Aldi urges UK consumers to ‘verify twice’ to stop Christmas dinner disasters
Cranberry sauce has been named the most commonly forgotten Christmas dinner item in a new poll of 2,000 adults, with 23% admitting they’ve forgotten key ingredients before
The item most likely to be forgotten at Christmas is cranberry sauce – closely followed by cream for the Christmas pudding and stuffing for the turkey. Research involving 2,000 adults revealed that 23% of those responsible for cooking Christmas dinner have previously forgotten a crucial item.
Of those who’ve slipped up, 44% discovered their mistake on Christmas morning itself, whilst 31% only realised once they’d already started cooking. Aldi has unveiled its official Christmas Dinner Missed List, highlighting the items most frequently left off shopping lists – with other commonly forgotten essentials including table crackers, cheese for the cheeseboard and after-dinner mints.
Additionally, 11% have found themselves short of carrots, whilst the same amount have dished up a meal without gravy after forgetting to stock up on granules.
Rachel Geary, spokesperson for Aldi, commented: “Christmas dinner is the most-hyped meal of the year. While people sometimes miss an item when there’s so much to think about, there’s nothing worse than getting to Christmas Day and realising you’ve forgotten something.
“That’s why we’d urge shoppers to take tips from Santa and check their lists twice, just to make sure they don’t miss anything off their Christmas shop.”
The study also discovered that people don’t necessarily learn from their initial blunders, as the typical person who has forgotten an essential ingredient for the festive meal has done it more than once. Almost a quarter confessed to repeatedly forgetting the same item year after year.
For 19% of these forgetful folks, it’s likely because the overlooked item isn’t something they typically use throughout the rest of the year. Equally, another 19% attributed their lapse to being overly engrossed in gift shopping rather than focusing on food.
Other significant reasons for these festive faux pas included feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of things to remember during Christmas and not having a comprehensive list of required items.
This seasonal slip-up could also be due to over a quarter of people leaving their festive food shopping until the day before the big feast.
When they realise something is missing, a third will attempt to improvise with a similar substitute, with some interesting swaps like ‘mayonnaise instead of butter’ and ‘crushed biscuits instead of breadcrumbs’.
Perhaps this explains why exactly one in five admitted that their family and friends still tease them about forgetting something for the holiday meal.
The OnePoll survey also unveiled the nation’s most essential Christmas dinner elements, with roast potatoes reigning supreme (79%), followed by turkey (66%), carrots (62%) and pigs in blankets (61%).
Rachel Geary offered some sage advice: “If you’re hosting, the best trick is to start early and build your shop around the staples, then add the finishing touches.
“Write a clear list, check it twice and keep a couple of freezer back-ups – it can really take the stress out of the big day.”
TOP 10 MOST FORGOTTEN CHRISTMAS DINNER ITEMS:
- Cranberry sauce
- Cream
- Stuffing
- Christmas crackers for the table
- Gravy granules
- Carrots
- Cheese
- After-dinner mints
- Wine
- Custard
