LONDON - Cowed by recession, a full 80 percent of Britons plan to spend New Year's Eve at home this year, according to a survey on Thursday.

Dinner parties in particular will be enjoying a resurgence as programs like "Come Dine with Me" boost the profile of home dining as a more sociable and often cheaper alternative to going out.

This growth of the home-dining elite is being led by young professionals who view dinner parties as a more sophisticated, low-key and sociable alternative to navigating the "boozy Britain" culture of a Saturday night.

The survey of 1,550 people for website TheThriftyShopper.co.uk found 40 percent of 25 to 34 year olds are planning on hosting dinner parties over the next few weeks.

Among other money-saving plans, 50 percent were even thinking of brewing their own beer for the festive season.

Top of the league of cities for staying in was Birmingham, where 72 percent of respondents were panning to stay at home this Christmas. Leeds was bottom, at just 21 percent.