Unilever poll puts Sunday Roasts on top for Easter

Easter may be synonymous with lamb, but consumers prefer beef and chicken with their Sunday roast, according to new research by OnePoll commissioned by Unilever Food Solutions (UFS).

A group of 1,000 consumers were asked to name their ideal Easter Sunday meal, with 55% naming a roast dinner their top choice. But, while chicken and beef were named the top varieties, with 32% and 31% respectively, lamb scored a lowly 17%, followed by a vegetarian roast at 13%.

The survey respondents picked out good value (41%) as the most important factor when choosing where to eat on Easter Sunday. When asked how much they would be prepared to pay for their food, most respondents said between £11-£20 per person, while 29% said between £21-£30.

Bad or poor value food was picked as the one thing most likely to spoil their Easter Sunday experience, followed by rowdy customers (52%).

The findings from the research have now been used to create a new Pub How to Guide, written by UFS' pub expert Chris Barber.

"Easter weekend is an excellent opportunity for pubs to attract extra diners, with added value menus, treats or activities," said Barber.

"Pub chefs may automatically think about spring lamb for their Easter menus but it can be expensive. Our research shows chicken and beef are likely to go down just as well with diners, but it's important to think about other ways that you can entice customers and stand out from the competition.

"Pubs can consider offering simple treats like Easter eggs, providing entertainment for the children or offering a discount for repeat visits. These were all picked out by survey respondents as things that would make them more likely to choose a particular pub or restaurant."