Social media is playing a pivotal role in this burgeoning millennial food culture, and we can reveal that 22 per cent of Brits source their food inspiration from Facebook, with social media platforms becoming a ‘go to’ destination for culinary ideas.

Although our survey reported websites and social media platforms as the main source of ‘foodie’-inspiration, there has also been a rise in young people watching cookery programmes, with 57 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds watching more cooking TV shows than they did five years ago.

The survey of more than 1,000 consumers looked at eating habits across the UK and uncovered some surprising findings:

1. The top 5 places Brits get their food inspiration from are: Websites (37%), Books (26%), Family (25%) Facebook (22%) and TV shows (21%)
2. Facebook is the most popular social media site for food inspiration with 22% of Brits using the platform for recipes and ideas, shortly followed by YouTube (12%) and Pinterest (7%)
3. 57% of Brits aged 16-24 watch more cookery programmes than they did five years ago
4. Brits from Edinburgh are most likely to eat 5 or more portions of fruit and veg a day (20%), compared to just 1 in 20 Londoners (5%)
5. Only 1 in 4 Brits said the healthiness of a meal would make them more likely to choose a certain recipe (25%), although almost half of respondents from Brighton said this would be a primary factor (46%)

Food culture plays a prominent role in our everyday lives and is a constantly changing area. In the past, people wanting to expand their culinary expertise would buy cookbooks and watch cooking programmes, whereas today social media platforms act as the key source for inspiration in the kitchen.

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