Forget pizza or curry – students are ditching traditional takeaways for fusion food that comes packed with unexpected flavour. New research has revealed that 60% of students now combine different orders to create tasty mashups, from chow mein burritos to butter chicken pizzas.
Chinese and Italian lead the fusion trend
The nation’s favourite food fusions are Chinese and Italian, according to the study by Nationwide, with 84% saying they blend cuisines because they’re bored of familiar takeaways. An average student now spends £45.60 on takeaways each month, orders five a month on average, and views sharing a meal as a crucial part of university life.
Takeaways bring students together
Nearly three quarters (72%) say takeaway nights bring people together, with 24% enjoying 2-3 with housemates every week. 23% say group dinners make them feel less lonely.
Nationwide launches NationFried pop-up
To celebrate the start of the university year, Nationwide has cooked up an unlikely fusion of its own, bringing together TV personality and radio host Chloe Burrows and foodie content creator Max Khadar. Inspired by the bold flavour combinations taking over student kitchens, the duo have drawn up a menu of one-of-a-kind dishes, including chow mein burritos, butter chicken pizza and ice cream fries.
The fusion feast will be available for free at a NationFried pop-up in London later this month. Chloe said: "Students have never let food rules get in the way of a good takeaway. If it fits on the same table, it's fair game; I mean, who doesn’t love picky bits but on a whole new level?! Some of the food combinations people are coming up with are complete carnage, but that's what made creating the NationFried menu so much fun. It's all about bringing people together over food that's unexpected, a bit chaotic and surprisingly delicious."
Max added: "I thought I'd seen it all when it came to food combinations, but students have completely raised the bar. A chowito? A butter chicken pizza? Some of these ideas sound like they were invented at 2am after a night out, but somehow they just work. That's exactly the energy we wanted for NationFried. The menu is fun, a little bit ridiculous and genuinely delicious - and a match made in takeaway heaven."
Chloe and Max will welcome hungry students to NationFried on Hoxton Street, east London, N1 5LG, from 6pm to 9pm on Tuesday August 25. Guests will enjoy a free, limited-edition fusion menu and can get their hands on exclusive giveaways, including “fried” sliders, the ultimate uni footwear. The pop-up coincides with the return of Nationwide's FlexStudent account offer, giving new customers £100 cash plus £120 worth of Just Eat vouchers.
Fred Powell, head of current accounts, said: "Starting university is an exciting milestone, and shared meals are often where new friendships begin. Last year, our FlexStudent account helped students enjoy more than 528,000 takeaways, and through NationFried and benefits including £120 worth of Just Eat vouchers, we're proud to help students make their money and their meals go even further, while enjoying those moments that make university life all the more memorable."
