Scots select lentil soup as their favourite
Forget modern gourmet or innovative twists, when it comes to enjoying a bowl of soup it is official: Scottish consumers love the classics, with lentil soup voted as a 2019 meal winner.
With National Soup Month taking place in January. and soup season in full swing, Scotty Brand – who make a range of freshly ready-made wholesome soups and soup mixes – decided to find out Scottish people’s favourite soul bowls…and how often they ate the ultimate winter warmer.
Results from a pan-Scotland survey revealed that the top winter warmer was lentil soup (30%), closely followed by Scotch Broth (18%) and Cream of Tomato (15%) with 75% of the nation choosing soup as their meal of choice at least once a week.
Michael Jarvis, head of marketing for Scotty Brand said: ‘In the winter months it’s all about food for the soul that has many of us gravitating towards wholesome, more traditional dishes such as a comforting, hearty soup.
‘We offer a range of tasty fresh soups – including Lentil, Scotch Broth, Cream of Tomato, Vegetable, Pea & Ham, Chicken & Rice, Carrot & Coriander – and were intrigued to find out what people really wanted in their bowl. Results have shown there’s a return to classic flavours for nostalgic soul bowls.’
The soup survey also revealed that Scots are very particular about how they eat their soup with 81% always choosing a bowl and the ceremony of eating at the table (61%) as opposed to a mug or on-the-go flask. And when it comes to making soup, 60% of the nation opted for convenience and a little helping hand in the kitchen choosing ready-made soups or soup mixes.
The pan-Scotland survey also revealed a geographical spread in soup taste buds:
75% of Aberdeen residents opted for Lentil or Scotch Broth soup with a staggering 93% eating soup at least once a week. And in Motherwell 50% of locals chose Lentil soup as their winter warmer with 99% opting for the ready-made version.
In Edinburgh, Lentil still came out on top at 33% but Cream of Tomato (18%) and Scotch Broth (13%) also vyed for attention with 67% consuming soup at least once a week and 73% opting for ready-made soups and mixes.
73% of Glasgow residents admitting eating soup at least once a week (57% of which opted for ready-made soups) whilst in the Highlands and Islands the percentage of soup lovers shot up with 89% opting for soup at least once a week.
In Perth & Dundee, Scotch Broth was a clear winner at 37% with 49% of residents choosing to make soup from scratch
Michael added: ‘I think it’s fascinating how people choose to make their soups as the results echo our own research – people want comforting, nourishing, wholesome soups fast.’
