A recent study has explored where Brits have picked up their top cooking tips, with 58 per cent crediting their relatives as their main source of culinary inspiration.
Nearly half of Brits (45 per cent) still turn to family members for help in the kitchen with cooking and food preparation.
The study was carried out by kitchen appliance brand NEFF as part of their Hidden Heroes campaign, which celebrates the often-overlooked moments in the kitchen that make hosting truly special.
Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, who is leading the campaign, admitted to ‘borrowing’ his mum’s famous beef bolognese recipe, showing that even top chefs take cues from their family.
Tom commented: “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.”
While people treasure family recipes, 62 per cent enjoy putting their own spin on these dishes. The clandestine culinary tweaks don’t stop there – a cheeky 43 per cent confess to having “stirred the pot” by altering a family recipe on the sly.
Intriguingly, it appears that older Brits take a more relaxed approach to kitchen calamities, as a cool 60 per cent of those over 65 wouldn’t bat an eyelid over a blunder.
Conversely, a whopping 57 per cent of Gen Zers would be left kicking themselves after a culinary cock-up.
For the younger generations, namely Gen Z and Millennials, the stakes are even higher, with two-thirds fretting that tampering with a treasured recipe could result in a family fight.
Yet, when disaster strikes amidst the pots and pans, it turns out that parents are still the go-to dish savers, with one in three Britons dialling mum and dad for backup during a kitchen crisis.