Londoners are back on the booze and takeaway less than three weeks after making their new year's resolutions, shows research by www.hungryhouse.co.uk – the website which handles online ordering for around 250 of the capital’s takeaway delivery services.

As ever, Londoners endured the traditional resolutions for the New Year of belt tightening and cutting out the indulgences in the first 2 weeks of January. Takeaway deliveries at the start of the month were down 20% on their December levels – and alcohol sales plummeted to just 50% of those seen in the weeks before christmas.

However, it seems that by the third working week of January, all but the strongest willed have returned to their normal behaviour. Total takeaway delivery orders this week are just 2% below those seen in mid December, and the alcohol orders which dried up at the start of the month have also flowed back.

Alcohol sales have recovered so strongly in fact, that on Sunday 13th – the evening before what is commonly cited as 'the worst Monday of the year' – alcohol sales were 3 times higher than the corresponding day in December.

Graeme Horne, marketing manager of www.hungryhouse.co.uk, comments: "We weren't surprised that Londoners find it impossible to stick to those traditional resolutions. Most of us have a similar routine - working long hours and coping with the commute. We don’t have much time to chill, so a bit of relaxation in the evening is priceless.”