• e-mail

Traditional festive staples such as Brussels sprouts and Christmas pudding are falling out of favour as Gen Z ditch the classic fare and instead opt for trendy brunches at Christmas. 

Despite being one of the most favoured Christmas dinner sides for older generations, nearly one in four people aged 18-24 say they hate Brussel sprouts, according to new research from Tesco shared exclusively with FEMAIL.

And it's not just the trimmings that Gen Z are ditching. The number of young adults opting for Christmas pudding for dessert this year is a mere eight per cent - down from 24 per cent in 2020.

The number of 25-34 year olds opting for the traditional pudding has also fallen drastically, having halved from 30 per cent in 2020 to just 15 per cent in 2021 - with the supermarket saying chocolate desserts are likely to be the most common thing served on December 25 in the future. 

Traditional festive staples such as Brussels sprouts and Christmas pudding are falling out of favour as Gen Z ditch the classic fare and instead opt for trendy brunches at Christmas.

Instead of a classic roast dinner, young adults are looking for picture-perfect food which looks good on Instagram - with a fifth even opting for a Christmas brunch over dinner.

As a result supermarkets are launching modern versions of traditional fare. Tesco have launched a Tesco Finest Black Forest Christmas Pudding, along with dozens of chocolate-based desserts to cater for the nation's growing preference for new takes of Classic Yuletide dishes such as the Tesco Speculoos Profiterole Gateau.       

Instagrammable Christmas dinner

When it comes to Christmas dinner, it can't just be any roast dinner, it's also got to look great with young adults putting in extra effort to make their festive offerings more Instagrammable this year.

UK adults of all ages claim they'll be going all out to make this year's spread look picture perfect.

Popular tactics used to ensure festive offerings are looking good for the 'gram this year include serving food on platters as opposed to everyday dinner plates and using festive plants and flowers as additional decoration.

New takes on classic 

Food innovation is a key trend for Christmas 2021, with over a third of UK adults seeking out innovative dishes and products.

This is especially true of 18-34-year-olds, with 62 percent planning to be innovative with their food and drink choices this year. 

Ways in which they plan to do this include buying new, talkable products, opting for twists on classics, and looking to social media trends for inspiration.  

Ice cream and chocolate dominated Christmas pudding  

Meanwhile, Brits love of ice cream and chocolate is stopping Christmas pudding from landing on our plates.

Less people will tuck into a Christmas pudding this year - only 28 percent versus 44 percent last year, with older generations keeping the tradition alive.

As many as 44 per cent of over 65s will enjoy a Christmas pudding dessert on Christmas Day, versus 20 per cent of 35-44 year olds, 15 per cent of 25-24 year olds and just 8 per cent 18-34 year olds.

Amongst younger generations, ice cream, cheesecake and chocolate desserts are becoming increasingly popular 'traditional' festive desserts, while 18-24 year olds will eat ice cream (13 per cent), chocolate dessert (11 per cent) and cheesecake (9 per cent) this Christmas than Christmas pudding -

Those aged 75+ are the biggest advocates, with 65 percent declaring their love for them, but this drastically drops to just 26 percent when it comes to 18-24-year-olds. 

Many will also opt for savoury desserts, with more than two thirds tucking into a cheese board on Christmas Day, with Cheddar Brie and Stilton  set to be the top cheeses chosen.

However, younger adults (18–34-year-olds) were four times as likely to opt for adventurous cheese like Halloumi  compared to the over 60s.

Its new position as a festive staple saw sales of Halloumi soar by 33 percent in the five weeks leading up to Christmas last year.

Pigs in Blankets reign supreme 

One traditional Christmas dinner staple not at risk of going anywhere is pig in blankets with popularity soaring. 

Two thirds of UK adults claim them to be their favourite trimming (63 percent) - a 24 percent increase on last year.

A quarter (24 percent) of 25-34-year-olds will eat more than ten over the Christmas season.

This year Tesco has launched inventive varieties such as Tesco Finest Pigs in Blankets Candy Canes with Orange & Maple Glaze, as well as plant based options such as Plant Chef Meat Free Bangers in Blankets and Wicked Kitchen Choriz-NO Pigless Duvets to tap into the trend of a vegan Christmas.

Meanwhile, the good old roast potato was named the most essential veg on the Christmas lunch plate for 87 percent of people, replacing carrots, which took the top spot last year but has fallen to third place this year.

One traditional Christmas dinner staple not at risk of going anywhere is pig in blankets with popularity soaring.

Defaulting on veganism 

While traditional turkey is very much in vogue, a quarter (27 per cent) of UK adults will be catering for vegan, vegetarian or plant based guests this Christmas.

That said, a quarter (26 per cent) of vegans and vegetarians are actually considering pausing their usual diets on the big day so they can enjoy the many meat and dairy dishes on the Christmas table. 

For those keeping temptation at bay, Tesco is making it easy to enjoy a meat-free celebration with mouth-watering alternatives, like the Tesco Plant Chef Meat-Free Festive Vegan Roast and the Wicked Kitchen No-Turkey Roast Crown. 

Despite an increased focus on 'talkable' and innovative festive food, when it comes to the centrepiece, turkey is still king. 

In fact, 68 percent of UK adults plan to tuck into a turkey roast on the 25th, suggesting that many are craving the return of a traditional family Christmas.

Whether it is a full bird, such as a Tesco Finest British Free Range Narragansett Turkey, or smaller crowns, the Christmas bird is more popular than ever. 

Big and early celebrations 

With a desire to return to pre-pandemic celebrations, it's no surprise that the nation is keen to embrace the festive season like never before.

Nearly half of the people surveyed want to spend more time with family than in previous Christmases, while 20 per cent want to spend more time with friends. 

Additionally, a third plan on socialising more, and one in six while 15 percent plan on hosting more parties than in previous years.

However, when it comes to celebrations on December 31st, 18 per cent of 18–34-year-olds claim to have started a new New Year's Eve tradition last year that they'll be continuing this year - the 'big night in'. So instead of going out this year, they will be staying at home for when the clock strikes midnight.

With so many people more excited for the festivities than usual, the celebrations are set to begin early with over one in 10 (12 percent) families putting the tree and decorations up by the end of November. 

Conscious Christmas celebrations

Last year was a year like no other - but there are signs that the events have made more people aware of social issues and become more active in their communities.

This Christmas 34 percent of Brits will donate to a food bank, with one in five gifting via an in-store collection point, whilst one in 10 will give warm clothes to the homeless or to a shelter, and a further 9 percent will help a neighbour in need. 

As well as charitable acts, this Christmas is also set to be an environmentally aware one. More than 36 per cent of the nation plans on being more sustainable over the festive period and 49 percent claim that thinking about the environment will impact their purchasing decisions this Christmas. 

Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL Alessandra Bellini, Tesco Chief Customer Officer said: 'As we enjoy the freedom to extend the dinner table and make wonderful memories, it's perhaps no surprise that 86 percent of the nation say nothing will stop them from having a joyful Christmas in 2021.

'In our fourth annual Tesco Christmas Report, we've lifted the lid on what the seasonal comeback will look like – from reviving family traditions to finding new food occasions and being sustainably savvy throughout celebrations.