Now Gen Z are giving Christmas dinners a ‘woke’ rebrand with gluten-free mince pies, coconut-oil roasties and vegan pigs in blankets

Christmas dinner in 2024 won’t look like it used to – at least in households where Gen Z is involved in the cooking.

It’s far more likely that Britain’s annual festive meal will consist of plant-based and gluten-free dishes, with everything from mince pies and pigs in blankets getting a ‘woke’ makeover to suit modern tastes.

According to new supermarket data from Ocado, 37 percent of shoppers say they will ignore the famous turkey altogether this year, while 33 percent of Generation Z declare they will cook a Christmas duck instead.

Meanwhile, a number of consumers have opted to incorporate new additions to the usual meal, such as roasted potatoes in coconut oil and gluten-free bread sauce.

This is a stark contrast to the usual festive dinner of roast turkey, baked potatoes and all the usual accompaniments of cranberry sauce and stuffing.

However, according to the survey of 2,000 shoppers carried out by the online supermarket, Generation Z has yet to turn their back on Yorkshire puddings, with sales of the baked side rising to a whopping 147 per cent this month.

Sharing this sentiment is a wave of content creators who have adopted this TikTok to show how they will deviate from the conventional Christmas dinner in 2024.

London cooking influencer Elly’s Plate showed off its ‘completely vegan’ maple pigs in blankets, which she claimed are so delicious they will ‘answer your prayers’.

She said the special recipe was aimed at those who were ‘plant-based’ and worried they ‘wouldn’t be able to enjoy pigs in blankets this Christmas’.

“No fuss and no cocktail sticks required,” she added as she encouraged viewers to try her recipe.

For the ingredients, she listed tempeh, rice paper and vegan sausages, as well as smoked paprika, agave nectar, balsamic vinegar and liquid smoke for the marinade.

According to Ocado, almost half of Generation Z (49 percent) agree their Christmas shopping has changed a lot in recent years, while in comparison only 21 percent of people aged 45 and over agree they have changed their shopping . list.

Elsewhere, influencers Freya and Charlie in Bristol unveiled their ‘ultimate vegan Christmas dinner’, which they claimed was ‘perfect’ for the special time of year.

“There’s no need to compromise on delicious food just because you’re vegan,” they added.

In one video At the post they served what appeared to be a delicious dish: a meat-free nut roast, meat-free pigs in blankets, mashed potatoes and a selection of vegetables.

Meanwhile, a Londoner advised fellow Gen Zers to ‘forget the classic turkey’ and try her ‘fail-proof festive duck recipe’ instead.

Known as Mann’s Got Munch TikTokshe shared instructions on how to make the ‘perfect festive duck’, complete with caramelised skin, juicy meat and a spiced orange and plum glaze.

In her 56-second video she said: ‘I want to bring something special to the festive table… so here are all the steps you need to make the perfect festive duck.’

She said a crucial tip when creating a ‘golden duck’ was to ensure the skin dried out completely. “Prick the whole thing and season it generously with salt,” she added.

She then advised viewers to leave it in the fridge overnight before baking it ‘at high temperature’ the next morning. She then instructed to turn it halfway through, lower the temperature and drain the fat to “crisp the skin.”

The maker topped it off with a festive glaze – a “sticky, spiced plum-and-orange situation” that is to be “lathered” over the duck.

Issy Sedgwick, also in London, got to work TikTok to share a plant-based Christmas dinner ‘with all the trimmings’ that she will be cooking for her and her partner this year.

She explained that although she had been sharing content for the past six years, this would be the first time she would ever reveal her meat-free Christmas roast.

Issy confessed that she liked to ‘keep it simple’ as there was nothing worse than spending all of Christmas Day in the kitchen.

She said that on that special day, she and her boyfriend would enjoy a “loaded plate” of baked potatoes, cauliflower cheese, sliced ​​tofu turkey and buttery agave-glazed carrots.

They also planned to enjoy homemade egg-free Yorkshire puddings, smoked tempeh bacon strips and Brussels sprouts, all ‘swimming in meat-free gravy’.

The changing attitude towards the festive meal may be due to rising inflationnow that things are so dire that the the average cost of a traditional Christmas dinner has increased by 6.5 percent in just one year.

Laura Harricks, Chief Customer Officer at Ocado, said: ‘It looks like Generation Z is having their Christmas cake and eating it too, mixing traditional festive dishes with new alternatives and modern twists.

‘While many of the Christmas items we know and love are still selling well, this data shows that younger shoppers are enjoying Christmas in their own way.

‘Whether you’re sticking to festive classics or looking for something different this Christmas, at Ocado you’ll find all the traditional favourites, as well as exciting innovations, such as chocolate wine and Picard’s Potato fir or even Mince Pie liqueur’.