British institution Birds Eye has appointed Martin Parr to undertake a documentary survey of how Britain eats today. Parr, who has famously captured the personal tastes and habits of Britons for more than 22 years, will work with Birds Eye over the next four months to produce a unique snapshot of what makes up the typical, modern mealtime in Britain. Three members of the public will also be able to win the chance to be photographed by submitting pictures of their mealtime moments to the website below.

Website: Birds Eye View

Press Release

THROUGH THE LENS. BIRDS EYE CAPTURES BRITISH FAMILY MEALTIMES

- Renowned photographer Martin Parr offers  a unique perspective on Britain's eating habits -

British institution Birds Eye, has appointed one of the world's most respected photographers to undertake a documentary survey of how Britain eats today.

Martin Parr, who has famously captured the personal tastes and habits of Britons for more than 22 years, will work with Birds Eye over the next four months to produce a unique snapshot of what makes up the typical, modern mealtime in Britain.

As well as travelling the country, finding subjects to take part in the project, three members of the public will also be able to win the chance to be photographed by submitting pictures of their mealtime moments to birdseyeview.birdseye.co.uk.

The initiative follows the Big Mealtime Audit, a study by Birds Eye to reveal the way real people eat and interact at meal times.

According to the research, there are four different types of eater in Britain today - the Rep-eat-ers, the Social-eats, the All Day Grazers and the Free Rangers.  The findings found that one in five (20 per cent) Brits are eating as much as eleven times a day and spend on average just 25 minutes around the dinner table.

Professor Peter Jackson who contributed to the study said: "Brits have moved on from the traditional three meals a day to a much less consistent pattern of infrequent meals. While there is a 'moral panic' around the decline of families eating together, in reality this is exaggerated as many Brits still share meals with family members on a regular basis".

Martin Parr comments: "Whether you choose to eat with others or on your own, in an environment that is comfortable to you, each moment can tell a story and unravel a fascinating insight into people's lives, which was one of the reasons why I wanted to be involved in this Birds Eye project. My aim is to bring this to life and understand how the nation now eats, encouraging others to appreciate our different and wonderful ways of living."

Margaret Jobling, Birds Eye Marketing Director comments: "Mealtimes are still clearly the glue that holds families and friends together, even though the nation's eating and consumption habits have changed and we might not be sitting down for the traditional three square meals a day. The research, combined with the Martin Parr study will help us to understand and celebrate this as we're passionate about creating food that can be enjoyed every day by everyone."

Martin's work and tour will be available to be viewed at an exhibition in London from September.

Your Comments