One in five cook just for showing off on social media

Rather than cooking for the enjoyment of it, a fifth of adults admit to regularly making a nice looking meal with the sole purpose of posting about it on sites such as Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
Perfect for showing offPerfect for showing off
Perfect for showing off

The average adult will share at least one picture of food every week on social media, and ‘like’ or comment on another two.

More than one in twenty even admit to posting more than six food pictures each week – a total of 312 a year.

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The study, by Lurpak as part of its movement to get people to turn their screens off and their ovens on, also found Brits spend longer looking at food on social media than actually cooking it.

Looking good enough to eatLooking good enough to eat
Looking good enough to eat

More than five hours a week is spent watching cookery programmes, browsing posts and videos on social media and tweeting about food, but just four hours making any meals.

Media psychologist, Emma Kenny, also analysed over 400 hours of food culture spanning TV, radio, internet and social media conversations as part of the Lurpak study.

She said: “With so much delicious food content online, there’s pressure to compete on social media channels. Research by Lurpak shows however that less of us are actually cooking. We’re faking it - taking pictures of food prepared by other people and missing out on the thrill and creativity of cooking!

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“We need to reassess our relationship with food. Cooking is honest and real and authenticity is good for the soul. Masterpieces can be messy just as much as picture perfect - so let’s take the pressure off and put the enjoyment back in. See how your life improves.

Mouth wateringMouth watering
Mouth watering

“That’s what Lurpak’s ‘Game On, Cooks” initiative is all about - encouragingpeople off the sofa and into the kitchen. Stop scrolling and hash-tagging and start cooking because you’re not a cook until you cook.

The study of 2,000 adults found the average Brit spends one hour and 37 minutes a week watching cooking and food-related TV shows, with The Great British Bake-off, Masterchef and Come Dine with Me the most popular.

Another 44 minutes a week is spent engaging with food via Facebook, and another 20 minutes tweeting about it.

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Foodies also browse Instagram and Pinterest for 19 minutes a week, watch cooking videos on YouTube for 34 minutes a week and spend 58 minutes reading articles on food websites and blogs.

Presentation is everythingPresentation is everything
Presentation is everything

Top Foodies/Chefs on Instagram

1. Jamie Oliver – 4.9m

2. Gordon Ramsey – 1.8m

3. Joe Wicks – 1.5m

4. Ella Woodward – 953k

5. Nigella Lawson – 809k

6. Symmetry Breakfast – 637k

7. Madeleine Shaw – 252k

8. Top With Cinnamon – 213k

9. Clerkenwell Boy – 147k

10 Gizzi Erskine - 124k

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