New Year’s Eve celebrations are going ahead around the UK tonight, but nearly two years into the coronavirus pandemic, expect small gatherings rather than booze-filled parties.
A Waitrose Food and Drink report published this week shows more Britons are choosing to host intimate dinner parties to ring in 2022 with ‘healthy’ recipes taking centre stage.
The search volume for recipes for dinner parties has increased to 400% in the past week. However, the number of searches on the website for New Year’s Eve’ recipes specifically has gone up 160 percent.
When it comes to alcohol, revellers are turning to no or low alcohol options with more than half people saying they’ll take it easy on the drink this year.
Vegan and vegetarian dishes are also becoming increasingly popular. Waitrose’s vegan roasted vegetable tart has seen a 351% increase in clicks.
Waitrose revealed that Brits have moved on from large New Year’s Eve parties and are preferring smaller gatherings this year. Image from the Stock Photo
Waitrose has received a quarter of the responses that they have from people saying they look forward to hosting dinner parties tonight. A third of those who spoke to Waitrose admitted to having smaller gatherings than before the Omicron virus, which threatened to dampen end-of-year celebrations.
Two years spent lounging in the house, now revellers are paying more attention to their health and choosing healthier recipes.
Champagne cocktails are on the rise and some people still buy champagne.
For these intimate gatherings, hearty, comforting foods such as Beef Wellington, Mushroom and Stilton pie, French onion soup and Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable lasagne are proving to be hits.
Before tonight’s festivities, vegetarian dishes such as this grilled vegetable lasagna have seen a huge rise in popularity online.
Delicacies like mushroom caviar and watermelon, mozzarella & aperol bites are also on the radar of the fanciest of hosts.
Will Torrent, Senior Brand Development Chef at Waitrose said: ‘It’s clear our customers are hosting intimate dinner parties for New Year’s Eve this year.
He said, “And results show that just more than a third are treating themselves or their guests to premium, high-end quality products like wine and special ingredients.”
‘From what they’re serving as the main centrepiece to the fizz they’re bringing in the new year with, we’re seeing people upgrading their menus to kick off 2022,’ he went on.
With dishes such as this Stilton and mushroom cheese pie, Brits want to find a healthy balance.
As such, restrictions in Scotland and Wales have been placed in advance of New Year’s Eve celebrations.
In England there aren’t any such restrictions. People are encouraged to do a Covid before heading to parties.
George Eustice, Environment Secretary, insists that Covid admissions are being closely monitored by the Government and refuses to exclude further restrictions from January.
However, critics have condemned No10 for its decision to open nightclubs and other venues of hospitality during New Year’s celebrations. One medical union chief claimed it speaks volumes about the PM’s approach.
Vegan treats are proving extremely popular this year, with searches for these vegan roasted vegetable tarts going up by 351 per cent
Professor Danny Altmann is an immunologist who is based at Imperial College London. He said that the move shows the “greatest divergence” between legislation and expert medical/scientific advice.
University of Brighton Professor Sarah Pitt, a virologist said that having separate rules in England would lead people to travel across the border from Wales to Scotland to celebrate NYE before coming home to carry the virus.
Tory MPs supported Johnson’s refusal to issue tougher sanctions. They argued that it was better to trust the “good sense” of British citizens.
Waitrose offers the recipe for mushroom caviar right here, and hosts allow food to take center stage during this year’s celebration