One in four British people can only cook three recipes, survey finds

The most popular dish to cook from scratch is sausages and mash, closely followed by beans on toast and spaghetti bolognese

The average British person has six recipes in their repertoire (Getty Images)

British people lack confidence in the kitchen, with a quarter of us able to cook just three tried and trusted recipes, it has emerged.

Researchers found that the fear of getting a recipe wrong and wasting ingredients leads us to stick to the same meals.

A study of 2,000 adults also revealed that only four in 10 British people know more than nine recipes.

The survey, commissioned by the UK’s leading recipe box service HelloFresh, also revealed that on average we cook every night and have six recipes in our repertoire.

The most popular dish to cook from scratch is sausages and mash. This is closely followed by beans on toast and spaghetti bolognese.

Claire Davenport, CEO of HelloFresh UK, said: “We know people want to make sure dinner goes to plan and that’s why they often stick to the same meals rather than trying something new.”

The research also found British people are "stuck in a rut" due to their lack of culinary skills.

Although 73 per cent are confident in chopping an onion, only half feel they would be able to cook a steak to perfection.

One third think they could attempt a batter and even fewer could chop up julienne vegetables or butterfly a chicken.

Seven out of 10 admitted they rely on shortcuts such as pre-chopped veg, crushed garlic and ready-to-eat rice to ensure dinner is a success.

However, knowing your way around the kitchen is an attractive quality in a partner, according to more than eight in 10 of those surveyed.

It also emerged that only half of those questioned describe themselves as "good cooks", with the main complaint being that "no one taught them to cook".

Claire Davenport said: “Learning to cook new dishes can be easy with a little help. HelloFresh’s recipes are developed by our chefs, and are tried and tested so we know they work every time.

“We portion and pack all the fresh quality ingredients customers need, pop in step-by-step recipe cards and deliver everything to their door ready for them to cook and enjoy.”

“Building on your culinary confidence is easy with HelloFresh — our customers learn to cook over 150 recipes every year, using a variety of flavours from across the globe and easy-to-learn cooking techniques, making dinner time exciting and enjoyable.”

Top 20 meals Brits can cook from scratch:

1. Sausages and mash
2. Beans on toast
3. Spaghetti bolognaise
4. Boiled egg and soldiers
5. English breakfast
6. Roast dinner with vegetables and gravy
7. Omelette
8. Stir fry
9. Porridge
10. Tuna mayonnaise jacket potato
11. Soup
12. Shepherd's/Cottage pie
13. Pie and mash
14. Pancakes
15. Chilli Con Carne
16. Lasagne
17. Baked salmon with vegetables
18. Spaghetti and meatballs
19. Toad in the hole
20. Macaroni and cheese

SWNS