If food is the way to the heart then Britain’s relationships are in trouble as the average couple has not eaten a romantic home-cooked meal together in over seven months, while one in 10 have gone more than a whole year without wining and dining their partner*.

This comes as new research released today by Sainsbury’s has shown that 42% of Brits in long-term relationships believe the spark has gone, while 30% believe they are in a rut.

Over half (54%) believe this is because they’ve fallen into a boring routine and 47% say the stresses of the last few years have had an impact. A third of people (33%) also feel they don’t spend as much quality time together now – as couples spend 23% less time together each day now than they did last year.

Quarrels in the kitchen are deepening these issues, with 40% of couples bickering when cooking a meal together and 29% complaining that their partner never cooks for them. Everyday dishes such as a roast dinner, homemade curry or a spaghetti Bolognese are the most likely to cause a tiff between couples.

Lack of variety is also an issue, as 44% say they struggle to find inspiration for cooking, while 15% complain their partner cooks them boring meals, and 35% say their partner cooks them the same meals day in, day out, without much variation or excitement.

While there are issues in the kitchen, reconnecting in the heart of the home could help couples get back on track. Half (50%) would rather be cooked for than receive flashy gifts, ranking food-based dates as their favourite. 53% would secretly love their partner to surprise them with a home cooked meal, and 70% say they enjoy being cooked for, or cooking with their partner.

To help couples get back on track, Sainsbury’s is offering Couples Cooking Counselling sessions, for Brits to reignite the spark in the kitchen and their relationships. Given over half (56%) of couples would like to try new foods together, the sessions will inspire Brits to expand their palette and try delicious new ingredients and recipes. For just £5**, couples will get to take part in a counselling session with dating expert Anna Williamson, while whipping up a delicious dinner together using a meal kit with ingredients from Sainsbury’s brand-new Inspired to Cook range.

The Sainsbury’s Couples’ Cooking Counselling sessions will take place on Thursday 7th April and participating customers will receive an exclusive meal kit using ingredients from the supermarkets’ new Inspired to Cook range to make together during the session. From a delicious sourdough pizza, or indulgent katsu curry, couples can add some spice from the comfort of their own home, while receiving expert relationship advice through a virtual love coaching session – it’s cooking and dating made easy.

Anna Williamson said: “Couples are really feeling the strain at the moment, with the stresses of modern-day life taking a toll on relationships. As couples try to navigate modern life as a team, it’s interesting to see how cooking is causing riffs, but also has the potential to help bring people back together. The Couples Cooking Counselling sessions have been designed to allow couples to communicate while working together on a task they can both enjoy, which allows for more openness and discussion.”

Claire Hughes, Director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s, commented: “Finding the inspiration to decide what to cook is one of the biggest blocks when it comes to home-cooking. Food is a great way to connect with others, whether you’re cooking for someone special or wanting to create a tasty treat for yourself. We’ve launched our new Inspired to Cook range to provide convenient and great value options for everyone to achieve this – no matter what you feel like cooking.

We’re delighted to be working with Anna Williamson to help bring food to the forefront of relationships and help inspire the nation to get cooking again”.