Dinner or Tea? The North South divide over evening meals

Dinner or Tea? The North South divide over evening meals

An evening meal has different meanings across the UK, with half of people calling it 'dinner', and almost as many describing it as 'tea', according to a new study.

A minority of people - one in 20 - refer to the final meal of the day as 'supper', research by hotel chain Travelodge suggested.

The term 'tea' is more prevalent in the North, while 'dinner' is more commonly used in the South, said Travelodge.

Its survey of guests at its 200 restaurants found that one in five people think tea refers to a cup of tea, while a similar number said it was a light meal in the afternoon.

Shakila Ahmed, of Travelodge, said restaurant staff regularly debate whether an evening meal should be called dinner or tea.

"Opinion is clearly divided across the country - but dinner is growing in popularity," she said.

The average family eat their evening meal at 7pm, with a similar number insisting adults eat at the same time as their children, said the report.

Published: by Radio NewsHub
Start your relationship

If you are interested in receiving bulletins from Radio News Hub or would simply like to find out more please fill in the form below. We operate on annual contracts - spread the cost is available.

We aim to get back to you within 48 hours