The traditional roast dinner has been revealed as the nation’s favourite family meal following a survey of 2000 adults. The classic British “Sunday” dish was a clear favourite, followed by the UK seaside classic fish and chips, with pizza completing the top three meals. Around half the respondents voted for the roast dinner as their favourite meal, which shows just how popular the traditional dish is. Steak and chips was also a popular choice, favoured by almost one-quarter of those surveyed.
Sharing Meals
The majority of those surveyed also reported that sharing a mutual love of these meals brought their families together and some respondents even reported that when the family were unable to share meals together, they found it difficult to feel as close. This seems to be supported by research findings from the World Happiness Report 2025 which reports that sharing meals is one of the best things we can do for our wellbeing.
Top 20 UK Family Meals
- Roast dinner
- Fish and chips
- Pizza
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Steak and chips
- Lasagne
- Chicken curry
- Sausage and mash
- Shepherd’s pie
- Chili con carne
- Cottage pie
- Fajitas
- Pasta bake
- Stir fry
- Burgers or veggie burgers
- Steak pie
- Stew
- Casserole
- Jacket potato
- Macaroni cheese
There’s a real range of dishes featured, with certain dishes easier to prepare than others. Some of the meals in the top 20, such as lasagne, curries, stews and casseroles, are certainly suited to batch cooking, so you can cook up a large portion to divide up into smaller servings in ovenable trays such as those found at www.southerncrosspackaging.com/ovenable-trays to freeze and reheat another day for an easy dinner, which makes it quicker and easier to cook and share a meal together.
With parents living such busy lives, balancing work and home, it can be difficult to make time for family meals, but opting for a meal that will be enjoyed by all is a good start to enticing everyone to the table to enjoy it together.