Guaranteeing a second date while on a first date is all down to the dessert course

You've scored a date  - congratulations! Now, the hard work really begins.

How do you secure that second date (that's assuming you want a second date)?

Do you rely on your sheer animal magnetism? Do you go on a charm offensive, using every trick in the book?

There's no shortage of dating advice out there ranging from the vague ("be yourself") to more niche gems ( treating them mean does keep them keen , apparently).

The answer, however, may be a lot more straightforward and involve dessert, which is always nice to hear.

The results spoke for themselves (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

You need to be sharing your food.

Psychologists at Leeds University analysed the dining habits of couples on everyone's favourite dating show (after Love Island ), Channel 4 series First Dates, where potential partners are set up on blind dates in a restaurant.

According to the Daily Mail, they compared almost 60 dates where the couples shared food with 49 dates where this did not happen.

But what if you don't want to share? (Getty)

Their findings showed an "overwhelming" correlation between sharing food and getting a second date, with dessert proving to be the most popular dish to split.

So what's the thinking behind this?

"One person feeding another may represent 'courtship' feedings that signals sexual interest," wrote researchers in the journal, Appetite.