Some 17% of those aged 25 to 34 are turning away from the traditional turkey and all the trimmings in favour of “mixing things up” with non-traditional fare.
Just 52% of adults of all ages plan to serve turkey this Christmas, with 23% opting for chicken, 20% turning to beef, and 21% preparing a plant-based menu, according to Tesco’s annual Christmas Trends Report, based on a survey and sales figures.
While pigs in blankets are the best-loved trimming among all adults, only 22% of those aged 25 to 34 would say the same, preferring rice (32%) or even chips (23%).
🎄🦃🐛To @marksandspencer Christmas dinner where the star of the show was not Tom Kerridge’s turkey wellington (sous vide meat 🤷) but the Colin the caterpillar bauble. Sorry, Tom.
And I got to try an amazing pudding…🧵 pic.twitter.com/EiW1MPfWYS— Harry Wallop (@hwallop) October 16, 2025
Nearly three-quarters of people (73%) expect they will, or may, host at some point over the Christmas period, including casual, family-style meals (49%), formal sit-down meals (30%) and drinks and nibbles (28%).
Cheese is the favoured party food, followed by crisps and dips, while 28% of people plan to drink less alcohol this Christmas and 12% do not plan to drink alcohol at all.
The average table size for Christmas in the UK is expected to be eight people, while hosts in Northern Ireland are likely to accommodate up to 11 people, according to the survey.
The poll suggests that the most meaningful part of Christmas for Britons is opening presents together (18%), followed by playing games (13%) and watching a Christmas film with loved ones (8%).
The most stressful moments come when cooking the main meal, washing up afterwards and cleaning the house beforehand.
Some 70% of people will put up an artificial Christmas tree this year, while 15% will have three or more trees.
Tesco UK chief executive Ashwin Prasad said: “Christmas is such an important moment in the year for so many of us in the UK. At its heart, Christmas is about spending quality time with those we love and coming together over great food.
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“We have added over 260 new products to our already extensive Christmas range with exciting and trending flavours such as hot honey, gingerbread s’mores and turkey tikka so, whether you are looking for a traditional spread or wanting to try something new, we have something that looks and tastes amazing, is exceptional quality, offers great value and is simple to pull together so hosts can focus on what really matters – celebrating with those around them.”
Censuswide surveyed 2,000 UK adults between August 22-27.
