In the land of the long white cloud, lamb is the king when it comes to the Christmas feast! Retail Meat New Zealand’s latest survey, which has become a festive tradition itself, now in its sixth year, has dished out some interesting findings. Over 3,000 Kiwis chimed in, and guess what? A good 34.29% of them are all about lamb on Christmas Day. Ham, the usual festive favourite, is just a whisker behind at 33.17%.
But wait, there’s more to the Christmas table than just the main course. Beef trotted in third place with 13.34%, and whole chicken, with 7.97%, just managed to flutter past turkey, which got 7.75% of the vote. It seems like turkey’s not the top bird anymore!
Now, this survey wasn’t just a tick-box affair. Promoted through the digital grapevines of Retail Meat New Zealand, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and NZPork, it even dangled a carrot – well, not literally – with the chance to win one of five Blitzen Meat Boxes.
And what’s a Christmas meal without the sides? Potatoes and kumara were the runaway favourites, scoring 91.03% and 55.82% respectively. But let’s not forget the greens – broccoli, carrots, and salads are also securing their spots on the festive table.
As for the sweet ending, pavlova is the queen of desserts, relished by 70.13% of the folks. Trifle, strawberries with ice cream, and fruit salad are also in the mix, making sure the Christmas feast ends on a sugary high note.
Katie Ward from Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc had her say too. She reckons food’s the real MVP of Christmas, bringing everyone together. And a leg of lamb? That’s not just tasty; it’s perfect for a crowd.
The survey also peeked into what else goes down on Christmas Day in Kiwi households. Opening presents is a biggie (77.47%), followed by backyard games (47.08%) and movie marathons (41.65%).
Oh, and about that Christmas (fruit) cake debate? Turns out, most folks (82.5%) are either fans or okay with it. Only a handful (17.08%) aren’t on board, and a tiny fraction haven’t even tried it. So, it looks like Christmas cake isn’t going anywhere!
