For years, children have been fuelling Father Christmas on his journey delivering presents around the world by leaving out a snack and a drink for him to enjoy during his visit to their house, however, a new survey has shown quite how many Brits leave food out for Santa, and exactly what they’re leaving.

Leaving milk and a sweet treat out for Mr Clause is a tradition which has taken over much of the world, though it is believed to have first started in the Netherlands. Having grown over time, the tradition hasn’t only served as a bit of festive fun, during the Great Depression in the USA, parents encouraged children to leave milk and cookies as a way to teach young people to be grateful and remember to give to others, even in times of hardship.

However, years on, people across the UK continue to leave treats out for the big man in red, and a new survey by food box delivery service HelloFresh has revealed how many Brits leave food out, and the festive treats they’re offering for Santa and his reindeer.

Mimi Morley, senior recipe development manager at HelloFresh, comments on the beloved tradition, saying it’s a meaningful way to show that giving is as important as receiving.

“Leaving mince pies, some cookies and milk or a glass of sherry is a great gesture to teach kids to show appreciation for the goodies Santa brings,” she says. “It’s a simple way to help children understand gratitude, turning their festive treats into a heartfelt thank you.”

The results of the survey show that around 7.3-million Brits are still keeping the Christmas magic alive by leaving food out for Santa, representing approximately 29 per cent of UK households.

For those who do leave out a festive treat, mince pies are the go to choice, with just over half (53 per cent) opting for this classic Christmas delicacy. This equates to roughly 3.9-million mince pies, more than just a little treat for Mr Claus and with so many pies to eat, Santa will need to stick to his New Year fitness programme having consumed 929-million calories if each household contributed just one pie.

However, if they left a typical plateful of three pies each, that total would soar to nearly 2.8-billion calories.

Alongside mince pies, 39 per cent of Brits leave out milk and cookies, the second most common option. This equates to around 2.85-million UK households offering milk and cookies to Santa, totalling roughly 1.23-billion calories.

The survey also showed approximately 1.68-million UK households leave out alcohol (sherry) for Santa, adding another 176.5-million calories, and over 1-million units of alcohol, which is about 72,000 times the UK limit.

When it comes to Rudolph, 36 per cent or approximately 2.63-million households leave out carrots, equating to 65.7-million calories.

In total, approximately 4.27-billion calories will be left out for Santa and his reindeer this Christmas.