83% of Brits vote a date that licks their knife as THE most off-putting date behaviour

REVEALED, it’s good old fashioned bad table manners that frustrates the nation when it comes to first dinner date behaviour, a new survey has revealed.

Dubbed ‘the new summer of love’, dating expectations are high for summer 2021. With restaurants, bars and ultimately a social life opening up without restrictions, singletons no longer have to put their love life on hold.

A survey of 2,018 UK adults commissioned by One4all Favourites Gift Cards, has helped remind the nation of the dos and don’ts when it comes dating, in celebration of the launch of their new Restaurant Favourites Gift Card, and the full return of eating out-out.

A landslide 83% of Brits voted bad table manners, including dates that lick their knife, use their fingers to eat and talk with their mouth full as the most off-putting behaviour in a dinner date.

A date that has their phone out on the table, and/or checks it throughout the meal got 78% of Brits shaking their heads, while taking smoke breaks, nail-biting and blowing your nose at the table rubbed up 77% of dates the wrong way.

In addition and listed in the nation’s top five dating turn offs* was dates who solely talk about themselves with more than half (60%) of Brits agreeing.

Looking at some of the biggest turn-ons at the dinner table, nearly 9 out of 10 Brits (85%) think a date that shows interest in them and asks questions about them is the best way to impress, topping the list of the UK’s top five dating turn-ons.

75% agree that a date that makes good eye contact is also a turn-on, alongside a date that is polite to restaurant staff (75%).

Indeed, decency is the best way to impress for 18–24-year-olds with a whopping 94% saying a date that is polite and friendly to restaurant staff, waiters and waitresses is the sure-fire way to their young hearts.

The survey further revealed that when looking at Brits’ expectations of a date, 1 in 4 18-24 year olds surveyed would want to pick the restaurant for their dinner date, while nearly a third (32%) of men would want the first dinner date to be at night.

Surprisingly, it seems trust is lacking when it comes to dining for engaged couples, with over a third (34%) of fiancés placing the most importance on being able to pick the restaurant for a dinner date themselves, as opposed to letting their other half decide.

With over half (57%) of Brits believing the first date has the power to make or break a relationship, it’s easy to understand that an overwhelming majority (78%) feel the most ‘fobbed-off’ if their date invites other people along to dinner.

It’s British men, who have been found to be the nation’s old romantics with over a third (36%) saying wining and dining is very important in a long-term relationship to help keep the romance alive.

Aoife Davey, Senior Marketing Director at One4all Favourites Gift Cards, comments on the findings: “The past year has been tough for the nations’ love lives, whether single, in a relationship or married. Covid restrictions have meant many cancelled dates or postponed romantic getaways, but now that restaurants have no restrictions placed on diners, the great British love life can be rekindled in its natural habitat by booking that first dinner date in the diary.

“It doesn’t surprise me that as a nation we place such high importance on a first date, but it doesn’t need to stop there… Even when you’ve been with your partner for a long time, wining and dining a loved one is extremely important, not just to keep the romance alive but to press pause on hectic schedules and enjoy some alone time together.

“Now is the perfect moment to put your love life back on the menu and what better way to do that than with the new Restaurant Favourites Gift Card from One4all whether the first date or the 100th date, just make the booking, put on that new outfit and surprise someone special with a dinner date.”

The One4all Favourites Gift Card be spent in more than 55,000 stores across the UK and can be loaded with anything from £15 to £100. It is easy to buy from your local Post Office, Tesco, selected supermarkets or online at one4all.com/favourites.