Pub grub classics under threat

Pub grub favourites such as shepherd's pie and carvery roast lamb are under threat from the increasingly cosmopolitan tastes of consumers.

A generation from now, our children could even be sitting down to a meal of moonfish, with exotic veg such as quinoa and hiziki on the side.

The predictions are made in The Future of Food​, a new study of changing British tastes. Carried out by supermarket chain Sainsbury's to help develop its range of ready meals, it highlights changing food tastes that could be a wake-up call for publicans who aren't keeping their menu refreshed.

Along with roast lamb and shepherd's pie, traditional favourites in decline also include chicken casserole, fish pie and steak pie. In their place, shooting up the food charts are dishes such as cannelloni, chinese noodles and lasagne. Looking ahead, the survey predicts that dishes such a moonfish, a whitefish substitute for dwindling cod stocks, will become increasingly popular. Hiziki, a strong-tasting sea plant, and Quinoa, a protein-packed Peruvian grain, are also expected to become regulars on British plates.

However, all is not lost for lovers of tradition. One favourite that looks set to endure is the great British sausage.

As a nation, we sat down to a sausage supper on 1.8 billion occasions over the past year - a 4 per cent rise on 2003. However, even the humble banger is evolving, with varieties such as sweetfire chilli and pancetta & parmesan already on sale.

John Wood, Sainsbury's executive chef, said: "Looking ahead, one thing's for sure: the British palette is becoming more and more experimental.

"An educated palette can already appreciate seven different tastes in one mouthful and be able to discern each one of them. As the world gets smaller and as we travel further, so our desire for diverse tastes gets bigger."