A recent survey across the UK has revealed what Brits want to see in their fried breakfasts. The research, undertaken by luxury London hotelier, Guoman Hotels, asked respondents to select items they wanted to see in their fry up from 17 options. The most popular items to include in a seven-item breakfast were:
- Bacon (74%)
- Sausages (73%)
- Beans (70%)
- Fried egg (65%)
- Toast (65%)
- Mushrooms (63%)
- Tomato (58%)
There was serious competition between sausages and bacon to claim the top spot. Although bacon comes out on top nationally, different regions of the UK differed in opinion:
- East of England: Sausages (76%)
- Greater London: Even split between sausages and bacon (64% each)
- East Midlands: Bacon (70%)
- West Midlands: Bacon (72%)
- North East: Sausages (80%)
- North West: Sausages (80%)
- Northern Ireland: Sausages (67%)
- Scotland: Bacon (80%)
- South East: Bacon (79%)
- South West: Sausage (73%)
- Wales: Bacon (86%)
- Yorkshire and Humber: Equal split between bacon and beans (81.5% each)
Regional fry up options remain popular across the UK too, with Scottish classics still going particularly strong:
- Potato scones push fried egg out of the ideal seven item breakfast with almost two-thirds (62%) saying they should be on a fry up, compared to 13% nationally
- Square sausage is also popular in Scotland with 42% saying it should be in a fried breakfast, compared to 12% nationally
Black pudding also saw a lot of support up north. Despite just 34% of people nationally saying it was a key element of a fried breakfast, over half (54%) in Scotland think it is a fry-up staple. The same percentage in Wales (54%) want to see black pudding on their breakfast plates, and the same view is held by 50% of those in the North East, and 43% in the North West. Conversely, in the East of England, less than one-quarter (24%) want black pudding in their breakfasts.
“Fried breakfasts are a key part of British culture and as breakfast is such an important part of what we do at Guoman hotels, we wanted to understand what people want from their breakfasts. The regional and national differences highlighted by the research are great at illustrating that traditions are still alive and well around the UK. It also allows us to better understand which items we need to be providing for our guests to allow them to experience a British breakfast that represents all corners of the UK,” said Deborah Thompson, Head of Digital Marketing at Guoman Hotels.