Chocolate Pushes Sex Into Second Place

New MORI Poll Delves Deep Into Great Britain's Chocolate Pleasures

Food of Love

New figures recently released reveal that one of Great Britain's top pleasures is putting our feet up and relaxing with a bar of chocolate. One in two women prefer this above a night of passion and men select chocolate indulgence above going for a spin in a sports car!

In a MORI survey commissioned by Cadbury's Dairy Milk in which 1,965 people were interviewed nationwide , chocolate is shown to play a role in everyday life - including a substitute for love, a great pick-me-up and a basic necessity.

As the leading country in chocolate consumption, we collectively eat our way through an estimated 595,000 tonnes a year . This means we individually enjoy an average of 10kg of chocolate each year, with just one Easter and one Christmas to blame!

Choc Therapy

Our rhymes and reasons for eating our way through this astounding chocolate feast varies considerably and it seems that Great Britain's love affair with chocolate is unyielding. Women often relate to chocolate on a number of different levels whilst men view it as perfect for snacking occasions. Overall, two in ten of those surveyed cited chocolate as the option chosen to help cheer themselves up either on an emotional or a hunger level, whilst 15-24 year olds are more likely to say they 'couldn't live without it'.

Chick or Choc?

So what of chocolate's supposed seductive power? MORI reveals that in the celebrity sensuality stakes, Joanna Lumley's 'cat got the cream' smile guarantees more men would choose to share their bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk with her than with anybody else. The ultimate Friend to share their chocolate with alternatively is Jennifer Aniston, who comes in second by a hair's breadth. However, 25% of 15-24 year olds would opt for The Big Chocolate feast with Denise Van Outen.

Hunk or Chunk?

Women's taste in male celebrities is far more diverse. Surprising co-stars Tony Blair and Grant Mitchell rate evenly in third position, proving that brains are just as important as brawn. Top TV doc, George Clooney and a bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk was voted the best medicine by a quarter of 15-24 year olds. Sean Connery and Mel Gibson were voted overall joint favourites, demonstrating that a smooth exterior and 'melt in your mouth' charisma makes for a tasty encounter!

Eastern Promise

However, even when celebrities are involved, where you live dictates how generous you are with your chocolate. East Anglia comes out tops in the sharing stakes, with a third claiming to enjoy sharing their chocolate with family and friends. This drops to fewer than two in ten in London.

Just a Perfect Night

Could the survey point to a new trend emerging for pure chocolate pleasures and a return to classics? The end of the fast-paced 80's it seems has created the indulgent 90's and hence a subsequent return to tradition and quality time.

Whilst the modern phenomenon of snacking 'on the go' was cited as one of the top occasions for eating chocolate, MORI Poll figures suggest we're going back to basics with 48% of Brits' voting that their favourite place to eat chocolate is in front of the TV. If this new retro move continues, the perfect date might well consist of wooing her at home with a giant chocolate bar watching the box!

World Beaters

In the face of increased competition in the marketplace, the majority of Brits rate British chocolate as the best in the world - confirmation that we are truly world beaters!

Topping the bill as the best selling brand is Cadbury's Dairy Milk megabrand with sales of £230 million a year - representing just under half of the total market. In fact, the whole block chocolate market is seeing a resurgence and is bigger than the butter market and the same size as the bra and toilet paper markets!

Glass And A Half Makes It Chocolate And A Half

This well-loved 93 year old brand, produced at a rate of 317 million bars a year, continues to stand the test of time adapting to various lifestyle situations over eight decades. Utilising the famous 'glass and a half of fresh cream milk in every ½ lb', Cadbury's Dairy Milk is continually noted for its key distinguishing attribute - its creamy taste.

Now undergoing a major new relaunch backed by a £10 million investment, Cadbury's Dairy Milk has changed its image but not its recipe. Available in stylish, modern packaging, the brand is repositioned as 'chocolate and a half'.

The World' Largest Chocolate Bar

To celebrate the nation's passion for chocolate, Cadbury has created the world's largest chocolate bar. The giant Cadbury's Dairy Milk bar weighing in at 1.1 tonnes is nearly 9ft long, 4ft high and 1ft deep and made out of pure Cadbury's chocolate. If a hunk doesn't excite British women anymore, then a giant chunk of chocolate might very well!

Technical details

MORI carried out 1,965 face-to-face in home interviews across 155 constituency based sampling points in Great Britain between 21-24 August 1998.