Views, News, and Something to Muse: Christmas Food for Thought

Views, News and Something to Muse is a regular blog from Kit Arkwright, CEO of Beef + Lamb New Zealand – the consumer marketing body for the beef and sheep industry.

Being British, the best thing about spending Christmas in New Zealand is seeing how it’s done down here. What I really enjoy is hearing about Kiwi Christmas traditions. Cricket on the beach, surfing, perhaps a little bit of fishing or admiring the pōhutukawa trees in full bloom. Unless you’re very brave, most of these activities don’t feature in the UK – for obvious reasons.

But what is consistent across all nations that observe Christmas, is food becomes the focal point of the day. Yes, gifts are important, but really, if we’re being honest, if you’re of adult age, the most exciting bit is the food. The whole day is structured around food, and it brings a timely reminder of the role food can play not only nutritionally, but what it can do for our mental wellbeing.

A 2017 study conducted by the University of Oxford revealed that the more often people eat with others, the more likely they are to feel happy and satisfied with their lives.

Professor Robin Dunbar of the University of Oxford’s Experimental Psychology department, said: 'This study suggests that social eating has an important role in the facilitation of social bonding, and that communal eating may have even evolved as a mechanism for humans to do just that.

‘In these increasingly fraught times, when community cohesion is ever more important, making time for and joining in communal meals is perhaps the single most important thing we can do – both for our own health and wellbeing and for that of the wider community.'

Given that Professor Dunbar thought 2017 classed as ‘fraught times’ – looking back they were the halcyon days when Corona was just a beer – the advice to ‘make time for communal meals’ has probably never been more relevant. As we emerge from lockdowns and reconnect with friends and family, making a habit of doing it over food will mean you reap the rewards.

The recently completed 2021 edition of the Great Kiwi Christmas Survey – conducted by Retail Meat New Zealand in conjunction with Beef + Lamb New Zealand – found that of the 3,000+ respondents, 2,432 (or roughly 72%) will be sitting down and tucking into beef or lamb. What a resounding endorsement of our product, that on one of the most joyous days of the year, many thousands of Kiwis will turn to beef and/or lamb to make it even more joyous.

Happy Christmas.