New research from Krispy Kreme® has found that over one fifth (23%) of Irish people ‘rarely’ or completely refuse to share food - with 38 percent identifying with Joey Tribbiani from the hit 90’s sitcom Friends. Over a quarter (28%) have even imitated his famous expression “Joey doesn’t share food!” when someone has tried to take some of their meal!
To celebrate 30 years of the iconic TV show and their new Friends - inspired doughnut range, Krispy Kreme® is helping ‘Joeys’ across Ireland embrace the benefits of sharing food, offering over 50% off a box of assorted Dozen doughnuts (costing just €12 - that’s €1 per doughnut!) with the secret code – “Joey Dozen Share Food”.
Available 17th - 18th June, the offer is redeemable at Krispy Kreme® shops across the UK and Ireland, with anyone who says the secret code also receiving a limited-edition doughnut slicer, so they can more easily share their dozen doughnuts with friends (or family, or colleagues…)
The new research, which polled 1,000 adults via OnePoll, found that of those who don’t like sharing food, nearly half (47%) say it’s because they don’t want other people touching their food, as well as wanting to enjoy what they’re paid for (35%). That being said, 14% of non-sharers say they’d be more willing to share their food if they can control the exact amount they give away.
Psychologist, Dr Rachel Taylor, weighed in on the debate to highlight the good that can come from sharing food, adding, “Sharing food and eating together have deep-rooted social and neuropsychological benefits. Eating together triggers positive feelings of trust and empathy – a primal need that evokes safety and comfort from years of evolution. Research has shown that after a food-sharing event, circulating oxytocin levels, also known as the love hormone, increase, so when we share food our brains associate it with social bonding and feelings of belongingness. You could say food sharing is quite literally sharing the love!”
“Looking specifically at sweet treats, like Krispy Kreme® doughnuts, there’s the added benefit of the brain seeing it as a reward – so when we share these, or see someone else sharing a sweet treat, our mirror neurons allow us to empathise and build stronger connections to those people. In today’s world, anything that can promote friendship and belonging – like food sharing - is something to embrace!”
Supporting Dr Taylor’s notions on the benefits of food sharing, 40% say it’s a great way for everyone to try different flavours and 30% believe it’s a good way of breaking the ice and bonding with people they don’t really know.
When offered to share food with someone, responders say it makes them feel happy (50%), included (40%) and valued (33%), and six in 10 believe sharing food with someone is a sign you really like them.
Looking at who we’re happy sharing food with, partners (36%), and kids (33%) are most likely to be on the receiving end, whilst 41% say they’re least likely to share food with their colleagues, despite the positive associations.
It even emerged that women are more likely than men to share their food in general, even if it’s just sometimes (82 percent compared with 72% of men). With 9% of men completely refusing to share their food, compared to just 4 percent of women.
Emma Colquhoun, Chief Customer Officer, UK & Ireland at Krispy Kreme® says, “Sharing food is a debate we’re all familiar with, and it’s hard to talk about the topic without thinking about Joey’s famous catchline ‘Joey doesn’t share food!’. To celebrate 30 years of the iconic TV show FriendsTM, we wanted to do something that helps the ‘Joeys’ of the UK see the benefits of sharing food, something we’re very passionate about here at Krispy Kreme®. Doughnuts are the perfect treat to share with family, friends and even colleagues, so we’ve launched a limited-edition FriendsTM-inspired range for the fans of the show to enjoy together.”
Among the foods adults are least willing to share were burger (35%), steak (28%), and sandwich (25%). Whereas sweets (58%), chips (51%) and crisps (50 percent) came out top as most sharable.
To help all the ‘Joeys’ in Ireland take their first steps in embracing the benefits of sharing
food, Dr Rachel Taylor has shared her top five tips:
1. Buy Some Extra: When you’re next buying some treats – think about getting a few extra. Having more than you need encourages sharing without feeling like you’re giving away your entire stash! With savings of over 50% on an assorted box of dozen doughnuts from Krispy Kreme, you’ll have plenty to share for a really reasonable price.
2. Slice and Share: If you struggle to share food, a great first step can be controlling the amount of food it is that you share. For example, with the Joey Dozen Share slicer you can cut off the amount you’re comfortable with giving away – starting small and building up.
3. Share the Experience: Describe the flavour, texture and aroma of the food that you’re sharing. Sharing the sensory experience makes it more enjoyable for both you and the person you’re sharing with.
4. Random Acts of Kindness: Surprise someone by sharing with them! Providing that element of the surprise can activate those mirror neurons and you’ll benefit too from seeing their reaction and the happiness it brings the person you share with.
5. Celebrate Together: Sharing food can be something you reserve for those special occasions – whether it’s Birthdays, promotions or even just making it to Friday afternoon. That way you’re not doing it all the time and it’s something that you can associate with positively.
FRIENDS (TM) Doughnut Range
The Krispy Kreme® x FriendsTM range includes four new doughnuts, available between 17th June – 21st July. The delicious new Krispy Kreme® x FriendsTM range includes:
• FRIENDSTM (from €3.75) - An Original Glazed™ Doughnut topped with chocolatey icing, sprinkles, and a white FRIENDSTM logo chocolate topper.
• How You Doin’? (from €3.75) - Another take on the classic ring doughnut dipped in purple icing with mango & passionfruit flavour frosting.
• We Were On A Coffee Break (from €3.75) - Topped with caffè latte flavour icing, an elegant chocolate swirl, frosting and finished with a white choc topper, it’s one for the coffee lovers!
• Trifle (from €3.75) - A twist on Rachel’s recipe, this strawberry and custard-filled doughnut is topped with chocolate curls and green sprinkles - luckily there’s no mince in this one!
The limited-edition Krispy Kreme x FRIENDS doughnut range will be available in Krispy Kreme shops, Tesco, Circle K, Applegreen, Centre Parcs and Plaza Group locations. For added convenience, orders can also be placed via Click and Collect between 17th June – 21st July.
For further information on Krispy Kreme, please visit www.krispykreme.ie and @KrispyKremeIRL on social media.
Slán go fóill.