NFU: Making breakfast is a vanishing skill, reveals survey

Embargoed until 00:01am 15 January 2008

Making breakfast is a vanishing skill, reveals survey

Despite the efforts of farmers and producers to promote Britain’s food heritage, a survey shows that many people have lost touch with traditional foods and that basic culinary skills needed every day, such as preparing breakfast, have skipped a generation.

The findings come ahead of Britain’s biggest breakfast celebration, Farmhouse Breakfast Week (20-26 January 2008), yet the survey of 1,950 GB adults[1] shows that many young people lack the know-how to cook a healthy cooked breakfast. In particular, they have no idea how long to soft boil an egg, name different cuts and types of bacon, nor identify regional breads from other regional foods. Whilst their elders have better basic cookery skills, the survey showed that many older people don’t recognise some of the more up to date foods such as granola.

The 1950’s campaign urging the nation to go to work on an egg and Delia’s later ‘how to cook’ efforts would appear to have done little to teach the nation how to cook eggs. In particular, 49 per cent of 18-24 year olds (and 35 per cent of all those surveyed) did not know that a soft boiled egg should be cooked for three minutes[2] when brought to the boil from cold.

Grilling a rasher of bacon takes just six minutes under a preheated grill[3], but 52 per cent could not answer the question correctly and 15 per cent of 18-24 year olds could not even attempt a guess at how long it takes to cook bacon.

Brian Turner said: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and everyone should be able to serve up a healthy cooked breakfast – it’s a fundamental skill for life. But, this survey shows just how far people have lost touch with Britain's food heritage and many aren't capable of boiling an egg or grilling bacon or cooking sausages correctly.”

The survey findings also revealed just how much young adults do not know their bacon, 16 per cent did not know ‘streaky’, 35 per cent did not know ‘back’ and 97 per cent did not know that the term ‘green’ is associated with bacon.

Porridge has now become a quick and healthy breakfast for many, yet 33 per cent of 18-24 year olds don’t know how many table spoons would make an average medium sized bowl for one and only 13 per cent of adults knew the correct quantity[4] .

Granola is an ancient baked cereal mix of oats, wheat, seeds and honey which was revived in the 1960’s as a health food loved by hippies and is used as a cereal or snack yet 26 per cent of the over 55’s don’t know what it’s used in. Nine per cent of them thought it was used in bread, four per cent thought it was used in sausages and three per cent thought it was used in porridge.

The demand for regional food means that there is a revival of traditional, locally produced food, yet the survey reveals adults get easily confused over food names.

Eighty seven per cent did not know that Square Loaf is a regional bread and 74 per cent that a Bap is one too. Regional specialities, such as the Welsh seaweed delicacy, Lava bread was mistaken for a bread by 43 per cent.

President of the National Farmer’s Union, Peter Kendall said: “As producers of some of the best quality food in the world, we want our customers to know as much as possible about where their food comes from, how it is produced and, crucially, how to cook it. And that goes for basic staples such as eggs, bacon, bread and porridge as well as for more glamorous ingredients. The starting point is a healthy breakfast – it’s quick and easy to prepare, sets you up for the day plus there’s a wealth of local breakfast foods to be found right on your own doorstep.”

-Ends-

For further information and photography contact:


Naomi Barry Elsa Brown

The Ceres Partnership HGCA

T: 0118 947 5956 T: 020 7520 3968

E: naomi.barry@ceres-pr.co.uk E: elsa.brown@hgca.com

Or visit: www.farmhousebreakfast.com

Top line findings summary

How long you should cook a soft boiled egg?

· 14% all adults (16% 18-24 year olds) would boil it for 2 minutes (not recommended for the elderly, pregnant women and toddlers)

· 14% all adults (12% 18-24 year olds) would boil it for 5 minutes

· 1% all adults (5% 18-24 year olds) would boil it for 10 minutes



How long you should grill bacon?

· 35% all adults (14% 18-24 year olds) would grill it for 3 minutes

· 48% all adults (55% 18-24 year olds) would grill it for 6 minutes

· 8% all adults (13% 18-24 year olds) would grill it for 10 minutes

· 1% all adults (3% 18-24 year olds) would grill it for 15 minutes





Words associated with bacon

· 21% all adults (3% 18-24 year olds) associate ‘green’ with bacon

· 4% all adults (13% 18-24 year olds) associate ‘red’ with bacon

· 90% all adults (84% 18-24 year olds) associate ‘streaky’ with bacon

· 90% all adults (81% 18-24 year olds) associate ‘smoked’ with bacon

· 85% all adults (65% 18-24 year olds) associate ‘back’ with bacon



How many spoons of porridge oats make an average medium sized bowl of porridge for one?

· 23% all adults (33% 18-24 year olds) don’t know

· 13% all adults (18% 18-24 year olds and 9% 55+) would use the recommended 6 tablespoons



Uses for granola

· 21% all adults (and 26% over 55s) don’t know

· 7% all adults (and 9% over 55’s) think it is used in bread

· 3% all adults (and 4% over 55s) think it is used in sausages

· 4% all adults (and 3% of over 55s) think it is used in porridge



Which are regional breads?

· 95% all adults (98% 18-24 year olds) failed to identify Huffkins as a regional bread

· 88% all adults (89% 18-24 year olds) failed to identify Hawkshead Wigg as a regional bread

· 87% all adults ( 91% 18-24 year olds) failed to identify a Square Loaf as a regional bread

· 84% all adults (85% 18-24 year olds) failed to identify Colston Bun as a regional bread

· 74% all adults (88% 18-24 year olds) failed to identify Bap as a regional bread

· 69% all adults (85% 18-24 year olds) failed to identify Bara Brith as a regional bread



Guide to regional breads mentioned in the survey:


Bap – a soft roll, dusted with flour, originating from Scotland.

Bara Brith – a loaf shaped spiced bread with a sticky sugar glaze, from Wales

Colston Bun – a round ring shaped bun, flavoured with lemon and spice, marked into wedges from Bristol.

Huffkin – a soft round Kentish roll with a dimple in the centre.

Hawkshead Wig – an oval bun, lightly spiced with caraway from the North West of England.


Editors Notes:

· Farmhouse Breakfast Week (20-26 January 2008) is the nation’s largest breakfast celebration with over 1,600 events expected to take place across the country.

· It is organised by HGCA (Home-Grown Cereals Authority) and backed by Food from Britain.

· Farmhouse Breakfast Week is supported by the National Farmers’ Unions, the Farmers’ Union of Wales, the Ulster Farmers’ Union, the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland, the Women’s Food and Farming Union (WFU), the Welsh Assembly Government, VisitBritain, Farm Stay UK, Ulster Pork and Bacon Forum, British Nutrition Foundation and Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers.

· HGCA aims to improve the production and marketing of UK grain. It provides market information, assists cereal product development, promotes exports and funds research and development.

· All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,950 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th - 14th December 2007. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).


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[1] You Gov

[2] How to soft boil an egg, as recommended by the British Egg Information Service

[3] Cooking recommendation for grilling bacon from the British Pig Executive

[4] FSA guidelines state that 6 tablespoons of porridge oats makes a 160g bowl of porridge