SOUTHAMPTON residents splash their cash on fine dining dinner parties.

The news comes after a study was conducted by Democracy, a PR, digital and social agency.

The study shows that dinner party hosts in Southampton spend £54 on ingredients to impress their guests.

One in six of those surveyed said they served rack of lamb or beef wellington to give them a real fine-dining experience.

Research by Eisberg Alcohol Free Wine reveals that rack of lamb and beef wellington are the "wow dish" served by 16 per cent of those surveyed.

They were followed by lobster, duck , venison and rabbit .

The survey also showed that those between 25 and 34 years old are the most likely to fall into this habit, with half expecting to be wowed, compared to one in seven of the over 55s.

Liverpool is the home of the over the top modern dinner party, where hosts regularly spend £70 per guest, compared to Cardiff where the average is £40.

Sandi Mann, Senior Psychology Lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, said: “The expectations on a host used to extend no further than opening a bottle of wine and getting some crisps and nuts out when friends came over.

“However, those days are long gone. Come Dine With Me started the trend for event dinner parties where every course has to wow and as a result, the planning and cost involved in being a host has sky-rocketed.

“People feel under enormous social pressure these days to out dinner party everyone else - or at least to maintain the high standards.

" Hosts can feel that if they don’t hit that wow factor then they will be judged for not being accomplished enough and, in today’s world of social validation when we compare ourselves with others to check that we are up to scratch, no one wants to feel they are not good enough.”

Just as every food course needs to have a wow factor, the same goes for drinking at dinner parties.

The most popular cocktails to serve up to impress are a margarita, mojito, cosmo and pornstar martini.

Andrew Turner, director of wine at Halewood Wines & Spirits said:“Buying all the ingredients, preparing food and drinks from scratch and being an attentive host might be hard work - but it’s clearly what people expect.

“Just like the TV shows, people will tend to judge a host negatively if all the sparklers are not brought out on the night.

“Additionally, with so many people now choosing to cut out meat and alcohol from their diets, having alternatives that come with a wow factor is as important as keeping the rest of your guests fed and watered.

“Healthier lifestyles are now so mainstream that we know not being a meat eater or a drinker doesn’t mean you aren’t part of the occasion. The savvy host prepares for this.”