BELFAST, October 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Chef Paul Rankin campaigns to put heart back into family meal times 

UK families are missing out on quality time together as research reveals that the optimum daily time for connecting together as a family, the main family meal time, is dwindling, with the average British family spending just 25 minutes together each day.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151015/277245 )

Despite over half of UK parents (57%) saying that the evening meal is when they get the most quality time together as a family to discuss their lives, British mums and dads are typically spending 65% more time in the kitchen preparing the meal than enjoying sitting at the table with their family.

According to new research released today, the evening meal is the time when families connect together and talk about their days, with the hot topics of conversation being plans for the weekend, school and work, the meal itself, TV shows and movies and special events, such as birthdays.

With time spent at the dinner table dwindling, and research finding that one in 20 families avoid eating main meals with their families altogether, British families are missing out on precious quality family time.

Michelin star chef, Paul Rankin, who regularly appears on our television screens, is embarking on a campaign to remind families that quality time spent together at the dinner table is as important as what we put on our plates.

"We all know the importance of spending quality time together as a family and I think we would all agree with the psychologists who tell us that children who frequently eat together with their families have a general improved wellbeing. But with the pressures of modern life clearly impacting our ability to do this, I'm keen to help mums and dads strike a balance around family meal times."

"We want to ensure we prepare balanced family meals but we need to remember to not only nourish our families but also nurture them. My campaign aims to get mums and dads out of the kitchen and round the dinner table, but less time in the kitchen doesn't have to mean less quality on the plate. I'm keen to show parents those classic, wholesome recipes and family favourites still have a place at the table today," commented Paul.

As part of a campaign to 'save our sausage', the chef is launching a traditional Irish recipe sausage that harks back to the original Irish sausage recipe of old.

With the research revealing that the top five British favourite family meals continue to be the classics - roast dinners, cottage pie, spaghetti bolognaise, curry and bangers and mash - Chef Rankin is highlighting that parents needn't slave over elaborate dishes, but rather bring dinner

time back to the traditional, wholesome dishes that have remained so popular with British families over the decades.

"Sausages have always been a great home comfort food and a staple at the dinner table and I'm keen to ensure the humble sausage remains at the heart of family meal times. Our research showed that over a quarter of families choose the classic sausage as their favourite meal and almost a third of children say it is their favourite food. I'm keen to bring this traditional taste back to the dinner table and ensure the authentic recipe is carried on throughout the generations."

"I'm passionate about feeding my own kids good food and, with this in mind; I teamed up with a renowned Irish artisan food producer to develop a new family sausage range with unrivalled taste, full of traditional ingredients the whole family can enjoy. I'm keen to show mums and dads that sausages can be a great modern meal solution to allow more time at the table, enjoying a classic family favourite."

Notes to Editors 

* Research from One Poll on behalf of Rankin Selection from 1,048 respondents, October 2015

About Rankin Selection 

Michelin star chef, Paul Rankin, teamed up with an artisan Irish food producer, Finnebrogue in 2009 to create a new range of sausages for the Rankin Selection. The new Rankin Selection Irish Family Pork Sausages provide families with a better quality sausage which has been created to a traditional, authentic Irish recipe taste.

For further media information, please contact:
Shona Jago-Curtis/Geri Wright/Fiona Hanna
Jago Communications
Tel: +44(0)28-90-918420
Mobile: +44(0)7824-636-926
Email: shona@jagocommunications.com or geri@jagocommunications.com

SOURCE Rankin Selection and Finnebrogue