Whether it’s bread and butter pudding or a Sunday roast with all the trimmings, British food has plenty of much-loved favourites. But the full English breakfast has come out on top in a new poll celebrating dishes from the past 125 years.
The classic fry-up was chosen by 58% of voters, ahead of Sunday roast on 52%. The top five also included Yorkshire pudding, sausage and mash, and shepherd’s pie with sweet treats like apple crumble and gypsy tart featuring further down the list.
The research, commissioned by Lurpak to mark its 125th anniversary, found people don’t always stick to the original recipe. More than eight in 10 said they adapt traditional dishes with extra ingredients or flavours and 72% like to add an international twist.
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Among the inventive variations mentioned were burritos in Yorkshire pudding wraps, chicken tikka masala pies and chilli con carne pasties. Other twists included mashed potatoes with miso butter, Victoria sponge with matcha buttercream, and kimchi with a Sunday roast.
The poll found 81% believe home-cooked British food is some of the best in the world – so what do people love about it? More than half said it is comforting and around a third said it takes them back to childhood or is deeply nostalgic.
“Some of the dishes we loved in 1901 would still be instantly recognisable on British tables today, while others have been reinvented countless times along the way,” said Catriona Mantle, from Lurpak. “Recipes aren’t frozen in time.
“Every generation adds something of its own, whether that’s a new ingredient, a different technique or flavours inspired by somewhere else entirely but butter remains as the staple ingredient, adding richness to countless dishes.”
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See how your favourites scored in Lurpak’s list of the 45 greatest British dishes – and if anything is missing:
Full English Breakfast – 58%Sunday Roast – 52%Yorkshire Pudding – 50%Sausage and Mash – 43%Shepherd’s Pie – 39%Cornish Pasty – 36%Apple Crumble – 35%Toad in the Hole – 33%Victoria Sponge Cake – 32%Scones – 28%Mince Pies – 28%Sticky Toffee Pudding – 28%Shortbread – 25%Bakewell Tart – 24%Beef Wellington – 24%Bread and Butter Pudding – 23%Fish Finger Sandwich – 23%Ploughman’s Lunch – 23%Bubble and Squeak – 22%Lancashire Hotpot – 22%Buttered Crumpets – 19%Haggis, Neeps and Tatties – 19%Pie, Mash and Liquor – 17%Fish Pie – 16%Treacle Sponge – 16%Welsh Rarebit – 16%Millionaire’s Shortbread – 15%Eccles Cakes – 14%Welsh Cakes – 14%Leek and Potato Soup – 12%Manchester Tart – 8%Pease Pudding – 8%Parkin – 7%Arbroath Smokie – 6%Cullen Skink – 6%Stottie Bread – 5%Bara Brith – 5%Spice Bag – 5%Potted Shrimp – 4%Champ – 4%Stargazy Pie – 4%Gypsy Tart – 3%Sussex Pond Pudding – 3%Craster Kippers – 3%Fidget Pie – 2%WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST?