New research reveals London’s roast dinner habits ahead of Roast Dinner Day

The death of the traditional roast has been greatly exaggerated. New research released to mark Roast Dinner Day (4 November 2026) reveals that a quarter of Londoners (25%) still cook a roast dinner at home every week. With a stormy winter predicted, it looks like the nation will be reaching for its comfort food favourite more than ever.

But if we love it this much, why do so many of us save it for the weekend? Turns out, time is the real culprit. 40% of Londoners say the long cook time puts them off making one at home. Some roast dinners take longer than 3 hours¹, so half of Brits only wheel out the full roast for a special occasion.

Enter the 25-minute roast. Tefal and Aunt Bessie’s have teamed up to prove that your favourite Sunday treat doesn’t need to be a once-a-week affair or needs to result in a full afternoon in the kitchen.

Using the Tefal Ingenio Dual Stack air fryer alongside Aunt Bessie’s items picked up from your local supermarket, a full spread, featuring Glorious Golden Yorkshire Puddings, Homestyle Roast Potatoes, Sage and Onion Stuffing Balls, Honey Glazed Roast Parsnips and Carrots in a Maple and Thyme Glaze, can go from freezer to plate in as little as 25 minutes.

Tory Westwood, Cluster Marketing Manager, Aunt Bessies) said: “At Aunt Bessie’s, we’re always looking for ways to make it easier for people to enjoy the roast dinners they love. As more households turn to air fryers, we’re continuing to innovate our range to fit modern cooking habits without compromising on taste or quality. That’s why this partnership with Tefal is such a natural fit. Together, we’re helping consumers enjoy all their roast dinner favourites in as little as 25 minutes. Whether it’s a traditional Sunday roast, a family get-together or an easy midweek treat, Aunt Bessie’s makes it simple to bring everyone together around great-tasting food.”

Across the UK, the research shows that roast potatoes are our favourite part of a roast dinner (31%), narrowly beating the meat (27%), and followed by Yorkshire puddings (17%). With peas (1%), veggies (6%) and even gravy (5%) trailing far behind.

With a 10L capacity and 4 cooking zones, the Ingenio Dual Stack has your roast dinner covered. Using both drawers, it’s roomy enough to cook up to eight Glorious Golden Yorkshire Puddings, and with versatile cooking racks, you can cook your main and all the sides at once, without juggling multiple dishes in and out of the oven.

There’s good news for the washing-up too. Both drawers are fully dishwasher-safe and fitted with Ingenio detachable front panels, saving space in the dishwasher and removing the clean-up concerns that put 21% of Brits off cooking a roast altogether.

Patrick Lucereau, Marketing Director of Groupe SEB said: “We know a roast is one of those meals everyone looks forward to, but between the hours in the oven and the pile of trays afterwards, it’s easy to see why it gets saved for just one day a week.

“The Ingenio Dual Stack air fryer and Aunt Bessie’s products solve both problems at once. Pop your roasties, stuffing balls and veg all in one drawer, and save the other for your meat – so everything cooks side by side instead of waiting its turn. And because the drawers are dishwasher-safe, there’s no scrubbing roasting tins afterwards either. So, you can enjoy a full roast spread on a Wednesday as easily as a Sunday.”

So, what will the nation do with all that extra time? Turns out, 35% would relax, 25% would spend time with family and 19% would catch up on telly – proof that a quicker roast means more time for the things that actually matter. Whether that’s catching up on some sleep or settling in for the latest episode of The Traitors.

Tefal’s partnership with Nomad Foods began in 2025 with the aim of helping UK households get more from their appliances – and their food. The Tefal-approved logo now features on 65 products across the Nomad portfolio, including Aunt Bessie’s, Birdseye and Goodfellas, with rollout set to hit shelves by the end of the year. It’s all part of a shared commitment to making great food simpler, faster, and more convenient, without compromising on taste.