“Delia Syndrome” is costing restaurateurs and pub-owners money, as people opt to stay in and cook for their friends.
Fuelled by the increasing popularity of celebrity-chef cookbooks, £39.5b is now spent each year on UK dinner parties.
The survey by insurer Prudential found twice as much socialising occurred at home (55%) than in pubs and restaurants (27%).
Prudential estimates that individuals now spend £1,036 a year on hosting dinner parties.
Delia Smith and Jamie Oliver are far and away the most popular cookbook authors, with 13% and 11% of the total vote respectively.
Nigella Lawson, Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes collected only 3% of the vote each. But the most popular recipes remain those from mum, which were the preferred choice for 22% of people.
Prudential’s survey was conducted at the end of January and covered more than 1,000 people aged 16 to 65.
By Chris Druce
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