One in six have served food they’d dropped on the floor

One in six Brits admit to serving dinner guests food which has been dropped on the floor.

A poll, of 2,000 adults, found 28 per cent have tasted food directly from a spoon they’re cooking with – and then stuck it straight back into the pot.

While 28 per cent have knowingly served up food past its sell-by date and a third (32 per cent) have wiped down a bread knife and put it back, rather than washing it.

And 13 per cent have let a pet ‘clean up’ food or drink spillages.

The research was commissioned by kitchen appliance brand NEFF [www.neff-home.com/uk/], as part of their Hidden Heroes campaign, which shines a light on the unsung moments in the kitchen that make hosting truly memorable.

Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, who is fronting the campaign, even confessed to ‘stealing’ his mum’s famous beef Bolognese, proving that even the best chefs borrow a trick or two from family.

Tom said: “I think it’s brilliant to see that so many of us share the same kitchen quirks and mishaps – whether it’s dropping food on the floor or ‘borrowing’ a family recipe.

“Cooking should be fun, and it’s those little imperfections that make it special.

“I’ve definitely had my fair share of disasters, and yes, I’ve been known to take credit for my mum’s beef Bolognese.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about creating great food and memories with the people you love, no matter how you get there.”

Interestingly, older Brits are more laid-back about their culinary slip-ups – with 60 per cent of over-65s saying they wouldn’t feel guilty about a mishap.

But 57 per cent of guilt-ridden Gen Zers would be left stewing over their mistakes.

The research also delved into where Brits have learned their best culinary tricks from, with 58 per cent having done so from relatives.

In fact, 45 per cent still rely on their family members to help with cooking and prepping food.

While respondents cherish hand-me-down dishes, 62 per cent love giving these recipes a personal twist.

One in ten young Brits (11 per cent) have even confessed to serving up a family recipe and passing it off as their own.

And the secret recipe swapping doesn’t end there – as 43 per cent admit they’ve “stirred the pot” by tweaking a family recipe without telling anyone, fearing it could cause a recipe ruckus at the dinner table.

For Gen Z and Millennials, this pressure is even more intense, with 66 per cent worried that messing with a cherished dish could cause a full-blown family food feud.

Despite the potential kitchen chaos, adults aged up to 24 are leading the charge when it comes to hosting with 60 per cent enjoying cooking for guests.

However, 23 per cent of those polled, via OnePoll, would rather face job interviews (23 per cent), meeting the parents for the first time (22 per cent), or sit in a traffic jam (20 per cent) than cook an unfamiliar meal for company.

And when things go wrong in the kitchen, it seems that parents are still the ultimate culinary lifeline – with 33 per cent of Brits calling mum and dad for help in the middle of cooking chaos.

TOP 20 KITCHEN BLUNDERS BRITS ADMIT TO:

1.    Leaving dishes in the sink overnight and washing them in the morning
2.    Using the bread knife and wiping it down, as opposed to washing it
3.    Cooking with food that’s past its sell-by date
4.    Tasting food directly from the cooking spoon and then putting it back into the pot
5.    Accidentally burning a dish and scraping off the burnt parts to make it look okay
6.    Not tying your hair back when preparing a meal risking a hair falling in the food
7.    Spilling something in the oven, and hoping it will burn away rather than clean it
8.    Dropping a piece of food on the floor, quickly picking it up, and serving it to guests
9.    Letting the dog/cat clean up spills on the kitchen floor, rather than getting the mop out
10.   Using pre-made ingredients (e.g. ready-made pastry or mashed potato) and pretending you made them
11.   Adding extra spices or chilli to a dish without warning guests who might not like or tolerate spicy food
12.   Serving leftovers that are a bit too old and should have been thrown out
13.   Using the same tongs or spatula for raw and cooked food, risking cross-contamination
14.   Not checking for allergies in advance
15.   Reheating a ready-made meal – and passing it off as your own
16.   Telling dinner guests a recipe is your own when it’s really a friend or family member’s special recipe
17.   Forgetting to check dishes are appropriate for vegan or vegetarian guests
18.   Coughing or sneezing into a dish and not telling anyone
19.   Using dirty plates or utensils, pretending they were clean
20.   Telling dinner guests your recipe is an old family recipe when really you recently Googled it