It’s all gravy: from drinking it through a straw, to pouring it over pasta and pizza – the nation’s weird and wonderful gravy habits revealed
- Enjoyed in the car, taken on holiday and even carried around in a flask, Brits aren’t content to keep gravy on the table, according to new research from Schwartz
- The average Brit enjoys 156 gravy-doused meals each year, equating to 3 each week, with Autumn marking the official start of ‘gravy season’**
- Breaking the misconception that northerners are the nation’s biggest gravy advocates, Oxford was revealed to be the UK’s ‘gravy capital’, with 41% of residents classing themselves as a gravy lover
- The research comes as Schwartz releases its first ever range of instant gravy using its signature herbs and spices to elevate the British staple
From drinking it through a straw and taking it on holiday, to pouring it over pizza and pasta – new research has today lifted the lid on the extent of Britain’s love of gravy.
With autumn marking the official start of ‘gravy season’ – almost a third (30%) of Brits consume gravy the most between September and November, rising to 58% in winter – the new study from Schwartz delves into the nation’s gravy consumption habits.
A staggering 73% of Brits are fans of the brown stuff, and 39% even proclaim to ‘love’ it, with the average person making their way through three gravy-doused meals each week, equating to 156 over the course of the year.
Yet for many, this consumption doesn’t need to be confined to the home – 13% of Brits love it so much that they’ve eaten in the car, 11% claim to have carried it around with them in a flask, and a sixth (14%) have even taken it on holiday with them.
So strong is the nation’s love of the sauce that a third (32%) claim they’d rather have gravy than a pint of beer, while 29% would opt for it over a glass of wine, and one in five (20%) would choose it over chocolate.
Meanwhile, one in ten (10%) claim to put it on ‘everything’, with 11% claiming to prefer it poured on a pizza than a roast, and 10% preferring to pour it over pasta. Some Brits even like to kick off their day with the brown stuff, enjoying it poured over pancakes (6%), and even over cereal (5%).
When it comes to more traditional pairings, roast beef was named the dish most frequently paired with gravy (48%), closely followed by roast chicken (48%), and roast turkey (45%). While Yorkshire puddings (45%) and sausages and mash (44%) round out the top five.
Unsurprisingly Sunday was revealed as the nation’s favourite ‘gravy day’, with 47% of people citing it as the day they’re most likely to enjoy it.
Going against the longstanding assumption that northerners are the UK’s biggest gravy advocates, Oxford was revealed as the UK’s gravy capital, with 41% of residents claiming to ‘love’ gravy. In fact, Oxonians love gravy so much that a quarter (26%) tuck into meals with gravy more than 10 times per week.
So strong is Oxford’s love of gravy that 15% of locals even opt to mix it with their scrambled eggs.
The research was commissioned by herbs and spices experts Schwartz to mark the launch of its first ever range of instant gravy products: Schwartz Signature Gravy.
The brand-new offering is available in three flavours, including the nation’s favourites flavours – beef (60%), chicken (56%) and onion (38%). Expertly blended by Schwartz culinary chefs and master flavour developers – the gravies feature a selection of Schwartz’s signature herbs and spices, compared to many traditional gravy options that may require further additions to be added at home.
The new range has made a timely arrival as the study reveals Brits are no longer content with gravy straight out of the box, as half (49%) use current gravy offerings as a base before adding their own ingredients at home.
Onions (27%), black pepper (25%) and red wine (22%) are the go-to top flavour boosters, while less traditional seasonings include beer (11%) and miso paste (10%).
The research also revealed that almost a third (29%) of people believe they can confidently taste the difference between gravy brands. In light of this, and to celebrate the launch of its new range, Schwartz took to the streets of the nation’s gravy capital, Oxford, calling on locals to blind taste test its new Schwartz Signature Chicken Gravy against a leading competitor.
Chris Nelson, Marketing Vice President at Schwartz said: “As our findings show, we are without doubt a nation of gravy lovers, so when launching our new gravy, we knew we had to call in the experts to give it the seal of approval – and what better people to ask than the residents of the UK’s ‘gravy capital’, Oxford.
“The extent of the nation’s love of gravy goes far beyond traditional combinations, with people enjoying gravy with salad and mac and cheese and even cereal.
“Regionally there have always been differences when it comes to gravy preferences, and chips and gravy is one of the biggest food debates.
“But clearly, one thing everyone agrees on is that you can’t have a roast dinner, mashed potato or Yorkshire pud without a splash of gravy.
We are excited to launch a range of gravies with a boatload of flavour for any occasion.”
The Schwartz Signature Gravy range is available in three flavours: beef, chicken and onion. Free from flavour enhancers, added preservatives and MSG, the range is rolling out in stores nationwide from now from £2.75 The range can currently be found on Tesco and Asda shelves or purchased online from Ocado and Amazon.
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