BRITS are so obsessed with gravy they drink it through straws, take it on holiday – and even pour it over pizza and pasta, a study has revealed.
The poll of 2,000 adults found 73% are fans of the brown stuff and typically enjoy it three times-a-week.
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But consumption is not confined to the home, with 13% eating it in the car, 11% carrying it in a flask, and 14% even taking it on holiday.
Nearly a third (32%) claimed they’d rather have gravy than a pint of beer, 29% would opt for it over a glass of wine, and one in five would choose it instead of chocolate.
One in 10 put it on ‘everything’, with 11% having it on a pizza and 10% opting to top pasta with it.
Other unusual applications include pouring it over pancakes (6%), cereal (5%), jacket potatoes (9%), hash browns (7%) and rice (7%).
The research, commissioned by Schwartz to celebrate the launch of its new Signature Gravy, also found the top dishes to enjoy with gravy are roast meats – beef (48%), chicken (48%) and turkey (45%).
These are followed by Yorkshire pudding and sausage or pie with mash.
A fifth of adults are in team ‘chips with gravy’, while 12% enjoy it with fried chicken.
A spokesperson from Schwartz said: “The extent of the nation’s love of gravy goes far beyond traditional combinations, with people enjoying gravy with salad and mac and cheese and even cereal.
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“Regionally there have always been differences when it comes to gravy preferences, and chips and gravy is one of the biggest food debates.
“But clearly, one thing everyone agrees on is that you can’t have a roast dinner, mashed potato or Yorkshire pud without a splash of gravy.”
Going against the longstanding assumption that northerners are the biggest gravy advocates, Oxford was revealed as the UK’s gravy capital, with 41% of residents claiming to ‘love’ it.
In fact, Oxonians love gravy so much that 26% tuck into meals with gravy more than 10 times per week.
Manchester (40%) residents are the UK’s second biggest gravy lovers, followed by Londoners (39%).
The research also found 27% of all adults have been known to ask for extra gravy when dining out, 21% have eaten it with a spoon, and 14% have even taken their own mix on holiday.
Leftover sauce on a plate is likely to be wiped up with bread by 37%, and 23% will tip their plate and slurp up the rest to avoid waste.
It also emerged 42% see gravy as a British staple, while 34% think it’s a comfort food.
While for 28%, one of their favourite things about the colder season is having meals with gravy, with the sauce making people feel homely (42%), comfortable (42%) and warm (39%).
The study, carried out via OnePoll, also found 29% of those polled claim they can confidently tell the difference between tastes of various gravy brands.
Top 40 food Brits enjoy with gravy:
- Roast beef
- Roast chicken
- Roast turkey
- Yorkshire pudding
- Sausage and mash
- Pie and mash
- Roast lamb
- Roast pork
- Toad in the hole
- Cottage pie
- Lamb chops
- Beef brisket
- Pork chops
- Casserole
- Roast duck
- Chips
- Steak
- Meatballs
- Pulled pork
- Nut Roast
- Beef stroganoff
- Fried chicken
- Jacket potato
- Onion rings
- Sliced white bread
- Hash browns
- Pizza
- Poutine
- Rice
- Burgers
- Curry
- Pancakes
- Salad
- Mac and cheese
- Sandwiches
- Breadsticks
- Pasta
- Biscuits
- Cereal
- Cake
