents for the first time (22 percent) or be stuck in traffic (20 percent) than cook a meal. unknown meal for company.
And when something goes wrong in the kitchen, it seems parents are still the ultimate culinary lifeline, with 33 percent of Brits calling on mum and dad for help amid the cooking chaos.
