From Lancashire hotpot to Welsh rarebit, Cornish pasties, Arbroath smokies, Eccles cakes - and haggis, neeps and tatties, the greatest British dishes of the last 125 years have been revealed.

The research, commissioned by Lurpak to celebrate its landmark 125th anniversary, charts more than a century of Britain’s changing tastes – revealing the dishes that have survived generations, the classics we refuse to let disappear and the new culinary influences transforming what we cook today.

For 125 years, kitchens have changed beyond recognition. Britain has lived through wartime rationing, the arrival of the refrigerator, the dinner-party boom, nouvelle cuisine, the microwave revolution, celebrity chefs, gastropubs, Instagram food trends, air fryers and TikTok recipes.

Leading the charge is the Full English breakfast, named the greatest British dish of all, receiving 58% of the vote, beating the Sunday roast at 52%.

Yorkshire pudding completed the top three with 50%, followed by sausage and mash (43%), shepherd’s pie (39%) and the Cornish pasty (36%) ranking among the nation’s favourites.

But the findings also reveal pride in local food. More than four in ten (43%) said their hometown or city has a dish it is famous for.

Among those with a local speciality, 87% said it makes them proud of where they were born.

A quarter (25%) said Britain’s regional variety is one of the things they love most about its food, while 21% praised the dishes that celebrate UK history.

Comfort is still king: 55% said that is what they love most about home-cooked British food and 81% believe it can claim to be some of the best in the world.

A further 37% said it takes them back to childhood, while 31% described it as nostalgic.

That does not mean every recipe has to stay exactly as it was. More than eight in ten (81%) said they add extra ingredients or flavours when cooking classic British dishes at least sometimes, with 58% believing there is no such thing as a “wrong” way to make a classic dish.

Nearly three quarters (72%) said they like giving classics an international twist.

Asked which modern updates they’ve tried, some of the more quirky versions include a burrito in a Yorkshire pudding wrap (15%), Victoria sponge with a matcha buttercream (10%) and kimchi with a Sunday Roast (7%).

Other ideas that tempt food lovers include chicken tikka masala in a pie (20%), chilli con carne pasties (14%) and mashed potatoes with miso butter (11%).

The findings come as Lurpak celebrates 125 years at the heart of cooking, looking back at how the way we cook, eat and entertain has evolved from 1901 to 2026 – while celebrating the home cooks creating and inventing the dishes of the next generation.

To celebrate the spirit of reinvention, and mark its 125th anniversary, Lurpak® has teamed up with acclaimed chef Simon Rimmer, to judge Lurpak® Star, a new award celebrating the home cooks who put their own stamp on the food they love.

Whether it is an unexpected flavour, a family ritual passed down through generations or one personal touch that makes a dish unmistakably yours, Lurpak® is inviting home cooks across the UK to show how they add their twist to a classic dish.

To enter the Lurpak® Star Award, simply share your twist to a classic dish by sending @LurpakUK a direct message on Instagram. The first ever Lurpak® Star winner will be awarded a prize package of a year’s supply of Lurpak®, a premium cast iron casserole dish and the chance for Simon Rimmer to try your dish in person as part of the anniversary campaign.

Catriona Mantle, a spokesperson for Lurpak®, said: “For 125 years, Lurpak has been there as people cook in their kitchens – through changing tastes, technology and generations.

“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.

“That is what makes this anniversary so exciting. We’re not simply looking back at 125 years

of food, we’re celebrating how cooking continues to evolve.

“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.”

Family recipes are getting a fresh spin too, with one in four (25%) saying one had inspired them to put their own twist on a British classic, while 28% have recreated a meal their parents or grandparents cooked – but changed the recipe to suit their own tastes.

55% have added an ingredient to a family recipe that would have horrified an older relative, while a sixth (15%) say they would rather improvise in the kitchen than follow instructions.

Because of this, four in ten (40%) believe the dishes we consider “British classics” will look completely different in another 125 years.

Chef and TV presenter, Simon Rimmer, said: “We all have the recipe we grew up with, but most of us have also got something we do differently to it. For me, that’s my cottage pie. As well as having a delicious mince base, it has an abundance of butter in the mash, and on top of that – I add cauliflower cheese. You respect what made a dish great in the first place, then you’re brave enough to put a bit of yourself into it.

“Lurpak has been part of British food culture for generations. Whether it's family recipes that's been passed down, or new versions of old favourites, it's been there alongside some of the meals people remember most. That's what makes Lurpak Star such a brilliant idea. I’m really looking forward to seeing how Britain’s home cooks make the classics their own through judging Lurpak Star.”

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how Britain’s home cooks make the classics their own through judging Lurpak Star.”

Visit https://www.instagram.com/lurpakuk to enter the Lurpak Star Award.

THE 45 GREATEST BRITISH DISHES:

1. Full English Breakfast – 58%

2. Sunday Roast – 52%

3. Yorkshire Pudding – 50%

4. Sausage and Mash – 43%

5. Shepherd’s Pie – 39%

6. Cornish Pasty – 36%

7. Apple Crumble – 35%

8. Toad in the Hole – 33%

9. Victoria Sponge Cake – 32%

10. Scones – 28%

11. Mince Pies – 28%

12. Sticky Toffee Pudding – 28%

13. Shortbread – 25%

14. Bakewell Tart – 24%

15. Beef Wellington – 24%

16. Bread and Butter Pudding – 23%

17. Fish Finger Sandwich – 23%

18. Ploughman’s Lunch – 23%

19. Bubble and Squeak – 22%

20. Lancashire Hotpot – 22%

21. Buttered Crumpets – 19%

22. Haggis, Neeps and Tatties – 19%

23. Pie, Mash and Liquor – 17%

24. Fish Pie – 16%

25. Treacle Sponge – 16%

26. Welsh Rarebit – 16%

27. Millionaire’s Shortbread – 15%

28. Eccles Cakes – 14%

29. Welsh Cakes – 14%

30. Leek and Potato Soup – 12%

31. Manchester Tart – 8%

32. Pease Pudding – 8%

33. Parkin – 7%

34. Arbroath Smokie – 6%

35. Cullen Skink – 6%

36. Stottie Bread – 5%

37. Bara Brith – 5%

38. Spice Bag – 5%

39. Potted Shrimp – 4%

40. Champ – 4%

41. Stargazy Pie – 4%

42. Gypsy Tart – 3%

43. Sussex Pond Pudding – 3%

44. Craster Kippers – 3%

45. Fidget Pie – 2%

ENDS

The findings presented in this release are based on a nationally representative online survey conducted for Lurpak via research and insights agency Perspectus Global in September 2026.

Perspectus Global adheres strictly to the highest standards of market research and insight, in full compliance with the ESOMAR principles and the Market Research Society (MRS) Code of Conduct. All data collected and processed is strictly confidential.

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