A REVIVAL of the 1970's dinner party classic the cheese fondue could be down to Remainers longing to bond with the rest of Europe, an Oxford professor has claimed.

Experimental psychologist Charles Spence said a recent spike in sales of Swiss-style fondue sets at John Lewis could be down to nostalgia for simpler relations with our continental cousins.

Prof Spence proposed his Brexit-based gastronomy theory in the International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, writing: "It may link to current concerns about global insecurity since the fondue can be considered as something of a nostalgic dish for some and a comfort food for many."

Jon Lewis said sales of table-top fondue sets, including a saucepan for melted cheese and a distinctive long fork for dipping savouries - had trebled in the past two years.

Prof Spence, who is head of Oxford University's Crossmodal Research Laboratory said: "One can't help feeling that at a time when the UK is figuring out if and how to separate from the rest of Europe, that this nostalgic food originates from a part of Europe that stands outside the European Union but is still connected with the rest of the EU in much the way that many Brits would hope to achieve."