The festive season is officially underway, and if you're anything like me, you're already day-dreaming about your incoming Christmas dinner.
Juicy turkey, crispy roast potatoes, sweet carrots, crunchy Yorkshire puddings, tangy Brussels sprout, succulent pigs in blankets and thick, tasty gravy.
Is there a better meal in the world than a big, fat, festive roast?
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Well, apparently, there is.
According to a group of culinary experts, there's a very familiar British food trend taking to the dining table this winter.
And if you've ever spent a warm summer evening with your painfully English mother, you'll know exactly what I'm referencing.
I mean, of course, the notoriously delicious picky bits.
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Best known as a vast array of different cuisines - famously and traditionally consisting of the likes of pasta salad, savouries, quiches, pizza slices, chicken wings, crisps and dips - picky bits tend to be a British summertime staple.
According to a study carried out by Sainsbury's and Just Eat, a colossal 77 percent of 2,000 interview adults would love to see a picky bits meal incorporated into their festive traditions.
But would you really be happy to see your fluffy roast potatoes replaced with nutty prawn toast? Or pickled onions taking the place of your parsnips?
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The trend of throwing out the rule book when it comes to dinner time surged immensely earlier this year, with 'girl dinner'
The concept behind this was first shared on TikTok back in May, after one female user described their go-to meal as bread and cheese.
Since then, millions of users have taken to the video-sharing app to share their variations of 'girl dinner', all of which constitute in some way as picky bits.
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Whether it's a punnet of strawberries paired with a couple of slices of salami, or guacamole and chips with a side of chocolate fingers, 'girl dinner' has elevated the prominence of picky bits.
In fact, 44 percent of those interviewed admit they were very easily influenced by what is posted on social media.
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And now, it looks as though picky bits are taking over Christmas.
According to the study, a staggering 59 percent would rather tuck into a ‘picky tea’ ahead of opening presents when the big day finally rolls around, whilst over a fifth (22 percent) would prefer to indulge their food cravings than go to a party.
If incorporated into Christmas, the study also found that the Top 10 Picky Bits items are:
- Pigs 'n Blankets - 30 percent
- Cheese - 27 percent
- Crisps - 18 percent
- Sausages - 17 percent
- Mince Pies - 17 percent
- Crispy Chicken Tenders - 16 percent
- Mini Quiche - 15 percent
- Chocolate - 15 percent
- Charcuterie / cured meats - 12 percent
- Spring rolls - 12 percent
But it doesn't look as though everyone is sold on the idea of instilling picky bits to become a festive tradition.
Apparently, just the idea of picky bits becoming a Christmas custom led to one in 10 (13 percent) of hangry Brits storming off in a huff over the topic.
Well, you can't please everyone all the time.
Just Eat and Sainsbury’s trial the first ever Christmas Picky Bits delivery store in London this weekend (8-9 December) to celebrate their Pick and MiXmas campaign.
The brand-new concept allows food-lovers to build their own picky meal from a curated selection of favourites with both veggie, vegan and meat and sweet options.
Topics: Christmas, Food And Drink, Money, Shopping
Rhianna Benson