As part of SuperValu’s new Dinner Time Well Spent campaign, it has today launched a comprehensive study on the current state of dinnertime rituals in Irish households. The findings reveal both the enduring significance of family mealtimes, and the increasing challenges posed by modern lifestyles.
According to the research, 80% of people in Ireland still believe that dinnertime is an important ritual that brings their family closer together and is a habit that we can’t afford to lose. 8 in 10 also expressed a desire to share more meals together, recognising the importance of this time spent with loved ones. Additionally, 92% of households with children over 5 years old want to have dinner together more often yet 1 in 5 are only doing it twice a week.
The research has also highlighted other alarming stats that uncover significant obstacles to families and households maintaining regular mealtimes. And it appears that although the desire to sit down and eat together is strong, technology, busy schedules and the effort of making the meal, means Ireland is on a downward spiral when it comes to taking this important pause at the end of each day.
As for those who are taking the time to sit together for dinner, more than two thirds of the country eat dinner on the couch in front of the TV each week, with 1 in 5 (23%) doing this five times a week! These figures highlight the growing fragmentation of family mealtimes and pose questions on how future generations will be impacted by this detachment.
Distractions at mealtime are another major concern, with over half (55%) of those surveyed acknowledging that they experience some form of disruption during dinner. The most common barrier, cited by 23%, is the difficulty of getting everyone together at the same time. Furthermore, a staggering 60% of households let family members use a device during meals as phones and TV perceived most permissible. In addition, 30% of households allow laptops at the table, indicating that work and other obligations are increasingly encroaching on this valuable family time.
Interestingly, Monday (31%) is the day most likely for us to share a meal together outside of Sunday (33%). However, Tuesday (3%), Wednesday (3%) and Thursday (4%) are the least likely days, potentially indicating that, amongst other possibilities, the hybrid working model (most popular days in the office) could be having an impact on mealtimes.
While there is a clear recognition of the benefits of shared meals, the research also reveals that for many, preparing dinner has become a source of stress, with 31% of adults viewing it as a chore. Nearly half (49%) of respondents expressed a desire to cook from scratch more often but cited a lack of time or energy as the main reasons for not doing so — an issue particularly prevalent among younger adults aged 18-35, where the figure rises to 59%.
This research coincides with the launch of SuperValu’s Dinner Time Well Spent campaign which encourages people of Ireland to take back dinnertime and remember to pause, together, at the end of each day and enjoy dinner.
Commenting on the findings, Shane Lynch, SuperValu Marketing Manager said: “At SuperValu, we understand the importance of dinnertime as a moment for families to reconnect. Our research shows that while the desire to preserve this tradition is strong, there are significant barriers that need to be addressed. We are committed to helping families across Ireland reclaim dinnertime, making it easier for them to come together, enjoy a meal, and strengthen their relationships. Our ‘Dinner Time Well Spent’ campaign is a call to families to prioritise the dinnertime tradition, by coming together and enjoying the freshest, best tasting quality food that makes every family dinner a special occasion”
To support the spread of awareness on the ground across Ireland and to really drive this movement to reclaim dinnertime, SuperValu is leaning into the universal, cross-cultural ritual: lighting a candle on the dinner table. As part of the campaign people are being encouraged to put away all the gadgets that interfere with the dinnertime conversation and light a candle or two to demonstrate that it’s family down time. To get people started SuperValu is gifting a number of candles that will enhance any dinner table – for more information check out https://supervalu.ie/about/
*Research was carried out by Empathy Research’s proprietary research panel in early August 2024 with a national sample of 1000 18+ adults.
