Christmas pudding under threat as millennials prefer panettone

Changing tastes down the generations mean sales of Christmas pudding are in decline. Photo / 123rf

Decked with a sprig of holly, brandy and flickering blue flames, it has been considered the pinnacle of Christmas dinner since Victorian times.

But traditional Christmas pudding is dying out, at least in the UK, new figures show, as under 35s are shunning the traditional dessert, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Changing tastes down the generations mean sales of Christmas pudding are in slow but steady decline, falling at around 1 percent year on year, Tesco's 2018 Christmas report has revealed.

It found that less than half of Brits now eat it on Christmas day.

Just over one in five (23 per cent) people aged between 18 and 35 eat Christmas pudding, it said, with younger consumers favouring alternatives like chocolate pudding and pannetone.

However Christmas pudding is still the most popular Christmas day dessert among over 55s, six in ten (59 per cent) of whom eat it on Christmas day.

Meanwhile Christmas pudding is eaten by around a third of middle aged diners aged 36 to 54.

It comes amid a general decline in the popularity of fruit cake, as fewer couples are choosing it as a filling for their wedding cake. Non traditional options like chocolate, lemon and carrot cake, which tend to be favoured by younger guests, are gaining popularity in its place.

Differing tastes down the generations mean hosts cooking Christmas dinner may be having a tougher job than ever pleasing all their guests.

Kate Ewart, product development director at Tesco, said: "Across the country, we're finding that sometimes only one person at the Christmas table wants the traditional dessert making smaller puddings perfect for hosts to keep everyone happy."

The report also identified the rise of veganism as another burden on hosts, with one in three (27 per cent) expecting to be catering for alternative diets this Christmas.

So popular are meat-free options becoming now, that more people will be serving vegan and vegetarian main courses than goose, the report said.

And in a further sign that Brits' love for "green" Christmas dinners is accelerating in popularity, the report also found that once-hated sprouts are now a more popular addition than pigs in blankets.

Derek Sarno, director of plant-based innovation at Tesco, said: "The increased awareness of sustainability issues around eating animal products combined with a more health-conscious consumer is driving plantbased diets mainstream."

Fun facts about Christmas pudding

1. Christmas pudding is thought to have its roots in a medieval dish called plum pottage, a stew that included meat, fruit and vegetables.

2. The surprising vegetable often included in a Christmas pudding is carrot.

3. A key ingredient in Christmas pudding is suet, or beef fat, which comes from the loins and kidneys.

4. Christmas pudding used to sometimes be called plum pudding, but doesn't usually include plums. This is because the word "plum" actually referred to the raisins.

5. 'Now bring us some figgy pudding' is a line in the popular carol 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas', which is supposed to have been written in the 16th century.

6. The famous cook Eliza Acton is understood to have been the first to refer to the dish as 'Christmas pudding'.