One in five people say that turkeys can fly while one in ten believes the bird originates from Turkey, a new survey reveals.
The NFU-commissioned poll quizzed 3,000 people about their festive eating habits, how they choose a Christmas bird and how much they know about turkeys in general.
The results revealed that 20 per cent of people believe turkeys can fly with a further 14 per cent not knowing if this is true or not – 66 per cent said they can’t. Ten per cent of people think turkeys originate from Turkey while nearly half have no idea where they come from. Only 11 per cent know that a male turkey is called a stag.
Mike Bailey, a seasonal producer and vice-chairman of the NFU poultry board representing turkeys, said: “It has been fascinating to find out how much our customers know about turkeys. One of the more interesting findings is that public opinion is split on the age-old question of whether turkeys can fly or not and although you are not going to see them flying south for winter, turkeys can actually get off the ground for a short distance.
“I am pleased to add that 67 per cent of British public will tuck into turkey as their main meal on Christmas Day, with 58 per cent saying they will buy fresh. It is also interesting that 39 per cent will buy from a butcher, directly from the farm or a local market. This compares to 52 per cent who intend to buy from a supermarket. The survey revealed what their biggest priorities are when choosing a turkey, 61 per cent of people plump for quality, ahead of price (26 per cent), which means they put quality above the price for this most important meal of the year.”
The survey coincides with the re-launch of website www.ukturkeys.co.uk, where producers can register their businesses and consumers can find their nearest turkey supplier by using just their postcode. More than 300 producers have already signed up.
Some other survey results:
• People in the North East are least likely to eat turkey this Christmas as their main meal, with those in the North West most likely
• Londoners are most likely to eat a fresh turkey on the day – people in the West Midlands are more keen on frozen
• 39 per cent of people only eat turkey at Christmas but 80 per cent of people eat chicken at least once a fortnight
• Other popular meats served up on Christmas Day include chicken, goose, duck, venison, salmon, ham and gammon
Full regional results are available online here.
Notes to editors:
1) Turkeys are believed to have originated from Mexico.
2) To request an interview, photos of turkey producers or seasonal turkey dishes, email lee.perry@nfu.org.uk or call 02476 858664.
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