What does Britain eat for Breakfast?
March 23rd, 2008It’s the most important meal of the day, but how do Britons actually eat breakfast? Waitrose asked 1,000 people about their morning habits, and challenged top chefs and critics to define the perfect fry up.
61% of British adults eat breakfast at home, but the younger you are, the less likely it is you will eat it in your own kitchen. Only half of British 15–24 year olds stay at home for breakfast, and 20% enjoy it in front of the TV.
More than 30% of Brits would like to see black pudding banned from the traditional British fry-up. “Black pudding should be saved for supper,” comments restaurant critic Terry Durack, “it just gets in the way at breakfast-time.”
Just 1 in 10 people eat breakfast at their work desks. Another 4% grab something on the way to work and only 1% have breakfast in a café or restaurant.
1 in 10 of the people questioned aged between 25 and 54 admit to never eating breakfast at all during the week.
Marmalade is the favourite breakfast toast topping, and it seems that the older you get the more you love it. Of those questioned, 35% said marmalade was their top spread, although just 10 per cent of 15–24 year olds voted for it. Almost 60% aged 65 and over gave it the thumbs up. Marmalade appears to be most popular in the West Country, where 50% named it number one. Most people in Scotland, meanwhile, prefer just butter on their toast.
Only 12% said they opted for Marmite on their toast. Paul Hartley, author of The Marmite Cookbook (Absolute Press, £7.99) says: “I coat my toast with a layer of marmite and one of marmalade. The sweet and savoury combination is to die for.”
Those aged 15–24 years old prefer jam to marmalade.
2 out of 10 adults would like to see fried bread removed from the fry-up menu. “Why would anybody want to put a piece of fried bread in their mouth? It makes me heave just thinking about it,” says chef of London restaurant Aurora, Allan Pickett.
35% of 15–24 year olds said their favourite breakfast drink was orange juice. A minority like something a little stronger, however: 3% of 15–24 year olds said their favourite drink at breakfast is Champagne.
The most popular breakfast drink is tea, with 45% voting for it. Those aged 65 and over like it most: 63% said it was their preference. “Breakfast tea must be the proper leaf variety, made in a pot,” says chef Rowley Leigh of London’s Kensington Place.
Only 6% dislike baked beans, but The Times restaurant critic Giles Coren is among them. “They are just sugar and salt for hungover students and fat chavs.”
8% of those questioned said they like honey on their toast, but just 4% eat peanut butter at breakfast.
The Ultimate Fry Up
In addition to our NOP survey, WFI asked 100 chefs, critics and food experts about the ideal cooked breakfast.
Though 80 per cent of our experts opt for fried eggs, 12 per cent like them scrambled.
60 per cent prefer smoked bacon to unsmoked.
90 per cent only eat free-range bacon.
55 per cent say frying is the best way to cook a sausage.
10 per cent prefer chipolatas to large sausages.
35 per cent named the Cumberland sausage as their banger of choice.
70 per cent hate fried bread.
54 per cent specified sourdough as their bread of choice, and 8 per cent only eat wheat-free or rye bread.
42 per cent only cook with seasonal British tomatoes.
48 per cent say a dab of Heinz Ketchup is a must, and 20 per cent are HP Sauce fans.
Between 24 and 26 June the NOP Telebus survey spoke to 1003 adults aged 15 and over. This survey is designed to be nationally representative of Great Britain.