25th November 2025: The supporting side dishes are the showstopping stars for Christmas dinners in 2025 a brand new YouGov survey has revealed today. Roast turkey has long been the centrepiece of a classic British Christmas dinner however, it seems it’s no longer the favourite and has been dethroned by its festive sidekicks: pigs in blankets, roasties, and stuffing.

Commissioned by artisan fresh pasta and restaurant brand Pasta Evangelists [https://pastaevangelists.com] and conducted by YouGov, here’s what the survey revealed:

• Pigs in blankets is the preferred meaty element of a Christmas dinner taking 62% of the votes

• Over half of those who prefer them, (55%) agree there should be more Pigs in blankets at Christmas lunch

• Yorkshire puddings do belong on a Christmas dinner based on over half (58%) preferring them

• Brussels sprouts are still a popular side dish (52%)

• Non-traditional carbs are creeping in as a selection of under 45-year-olds who celebrate Christmas see chips, rice, and mac & cheese as worthy additions (24%)

The festive trimmings and sides took the top spots with some surprising contenders, while turkey didn’t even make it into the top three. When it comes to the top meat trimmings, pigs in blankets are a firm favourite with 62% choosing it as their preferred part of the plate, and among them, 55% agreeing that there should be more pigs in blankets at Christmas lunch.

But why does this matter? One British Italian brand with a growing high street presence is determined to help pigs in blankets remain the star of the show this Christmas thanks to the launch of a novel new dish – Pigs in Blankets Ravioli.

“Italian purists look away now! It’s Christmas and we’re pushing the boundaries in the best way possible,” comments Pasta Evangelists Head Chef Roberta D’Elia. “For the UK there’s nothing quite as festive as pigs in blankets, so why not make it that bit more delightful and combine with pasta too? This dish is a celebration of British-Italian culture, all with delicious, nourishing food at the centre for some festive joy. It’s refreshingly fun, filling, and so delicious”

And there were a few more surprising results that came up in the research:

Roast potatoes came in at the official number one item on the Christmas dinner plate with 82% selecting it as a preferred Christmas lunch item. Other hero festive trimmings were Brussels sprouts with over half (52%) of the British public choosing it, alongside stuffing with 63%. The big debate of a Yorkshire pudding on a Christmas dinner has finally been settled as it seems majority of us are all for it, as 58% confirm that they are needed on the plate.

Christmas with a culinary twist?

On the less-than-classic additions to a festive plate, it seems under 45-year-olds who celebrate Christmas are really shaking things up. A surprising 11% add ketchup, while hot sauce is also a rising star with 9% of this demographic adding some heat. The inclusion of some extra carbs is also on the rise with this group, with 12% adding chips, 12% adding rice and 11% adding mac and cheese.

The survey was conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Pasta Evangelists in festive-food celebration as one of the UK’s favourite festive trimmings gets an Italian twist. Pasta Evangelists is launching Pigs in Blankets Ravioli, a British-Italian fusion dish, as part of its Christmas menu for 2025. This will be available from 20th November on the restaurant’s mouthwatering Christmas menu.

Pasta Evangelists’ festive take sees plump ravioli parcels filled with pigs in blankets and dressed in a luscious cranberry & sage butter. A Christmas crowd-pleaser as well as a festive centrepiece designed to surprise, delight, and get people talking at the table.

The star dish will join a lineup of several exciting festive dishes on the new limited-edition menu:

• Pigs in Blankets Ravioli: This season’s star of the show and Pasta Evangelists’ lead festive dish.

• Festive Squash & Chestnut Agnolotti (v): A vegetarian delight, this has agnolotti stuffed with roasted squash and chestnut, served in cranberry & sage butter. Seasonal and satisfying.

• Black Truffle & Burrata Soli: The most indulgent festive creation. Soli filled with black truffle and burrata and dressed in a decadent truffled cacio e pepe sauce.

• Vegan Nut Roast Lasagne (vg): A plant-based showstopper that’s as hearty as it is festive. Layers of rich vegan nut roast bedded between creamy pasta sheets for the ultimate vegan centrepiece.

Pasta Evangelists’ Christmas range launches on the 20th of November across all dine-in restaurants, including Harrods Dining Hall and Food Hall until early January. And if that’s not enough you can even learn how to make these dishes in special, limited-edition classes at the top-rated Pasta Academy across seven locations until 30th December. Classes available in Farringdon, New Oxford St, Queensway, Richmond, Greenwich, Guildford, or Chiswick restaurants.

Book online at https://pastaevangelists.com

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

For all media enquiries, please contact: reese.marnu@dmcpr.co.uk or sophie.young@dmcpr.co.uk

Festive pasta-making classes will only offer classes for the Pigs in Blankets Ravioli and Festive Squash & Chestnut Agnolotti. To find out more details, visit https://pastaevangelists.com.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2182 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th - 14th November 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

About Pasta Evangelists

Serving up the UK’s freshest pasta and sauces, Pasta Evangelists first launched on our screens in 2018 when its co-founders Alessandro Savelli, Finn Lagun and Chris Rennoldson featured on Dragon’s Den. Since then, the company has gone from strength to strength and now operates multiple restaurants in locations such as New Oxford Street, Chiswick, Richmond, Greenwich, Farringdon, Guildford, Manchester Airport and the renowned Harrods Dining Hall, the latter of which is in partnership with three Michelin Star Executive Chef, Giancarlo Perbellini. Its pasta dishes are available for takeaway in 50 UK towns and cities. In early 2022 it opened The Pasta Academy, led by Head Chef Roberta d’Elia, where it has trained thousands of students in the art of pasta fatto a mano (made by hand). Since 2021, Pasta Evangelists has been part of Barilla Group, a 146-year-old pasta and bakery enterprise and the world’s largest producer of pasta.

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