When was the last time you ate chicken?
For the non-veggies, it was probably recently: we now consume about 30 million birds a week in the UK according to the British Poultry Council (BPC). Whether you’re after a healthy source of protein, something easy and frozen for the children, a cheap, greasy snack on the high street, or a traditional Sunday roast – chicken is the meat that fills all roles (and rolls). And its popularity is ever-growing.
In 2025, UK consumption hit 2.55 million tonnes. This is the equivalent of one person eating four large chicken breasts (700g) a week. This decades-long increase (poultry production has gone up 501 per cent between 1961 and 2022), has been compounded by health warnings about red meat and the recent protein craze.
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
4 min read
A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
2 min read
It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
2 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Victorinox paring knife
It’s comfortable to hold, with a point sharp enough for scoring pastry.
ProCook cast iron pan
For unbeatable searing and heat-retention, cast iron is the top choice.
Tesco chopping board
Priced at just £22, I’ve yet to find another board that matches it for sheer value and quality.
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Pyrex jug
It is the perfect vessel for blending smooth sauces, melting butter, or warming stock. It won’t stain like plastic and the red measurements never fade.
Salter scales
“I’ve had my slim little set of Salter Disc Scales for over a decade, and I’m delighted to see they are still made to exactly the same reliable design today.”
Microplane grater
It uses photo-etched stainless steel teeth that stay razor-sharp for a decade, something the lookalike copycats simply can’t match.
Braun hand-held blender
It’s an essential for everything from making velvety soup to getting the lumps out of white sauce.
Bodum cafetiere
As well as delivering great results, cafetieres are easy to clean and there’s no ongoing filter paper costs or pod recycling to deal with.
5 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Oxo peeler
What truly sets it apart is the chunky, rubberised handle that absorbs pressure and stays completely non-slip, even if your hands are wet. It is inexpensive and incredibly durable.
Falcon pie dish
Made by fusing porcelain onto heavy-gauge steel for smooth durability, it is dishwasher, freezer, hob, air-fryer and oven-safe.
The golden rules for a happy, secure relationship
Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr Amir Levine, author of bestselling book , explains why we behave the way we do in love.
Golden rules for happy relationships
Start with your own behaviours
The foundation of a secure, connected life is being what I call CARRP: that means being consistent, available, responsive, reliable and predictable. All of these qualities can be enacted in small gestures every day.
Express your needs
People need consistency and connection to feel safe. This is not, ‘You hurt my feelings by never replying to me’, it’s more ‘this is the kind of contact that helps me feel secure’.
Golden rules for happy relationships
The appendix ‘inflammation’ rule
If a relationship repeatedly inflames your nervous system, you need to disengage and deprioritise it.
Lean on community
You don’t need hundreds of friends. You need people and places that regularly remind you that you belong.
Stop blaming childhood
Humans are much more complicated than: ‘this happened to you, therefore you are doomed to be anxious’.
Reach for a
secure script
When something unsettles you in a relationship, your first reaction is not always the most accurate one.
If you’re anxious, your brain may jump very quickly to: ‘this is the beginning of the end’. If you’re avoidant, your brain may say: ‘this person wants too much from me, I need to get away’. So one very practical thing you can always do is pause and ask: ‘What would a secure person do here?’
Loneliness elsewhere
When people talk about loneliness, they often assume it means you don’t have enough people in your life. But you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely if those relationships leave you feeling excluded, ignored or disconnected.
What to do
- Build a community that works for your temperament and gives you regular, reliable moments of connection.
- You can still be kind to people while not treating them as someone who belongs in your inner circle.
- Explain what you need. Sometimes people simply don’t realise how you are experiencing them.
- Check in with people: does this person actually feel that I’m reliable? Do they experience me as predictable? That’s the only way that you can start to become more secure.
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
- Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
- Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
- Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
- Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
How to age well
without pain
Will Harlow, a physiotherapist
for the over-50s and author of Independence for Life, shares
the key signs you’re ageing
badly – and what to do about it.
How to know
Ageing well is maintaining the ability to do what you want you want for as long as you want without needing help. Everyone is talking about longevity but what’s the point in living longer if the last decade is painful and you’re [totally] reliant on people?”
The signs to look out for
- The most obvious early warning sign of bad ageing is pain says Harlow.
- Another is losing confidence in doing daily tasks, which can quickly lead to a lack of independence.
- One call Harlow often receives is people calling after having a fall and struggling to get up.
4 min read
How to age without pain
Not just stopping
When people retire, they often put their feet up and stop. Your body really is use it or lose it.
Throughout our entire lives, Harlow says we need between seven and nine hours of sleep.
Social isolation
The lack of connection can increase the risk of premature death by
as much as 29 per cent.
Strength training
It really is the proxy for
overall independence.
The more muscle mass you have, the less chance of heart disease, diabetes, falls and even anxiety, depression and dementia.
The brain can be linked to muscle mass too, Harlow says. It’s not just about being able to lift things. It gives you more energy, better sleep and you’ll look and feel better.
How to age without pain
Daily habits
Do short bursts of exercise, between 30 and 60 seconds, in otherwise dead time during the day.
Stretch in bed
Take joints through a full range of motion for five minutes to loosen it before getting up.
Don’t crash diet
How to age without pain
Harlow advises 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight to stop muscle loss alongside resistance training.
Don’t wait
Harlow finds that many patients put off making a change to their lifestyle until their lives are consumed by pain.
For most people, it’s about reducing the number of times per week you’re exercising, not reducing intensity.
The three ageing tests to do
- Lie completely flat on the floor and get back up to a standing position using any technique. This should take less than 10 seconds.
See how many times you can sit on the chair and stand back up again in 30 seconds. Men should be aiming for more than 14 times and women 12.
The single-leg stand, which involves standing on one leg and balancing for 10 seconds. Everyone should be able to do that and for those under 65, Harlow asks them to do it with their eyes closed.
Despite the job market hiring fewer entry-level roles, employers are still looking for grads…
But you should be prepared to keep an open mind.
We’ve compiled the sectors hiring graduate roles, what degree is required, and what they pay.
The degrees to choose for a career
Hiring in the UK could
finally be on the up
47%
of employers offered entry-level
positions from July.
That is up nearly 15 per cent from the same period last year.
700,000
But graduate unemployment rose to six per cent in 2025 and 700,000 jobless graduates were claiming benefits.
Finance and insurance
- Around 42 per cent of UK finance and insurance employers say they will be open to graduate roles this summer.
- Business loan company Portman Finance Group has taken on 50 graduates over the past four years.
Portman graduates start on £36,000 for the two-year programme and the education you need to apply is a minimum “ABB” of A-levels, and a 2:1 or above university degree. But not in a specific subject.
Trade and logistics
What makes it particularly rewarding is that there’s always something to learn.
Nearly half (47 per cent) of trade and logistics companies will be giving graduates a go this year.
Salaries start at £30,000 with an uncapped bonus, rising to £50,000 plus a company car as a senior account partner.
Technology and IT
More than half (52 per cent) of UK tech and IT firms are actively looking for graduates.
Successful entry-level candidates can earn a basic salary of up to £35,000, with the opportunity to triple that within their first three years of working.
4 min read
Public sector, health
and social services
46 per cent of public sector, health and social services organisations are also ready to take graduates, according to a survey by Manpower.
- For example, Police Now runs a graduate programme into policing. They recruit graduates from any degree field, as long as they achieve a 2:2 or above. Starting salaries range from £31,164 to £42,210 depending on location and rising each year.
Can we treat guests without blowing our budget?
According to Waitrose, a dinner party revival is underway led by younger people trying to reduce the cost of getting together.
Always have bread
People will feast on the
ELLA RISBRIDGER, AUTHOR OF THE KITCHEN BOOK – GOOD FOOD FOR EVERY DAY
bread, and then need less fish/steak/expensive whatever. All small plates restaurants know this: this is why the first thing on the menu is always artisan bread and butter.
Use vegetables as centrepieces
Add pantry items
Graham’s recipes include a braised cabbage with a preserved lemon sauce, a roast cauliflower with saffron, and harrisa roast carrots with mango labneh.
How to host on a budget
Improve the everyday
Guests will always appreciate a stellar interpretation of the ordinary. Think lasagna or curry.
Cooking dinner for your guests is spoiling them – you’re being generous with your time, your effort, and your home. So don’t feel the need to go overboard elsewhere.
Ask for help
Ask friends to bring a contribution, be it a nibble or a pudding.
Big platter energy
[Presentation] can be the key to elevating something . Spaghetti and tomato sauce suddenly looks like a feast when tumbled on a lovely big plate, dressed with olive oil and parmesan and placed in the middle of the table.
Food writer and editor Eleanor Steafel
How to host on a budget
Taco party
Have one expensive filling, like shredded chicken, and two cheaper options, like refried beans, says Ella Risbridger.
Shop-bought ice cream is so easily zhuzhed up with the help of handy toppings, says Eleanor Steafel.
“Depending on which figures you look at, it’s overtaken or is about to overtake pork as the most eaten animal protein in the world,” says Richard Griffiths, CEO of the BPC.
Like many others, I buy chicken near weekly. But recently, watching the pieces shed water in the pan only to taste of nothing in the dish, I’ve found it less and less appetising. And I’m not alone. Online, consumers are complaining that their chicken is slimy and unappetising, stringy, or riddled with water. Others say it “just doesn’t taste right anymore”. It prompted me to ask what’s really in it – and how can I find the best bird.
The main reason chicken has become a staple is that it’s become much easier to produce quickly. Thanks to 20th century advances, farmers no longer have to rely on pasture to farm animals and can farm them year round: this led to the process becoming increasingly intense – and a dramatic reduction in price.
Per the Retail Prices Index, a whole chicken would cost 46p per kg in 1971 – the equivalent of £6.04 in today’s money. In January 2025, it was £3.78 per kg. This is unique among meat production: the price of beef rump steak per kg, for example, has stayed relatively stable at £1.31 in 1971 (£17.19 in today’s money) vs £18.89 in 2025.
“Chicken is cheap because producers can cram lots of chickens into a shed and feed them a mono diet,” explains Dr Carrie Ruxton, registered dietitian and consultant nutritionist. “It costs more to produce cattle, sheep and pigs as they need specialised feeding, space to roam and the opportunity to exhibit natural behaviours over their longer lifespans.”
The surge in affordability with chicken coincided with doctors warning people off red meat in the 1980s, believing excess saturated fat increased heart disease risk. More recently it has been linked with cancer. The protein craze has further cemented chicken’s healthy status.
Poultry is also more accessible now. Rather than doing any butchery, a pack of several skinless breast fillets is as easy to find as a whole (giblet-free) bird. Then there are all the ready-to-eat options, from clean “protein” pots to reconstituted nuggets.
But these advances in efficiency have other consequences.
Myrtle Gregory, research and policy officer at the civic organisation Eating Better Alliance, explains that indoor reared chickens now have such a short life cycle they’re called “crops” in the system.
“They’re designed to go from an infant to fully grown in under 30 days. No poultry is meant to reach maturity in that time.” The result is that the anatomy of commerical broilers (birds bred for meat) can be fraught with complications like heart failure, internal organ failure and such large breasts their legs can’t support them.
Rapid growth can also result in phenomena like the revoltingly named “woody breast” where the muscle becomes tough and fibrous, disrupted water balance, and “spaghetti meat” where the muscle fibres fray apart. Griffiths says these are “recognised challenges in the breeding process,” though emphasises that there’s no deliberate manipulation of water content. “Pumping”, where water is injected into the meat, is illegal here.
There are also nutritional consequences. The fat content of broilers has increased from 8.6g per 100g in 1970 to 22.8g in 2004, with a 2010 study from researchers at the London Metropolitan University finding chicken now provides three times more calories from fat than protein.
Most significantly, the omega 3 content has dropped, explains Professor Michael Crawford, a pioneering British scientist in the field of small-chain fatty acids at Imperial College London. “The omega 3 in [historic] chicken came from the birds eating various plants and small animals that did the same, i.e. grovelling in the field or garden. Today they are fed in houses mainly on corn, soy or the like which has little omega 3 and is mainly omega 6.”
The feed changed because grain was more affordable, widely available and sped up the growing process. But three-quarters of us are not getting enough of omega 3, an essential amino acid vital for energy, heart health and immune health. Some studies have shown that organic reared chickens may have higher rates of omega 3, though that evidence is limited.
There is also a question of feed additives. Rob Percival, head of food policy at the Soil Association, notes that the UK has significantly reduced their use of antibiotics in chicken production, “but they’re still using significant volumes of the antibiotic ionophores which mask the poor welfare outcomes and enables the mass medication in the systems that we still see in the UK”. Academics continue to research if their use in chicken is contributing to antibiotic resistance.
Plus, the UK only produces two-thirds of the birds we eat weekly, with the rest supplied through imports. This is thanks to our appetite particularly for the white meat, which is causing a “carcass imbalance”, according to Gregory.
“We import more breast meat and export some dark meat: about three-quarters of our imports comes from the EU and the remainder from further afield,” Griffiths says, including Thailand, Brazil and China.
Griffiths agrees that there is a difference between the bird of 50 years ago vs now, saying “we are where we are with the fat content”. But he contends that the nutritional differences between organic and indoor reared birds are minor.
Where he does concede there is a difference is in taste. These birds that are bred to grow as quickly as possible can barely move compared to free range, organic birds. The more the birds can use their bodies, the more intense and gamier the flavour.
All these issues affect the bird and the consumer. Percival points to the disease risk inherent in industrial farming, saying “it’s quite likely that we’ll see another spillover event that originates from chicken farming”. Then there are the health risks: researchers at the University of Oxford found that higher poultry meat consumption was associated with a higher risk of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, gall bladder disease and diabetes. And then there’s the climate impact: “76 per cent of global soy production goes towards feeding livestock,” Gregory says. “Deforestation and climate change are all hugely associated with feed production, and yet we see chicken continuously branded as low carbon.”
The solution for consumers, experts say, is to eat less, but better. Ruxton says chicken is a healthy source of protein, but that it should be enjoyed as part of a varied and balanced diet. “Include fish, beef, pork, lamb, eggs, tofu, beans, lentils and soya over a month’s diet to optimise overall nutrients.” Percival agrees, saying that the Soil Association’s recommendation is to “trade up to the higher welfare birds, free range or organic, and balancing the costs by just eating a little less”.
How to buy the best quality, and most ethically produced bird? Griffiths recommends looking for the Red Tractor assurance. Percival disputes that: “Red Tractor is basically the baseline of industrial farming but with a stamp on it. It’s very intensive.”
Instead he recommends looking for RSPCA assured and higher, with a particular focus on the higher welfare systems that are written into law: free range and organic. Gregory at Eating Better also says Red Tractor is not a reliable benchmark – their own guidance recommends RSPCA assured and free range, or even better, organic chicken.
I will definitely be reducing my chicken consumption and sticking to free range birds.
I tested five supermarket chickens – Sainsbury’s came out top
I taste-tested five supermarket whole chickens, all prepared the same way. Nichola Ludlam-Raine, registered dietitian, independently analysed the labels, saying “the nutrition figures aren’t directly comparable: some labels give values for raw chicken and others for cooked chicken. I’d choose based on the welfare standard, size needed and taste, rather than expecting a major nutritional difference.“
, £5.42/kg, £6.50 for 1.2kg
Juicy and tender, with a nice almost nuttiness. The dark meat is rich. The flesh does fall apart a bit when carving and it lacks a firmness, but it’s still good eating. 4/5
Ludlam-Raine: This is higher-welfare indoor chicken, rather than free range. It’s slower reared and RSPCA Assured, and its typical 1.2kg size makes it a smaller option. “Oakham Gold” is the product name – the listing says the chicken comes from select UK farms, rather than identifying Oakham as where it was reared.
Asda Exceptional Free Range Corn Fed Norfolk Whole Chicken, £7.15/kg, £12.51
This chicken is fine. The breast meat is a tiny bit chewy, almost flaky. Despite some dryness, I wouldn’t kick off if this was served to me as it certainly tastes like a roast chicken – just not a particularly good one. 2.5/5
Ludlam-Raine: The Norfolk sourcing is more specific than a general “British” label. It’s free range, slow growing and Red Tractor Free Range certified – the corn-rich diet is chiefly a flavour and appearance point. At around 1.75kg, it’s a larger bird.
, £9/kg, £14.61
This was the most chicken flavoured of the lot. The dark meat in particular was excellent. However the white meat wasn’t fantastic and in fact was a touch dry – probably because the bird had the smallest breast by far. 4/5
Ludlam-Raine: The label gives the clearest picture of how the birds are reared: in small flocks on family-owned British farms, with access to open pasture by day and barns at night. It’s free range and slowly reared, with a typical weight of 1.62kg.
Tesco Finest Corn Fed Whole Chicken, £7.50/kg, £12.38
This was dry, chewy and stringy and felt almost grainy. Even worse, it tasted metallic. It was technically passable but unpleasant. My dog didn’t mind it but she is not discerning. 1.5/5
Ludlam-Raine: This is British, free range and described as slower growing, with both RSPCA Assured and Red Tractor Free Range certification. The corn-rich feed may affect the colour and flavour, but has no particular nutritional advantage.
Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Chicken, £8.50/kg, £12.34
This was sincerely lovely: crisped skin, subtle flavour but decidedly chickeny. The bite was smooth and tender and both the white and dark meat were winners for all plates involved. 4.5/5
Ludlam-Raine: Another British free range, slowly reared bird. At approximately 1.25kg, it’s one of the smaller options, which may suit a smaller household, although the actual weight can vary.