Vancouver, BC -- (SBWire) --11/15/2011 --Happy Planet, one of Canada’s favourite natural food and beverage companies, wanted to know more about what people think about soup. So they did the smart thing and asked. The Happy Planet Soup Survey asked 556 people—online and in person—questions about soup etiquette, sipping vs. slurping and if they would eat soup on a business lunch or a first date. They also asked that age-old Seinfeld question: Is soup a meal? The responses were pretty interesting—or shocking—depending on your soup manners.
Key findings include:
• 58.4% of respondents said they eat soup at least once a week.
• 86.5% of respondents said that a rainy or cold day makes them want to eat soup.
• 58.6% said they would order soup on a business lunch.
• 49.3% would order soup on a first date.
• 73.7% admitted to having slurped their soup (25.7% say slurping is how they regularly eat soup).
• Of those who would order soup on a business lunch and first date, 74.9% admit to having slurped their soup.
• 49.3% of respondents admit to having put their finger in the soup to test its temperature. (82.5% of these people admit to having slurped their soup.)
• 28.6% believe that the biggest faux pas in soup etiquette is picking up the bowl to drink the last mouthful,
followed by 22.3% dripping it on your top.
• Of those who admitted to slurping and sticking their finger in the soup to test the temperature, 35.1% thought it was bad manners to pick up the bowl and drink the last mouthful, with 6.5% saying that slurping is bad manners and 9.1% saying that putting your finger in the soup is wrong – even though they have done both.
• 81.3% agree with Jerry Seinfeld* and say that soup is a meal. *Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Soup_(Seinfeld)
Speaking of meals, Happy Planet is now partnering with The Downtown Eastside Kitchen Tables Project, a Community Action Plan to reform food in the Downtown Eastside, led by Potluck Café Society. Happy Planet has committed to donate 11,000 bowls of Happy Planet Fresh All Natural Soups, helping to provide nutritious and good tasting food to some of Vancouver’s most nutritionally vulnerable people. In order to increase the number of bowls of soup donated to 50,000 bowls, Happy Planet will be hosting Soup for Soup lunch events during the week of November 28th to December 2nd, 2011. At these open to everyone events, Happy Planet will serve delicious, hot, healthy and nutritious sunshine (in the form of warm bowls of Happy Planet Fresh All Natural Soups) to the public and those who wish can donate. All donations will go directly towards more soup that will be distributed by The Downtown Eastside Kitchen Tables Project.
Happy Planet Soup for Soup Lunch Events
• Monday, November 28th (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.): Urban Fare, Yaletown, 177 Davie St., Vancouver
• Tuesday, November 29th (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.): 700 West Georgia St., Vancouver (TD Plaza)
• Wednesday, November 30th (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.): Urban Fare, Alberni, 1133 Alberni St., Vancouver
• Thursday, December 1st (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.): 700 West Georgia St., Vancouver (TD Plaza)
• Friday, December 2nd (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.): Whole Foods Market, 510 West 8th Ave., Vancouver
For those interested in donating online, please visit http://www.happyplanet.com. You won’t get a bowl of soup, but you will get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside (much like when you eat a hot bowl of soup on a chilly day) by supporting this worthwhile initiative.
The Downtown Eastside Kitchen Tables Project (http://www.dteskitchentables.org), a program of the Potluck Café Society, is improving the health of Downtown Eastside residents by increasing the availability and choice of nutritious food neighbourhood-wide. Based on a Right to Food philosophy, the project is a collaboration of residents, food and service providers to create a sustainable Downtown Eastside Food System that enables people to access, abundant healthy food in a dignified manner while creating jobs in the community.
About Happy Planet Foods, Inc.
Happy Planet Foods, Inc.(http://www.happyplanet.com) is Canada’s leading natural and organic food and beverage company. Since squeezing the first apples in 1994 in Vancouver, B.C., today the company sells premium organic and all natural juices, smoothies, soups and sauces, as well as health shots across Canada. All Happy Planet products come from 100% natural ingredients from the best sources on the planet and are made without preservatives, artificial ingredients or colourings.
A Majority of Soup Eaters Admit to Slurping Their Soup According to New Happy Planet Survey
Happy Planet wanted to know more about what people think about soup. So they did the smart thing and asked.