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Sunday Travel Kitchen - Brits more likely to eat out on self-catering holiday
When you book a self-catering holiday, are you really prepared to cater for yourself? Probably not, as according to a recent survey by villa rental specialists Owners Direct, 75% of us Brits still eat out over four times a week whilst on a self-catering holiday. And we'll eat guinea pig, dolphin & rattlesnake on holiday - but not in France
Self-catering - myth?
Is this really a surprise? After all is a holiday, especially for hard-working mums, a time to kick back and relax leaving the cooking duties to someone else. So while the idea of self-catering may seem a good idea at the time, 40% of those surveyed actually ate out every day. That said one of the reasons for people going on self-catering holidays is so they can watch their budget, as this still holds true as 37% said the average amount they spend a week is between £100-£250 or an average of £7 per meal per person, based on two people dining.
When in Rome?
So if we are eating out, are we ditching egg and chips for local cuisine? Seems so, as the majority of Brits say that they embrace the local cuisine whilst abroad, but we seek our home comforts. We Brits are notorious for enjoying a good cup of traditional tea to start off our day. It is no surprise that over 40% of us take our own little luxuries away, with Marmite and tea bags proving the most popular items to take abroad. Guilty! To the amusement of my friends and family, when I travel to the States, my check-in luggage contains Kellogg's Cornflakes (US version to sweet and not as crunchy), tea bags, ginger nuts, baked beans, and Old Jamaican Ginger beer.
That said many Brits are adventurous when it comes to eating meat and fish when abroad, many claimed to have tasted / eaten guinea pig, crocodile, dolphin, rattle snake, mud hopper crab and fish eyes. Growing up in a Nigerian household, I could not be fussy when it came to meat, and over the years I have eaten guinea fowl, bush rat, sheep's head, cows tongue, snail, sheeps skin, and more - all delicious.
However, sometimes our willingness to 'have a go' results in finding out about local customs the hard way. A few of those surveyed confessed to finding themselves in embarrassing situations. One holidaymaker recalled using ‘the lemon in the finger bowl to squeeze on my asparagus.’ Another remembered ordering fish soup in Singapore and instead received a bowl of water with fish heads floating in it. Local customs are also well known for catching people out – one diner quickly learnt not to cause offence by eating with his left hand in Morocco.
As if trying not to cause offence when eating was not hard enough, before you get to the eating part, you have to place your order. And who hasn't had that embarrassing moment when too embarrassed to ask for a translation you have ordered something you know you will not eat. While some Brits stick to picture menus, three quarters (75%) of us are willing to give the local lingo a go – even if that means slipping up and being the butt of dinner time jokes.
The most common languages spoken abroad are Spanish (70.7%), French (57.3%) followed by German (19.1%) and Italian (15.4%). By contrast, very few people are prepared to have a stab at Greek, Arabic, Portuguese, Cantonese, Dutch, or Norwegian whilst on holiday.
Child-friendly
When it comes to eating out as a family, 50% of Brits feel that their children are adventurous with trying new foods abroad. One commented that their children “will eat almost anything except snails and calamari.”
58% of holiday makers find that restaurants abroad are more welcoming to children than at home, with most agreeing that they are simply more tolerant of younger diners.
Do it Yourself
When people do choose to cook for themselves, just under half (46%) of travellers like to purchase locally produced products such as meat and fish from the local market to fit in with the culture and try out new dishes. While over half wait until they get home to cook traditional meals like a roast dinner or curry.
Results revealed that 59% of Brits surveyed believe Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece deliver the cheapest but the best local food, with others enjoying the food culture in Thailand, Vietnam and India. Controversially France appears to be a common answer for the worst meal Brits have experienced along with being the most expensive!
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So what is the most exotic thing you have eaten on your travels? Do you take food from home when you travel, if so what? And, please share your embarrassing stories of ordering and / eating out abroad - the funnier the better.
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