The use of mobile phones at the dinner table has been identified as the biggest threat to romance during a Valentine’s Day meal, in an online survey undertaken for Scotch Beef PGI.

42% of those questioned in the YouGov survey, commissioned by Quality Meat Scotland, identified banning the use of mobile phones and tablets at the dinner table as top of their list of “romance rules” to help prevent the atmosphere being ruined on one of the most romantic days of the year.

The YouGov survey, undertaken last week, saw over 2000 UK adults questioned on their Valentine’s Day plans.  Other romance spoilers identified included the presence of children (10% of those surveyed) while money (5%), football (4%) and politics (3%) were all highlighted as areas of discussion to avoid if the dinner date is to run smoothly.

The survey also identified steak as the number one choice for a Valentine’s dinner to impress, coming out well ahead of alternatives such as salmon, pasta, pizza and burgers. The results also revealed that more people would prefer to dine out this Valentine’s Day, rather than eat in.

“With so many shoppers looking to purchase quality steak in the coming days, this week offers a fantastic opportunity to really inspire people about Scotch Beef and what sets it apart,” said Carol McLaren, Head of Communications with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

“Scottish farmers work very hard to produce a top quality product and the fact that steak is the number one choice to celebrate Valentine’s Day with is great news for the industry.” 

QMS has also developed a “Perfect Steaks and Roasts” app which is free to download and packed with tips to help ensure there are no excuses for producing anything other than a perfect Scotch Beef steak on Valentine’s Day.

A selection of recipes, and information about Scotch Beef, can also be found at www.scotchkitchen.co.uk