Aussies take a fresh approach to food at Christmas

Tuesday, 13 November 2012: Almost every Australian will celebrate Christmas this year as they use the occasion to enjoy a meal with family and friends, exchange gifts, decorate their homes, go to a carols concert or attend church. However no Aussie Christmas is quite the same, with different family traditions, cultures and cuisines being celebrated.

Woolworths today released findings from its Australian Christmas Survey (Galaxy research commissioned by Woolworths) revealing almost every Australian (92%) will celebrate Christmas this year. This finding is consistent across age groups, states and both Australians who speak English (92%) or another language at home (91%).

Anna Lohe, Woolworths Head of Brand, said “Christmas in Australia is a social eating occasion. It’s about a table full of delicious fresh food, surrounded by the people you love. While almost all of our customers will celebrate Christmas in some way this year, we know that their Christmas celebrations are unique, driven by different cultural and food influences.

“Traditional carols and images often paint the picture of a white Christmas, but the Australian reality is typically a hot summer day spent outdoors, often around the BBQ, at the beach or playing cricket. Warmer conditions are also reflected in what we eat at Christmas, with a lot of customers opting for seafood and salad rather than or as well as the traditional roast.”

The Woolworths Australian Christmas Survey found that of the Australians who celebrateChristmas, 96% will have a special meal on or around Christmas day with 55%expected to attend more than two meal gatherings and one in five attending more than three.

The average size of a Christmas gathering is ten people with two in three Australian’s preferring to host their Christmas event in the backyard and 61% likely to fire up the BBQ. Two in three Australians will plan their Christmas meal at least one month in advance with 58% willing to try new recipes and 45% interested in trying new cuisines.

“Prawns, ham, Pavlova and fresh fruit continue to be popular at Christmas but our customers are also looking for inspiration. They are more inclined than ever to experiment with new flavours and cuisines.

“With most of our customers already starting to plan or at least think about their Christmas meal, we are focused on offering inspiration and great quality fresh food as well as unbeatable value,” Ms Lohe said.

With Christmas planning well underway for more than a third of Australian’s, Woolworths is where every fresh Christmas begins. This year Woolworths will be providing food ideas and festive inspiration for families of all shapes and sizes. Woolworths fresh food experts will highlight the very best meat, seafood and produce from Aussie growers. Additionally, there will be an array of fresh Aussie Christmas favourites for customers to sample.

For more Christmas inspiration and food ideas, please visit www.woolworthschristmas.com.au

**Galaxy research commissioned by Woolworths
Woolworths