Britain's most boring dinners revealed as one city is named capital of bland food

Sheffield has been crowned Britain's capital of dull dinners after more than half its residents admitted their evening meals were seriously lacking in excitement. And it seems the rest of the country isn't exactly setting the kitchen alight with culinary creativity either.

A new survey of 2,000 adults has revealed that spaghetti Bolognese, jacket potatoes and curry are among the dishes dominating Britain's dinner tables, with millions apparently happy to eat the same old favourites on repeat.

But while Sheffield has landed the wooden spoon, the research suggests the nation's wider obsession with familiar food is leaving plenty of us bored with what's on our plates.

Sheffield tops the table for Britain's most boring dinners

The study, which questioned people across 12 major UK cities, found that 52% of Sheffield residents believed their meals lacked adventure and imagination.

Across Britain, almost half of respondents (46%) admitted they were stuck in a dinner rut, while a third (33%) said they generally played it safe by cooking dishes they already knew.

And for 22%, the problem wasn't just repetition. They described their everyday meals as either not very flavourful or not flavourful at all.

It's not exactly a ringing endorsement of Britain's home cooking, particularly when the country's favourite regular dinners include jacket potatoes, sausage and mash, beans on toast and pie and chips.

But before Sheffield residents throw their oven gloves down in protest, there is some consolation. The findings suggest boring dinners are a nationwide problem rather than something confined to South Yorkshire.

Brits are adventurous in restaurants but boring at home

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Britain isn't necessarily afraid of exciting food. We're just not particularly enthusiastic about cooking it ourselves.

The survey found 43% of people were more adventurous when eating out, compared with just 8% who said they actively experimented with new flavours and ingredients in their own kitchens.

And there are some fairly understandable reasons for that reluctance. Lack of time was the biggest obstacle, cited by 38%, while 31% blamed the cost of ingredients and 22% said they simply lacked inspiration.

Another 21% admitted they weren't particularly confident in the kitchen, suggesting that even enthusiastic eaters might prefer someone else to tackle an unfamiliar recipe.

Yet plenty of Britons are willing to broaden their horizons. Nearly a third (31%) would try an unfamiliar fruit or vegetable such as jackfruit, while 28% fancied giving Caribbean jerk chicken a go.

West African jollof rice appealed to 22%, and 26% said they would be happy to sample seafood they had never tried before.

The 20 dinners Britain keeps cooking again and again

So what's actually appearing on our dinner tables? The survey identified these 20 dishes as Britain's most popular regular evening meals.

1. Spaghetti Bolognese
2. Jacket potato
3. Curry
4. Pizza
5. Stir-fry
6. Salad
7. Sausage and mash
8. Pasta bake
9. Fish and chips
10. Shepherd's pie or cottage pie
11. Lasagne
12. Chilli con carne
13. Chicken and chips
14. Soup
15. Noodles
16. Beans on toast
17. Pie and chips
18. Omelette
19. Steak and chips
20. Fajitas

It's a line-up that mixes traditional British comfort food with a handful of international favourites, although the humble jacket potato's second-place appearance suggests convenience remains a powerful influence.

And despite all the talk of boring meals, Britons aren't ready to abandon the classics. Asked what they would eat if they could choose only one meal for the rest of their lives, respondents put roast dinner, fish and chips and pizza at the top of their wish lists.

Salt, pepper and paprika dominate Britain's spice racks

Britain's reluctance to experiment is also reflected in the contents of its kitchen cupboards.

Salt was the most common seasoning, found in 80% of respondents' homes, followed by pepper at 73% and paprika at 63%.

More adventurous flavours were considerably less widespread. Chinese five spice appeared in 30% of cupboards, while just 15% had jerk seasoning and the same proportion owned harissa.

The research was commissioned by world food brand Tropical Sun Foods to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Emma Macorison, from the company, said: "We Brits have a reputation for bland food, and the poll suggests many of us are playing it safe, relying on the same meals and ingredients on rotation.

"But you don't have to reinvent the wheel.

"A sprinkling of seasoning or a dollop of sauce can be all it takes to make your dinner sing."

Britain's tastes are changing, despite our boring favourites

There is some hope for the nation's taste buds, however. More than a third of people (37%) believed they had become more adventurous with food as they got older.

And 30% said they cooked dishes from cuisines they hadn't encountered during childhood at least a few times a month, suggesting Britain's eating habits have evolved considerably over the past three decades.

Emma added: "I remember trying spaghetti Bolognese for the first time in the 1990s. Now it's one of the dinners people cook most often.

"As the brand celebrates 30 years, we want to keep that sense of discovery alive, whether that means cooking jollof rice for the first time or trying a new seasoning in an old favourite."

For Sheffield, meanwhile, there's still time to shake off its unwanted culinary crown. A little extra spice might be a good place to start.