NEW research has revealed that almost a quarter (24%) of Warringtonians will be found sitting down to a hearty roast dinner as the winter nights draw in.
This is despite hotpot – or scouse, or lobby – being named the unanimous favourite among the town’s neighbours across the North West, including Liverpool, Manchester and Wigan.
The survey, carried out across the North West by Warrington-based United Utilities, aimed to understand the region’s favourite household evening meal over the winter months.
Households in Warrington voted the roast dinner as their favourite with 24%, with a hearty stew coming in a close second, and 23%, and fish and chips and spaghetti bolognese coming in joint third (10%).
The research was commissioned by the water company as part of their campaign to reduce the amount of cooking fats, oils and grease being poured down sinks and drains, which can result in a messy and expensive clean-up job.
The survey also revealed that 23% of home cooks in Warrington admitted to pouring their cooking oil down the sink, with 6% saying they dispose of butter and cooking fat in the same way.
So, whether people use cooking oil, dripping or butter to make their roast, United Utilities is reminding home cooks that it’s important to dispose of them responsibly at the end of the meal.
Andy Peat
Andy Peet, Wastewater Network Protection Manager for the Warrington area at United Utilities, said: “As the winter nights draw in, it’s no surprise that families prefer hearty and warming foods such as a roast dinner, but meals which involve cooking meats or roasting vegetables can be among the worst culprits when it comes to producing oils.
“It may not seem like much to one family, but when you add up thousands of dinners cooked every day across Warrington it can cause major problems. The incorrect disposal of fats, oils and grease down drains is a key cause of blockages.
“Once fats, grease and oils enter the pipes and drains, there is no way of controlling what will happen next. When they cool, they can solidify within the pipes, causing a nasty, expensive mess, or they can get as far as the sewers where they can affect the entire community.”
To prevent blockages in sinks and drains, home cooks are encouraged to scrape cooled oil and leftover food from plates, pans and utensils into the bin or a kitchen caddy.
United Utilities has a team of 115 people who deal with blockages across the region. They’ve dealt with more than 13,000 avoidable blockages in the last year and more than 12% of these were caused by fats, grease and oils.
For more information go to www.unitedutilities.com/help-and-support/wastewater-services/stop-the-block/
Close-up food photography of hearty Beef Stew with potato in crock pot and a side of toast
