Shepherd's pie is Brits' favourite home-cooked meal

London, April 15 (ANI): A survey has shown that most Britons consider shepherd's pie as their favourite home-cooked meal.

The survey also found that UK households were turning their backs on ready-made meals and takeaways in favour of home-baked British classics.

The top five favourite dishes included the traditional roast dinner, followed by egg and chips, casserole and lamb chops.

And previously popular dishes like curry and spaghetti bolognese were missing from the list despite chicken tikka masala being heralded as the nation's favourite meal.

"I think shepherd's pie is a good all-rounder, it's a one-pot meal," the Daily Express quoted chef Anthony Worrall Thompson as saying.

"When you're in a recession, it's a bit of comfort food. The idea is to cook it the day before and the mince can also be used for all sorts of things like moussaka and cannelloni," he said.

The survey of 3,000 Britons by kitchen company Magnet showed 90 per cent of meals eaten at home were freshly prepared rather than packaged food.

Over half said they now cooked more than ever before, with shepherd's pie getting 58 per cent of the votes for the dish made most often.

Other popular meals include dumplings and bubble and squeak - revealing a taste for old-fashioned cuisine despite 55 percent claiming to be "experimental" in the kitchen.

Some 54 percent said they ate fewer ready meals than before.

"At a time when everyone is tightening their belts, the rush to buy British food is greater than ever," Alexia Robinson, organiser of the British Food Fortnight, said.

"In a recession people like to hunker down, they like to be cosy and are drawn to comfort foods.

"Shepherd's pie is probably the ultimate frugal food and you can prepare it cheaply. You can spice it up or add to it and can use cheap cuts of meat," she added. (ANI)