NOVEMBER 2016
November is the start of the holiday season and for many, that means the return of their favourite festive dishes.
Ever wonder if pecan or pumpkin pie is more popular? Do people actually like stuffing?
Contract Testing recently conducted an extensive survey on consumer holiday food preferences with over 1,000 participants from across Canada and the United States.
Here are some of the interesting findings and insights from this survey:
There’s nothing like ‘home for the holidays’
More than 80% of Canadians and Americans host holiday festivities in their homes, from open houses to multi-generational dinners to everything in-between!
Winner, winner turkey dinner!
Turkey is the favourite holiday main dish for both Canadians (70%) and Americans (56%). A quarter of Americans prefer ham while only 10% of Canadians chose this dish. Beef comes in third with 9% of Americans and 7% of Canadians dining on it this holiday season.
Sides are the highlight
Canadians and Americans agree that mashed potatoes are their favourite holiday side dish, followed by stuffing and vegetables. Other favourites in the US include mac and cheese and sweet potato casserole while a number of Canadians prefer rice.
Desserts are always a favourite
Apple pie reigns supreme in Canada with more than 32% rating it as a favourite while 30% of Americans prefer pumpkin pie. Pecan pie comes in third with just 10% of Canadians and Americans picking it as a favourite. Other favourites include sweet potato pie, cake and cookies.
Toasting the season
Wine is the favourite holiday beverage for both Canadians (37%) and Americans (27%), followed by mixed drinks with 30% of Canadians and 20% of Americans selecting it as their top choice. Soda comes in third amongst Americans (16%), while beer takes the third place spot in Canada (12%).
For questions about this research, or how you can leverage consumer taste buds in your business, contact Andrew Scholes at andrew.scholes@contracttesting.com.