Food For Thought: Brits Have Spent £76bn On Their Kitchens

Brits are honing their culinary skills in style as new research out today* reveals they have spent £76 billion creating the perfect kitchen.

Research by Churchill Home Insurance shows that ‘café culture’ has spread into our homes as each household admits they have spent £3,113 on their kitchen. As well as the everyday electrical appliances such as washing machines and microwaves, Brits are also obsessed with buying specialist accessories such as popcorn makers, hi-tech food processors and pasta makers.

The research shows that an average home has around £1,539 worth of electrical goods at any one time ranging from freezers and cookers to electric pepper mills and grilling machines.

Furthermore, house-holders will update their electrical appliances almost every four years – which over a lifetime equates to £19,237. The main reasons for buying new appliances are general wear and tear (39%) or mechanical breakdown (32%) but it is possible that kitchen accessories can be accidentally damaged too. The research also reveals that over a fifth of house-holders bought a new appliance simply because they wanted an upgrade (22%).

House-holders are also filling their kitchens with £486-worth of kitchen utensils including the basics such as kitchen scissors and chopping boards as well as olive oil decanters and citrus fruit juicers for those that are more kitchen-savvy. Nearly a quarter of households (24%) like to keep up with current trends in utensils and one in ten will even visit specialist kitchen stores to ensure they get the very best equipment.

The research uncovers the reasons why Brits are content to invest a small fortune keeping their kitchen in tip-top shape. For almost one in ten people (9%) the kitchen is the most important room in the home. Furthermore, kitchens can actually sell homes -nearly a quarter of people (22%) admit they were influenced into buying their current home because of the kitchen.

A third of house-holders say they love cooking (32%). Additionally, nearly a fifth of men (19%) and nearly a third of women (32%) admit they even love baking.

Martin Scott, Head of Churchill Home Insurance, says:

“The research shows there is a clear trend towards higher specification equipment in the kitchen as changing fashions become more important to home-owners, and kitchen equipment is becoming a lifestyle accessory. Hence it’s easy to see how the value accumulates.”

The research also shows that over a fifth (21%) of house-holders get culinary inspiration from family and friends suggesting that it is important to keep up with the Jones’. A further fifth (19%) are motivated by cookery books. A quarter of households now have a TV in the kitchen and one in twenty (5%) get their culinary and style tips from celebrity chefs in the media.

 

Notes to Editors:

* Research commissioned by Churchill Home Insurance with 3,063 UK adults, January 2006.

 

For more information please contact:

Abi Clark
Churchill Insurance
020 8313 5830
pressoffice@churchill.com