91% of Britons Are Satisfied with Their Own Cuisine
The world always jokes about how bad British food is, but in fact, 91% of Britons are satisfied with their traditional cuisine. However, if you look deeper, there are actually more dishes people dislike than like.
In 2019, YouGov surveyed 6,367 British adults (survey), listing 30 classic local savory dishes. Yorkshire pudding took the crown with an 85% approval rating. By category, there are 14 dishes in the “low score group” (approval below 60%), 9 in the “high score group” (above 70%), and 7 in the middle.
On the other hand, Jellied eels are considered the ultimate “hell dish” of British cuisine, unmatched by any other. With an approval rating of just 6%, it sits firmly at the bottom, still notably ahead of Laverbread’s 12%. The “Jellied eels challenge” has become the ultimate test of British food, with countless videos documenting people from around the world trying this dish for the first time.
Men’s and Women’s Most Loved and Most Hated Dishes
British men and women have different favorites, but the gap isn’t huge.
| Men’s Favorites | Women’s Favorites |
|---|---|
| Fish and chips (85%) | Yorkshire pudding (87%) |
| Bacon sandwich (83%) | Sunday roast (84%) |
| Sunday roast (83%) | Crumpets (83%) |
At first glance, only Sunday roast is shared, but in fact, all these dishes have over 75% approval from the opposite gender—none are real deal-breakers.
| How Men Rate Women’s Favorites | How Women Rate Men’s Favorites |
|---|---|
| Yorkshire pudding (83%) | Fish and chips (82%) |
| Sunday roast (83%) | Bacon sandwich (76%) |
| Crumpets (79%) | Sunday roast (84%) |
Overall, men tend to prefer richer, saltier flavors, while women lean toward milder, homier tastes.
On the other hand, the most disliked dishes show a more complex pattern.
| Men’s Most Hated | Women’s Most Hated |
|---|---|
| Jellied eels (42%) | Liver and onion (47%) |
| Liver and onion (38%) | Black pudding (43%) |
| Kippers (30%) | Jellied eels (43%) |
Jellied eels are a nightmare for both genders, with over 40% saying they dislike it. Liver and onion also appears on both lists, but the dislike rate differs by nearly 10% between men and women.
As for black pudding, men like it 18% more than women, and women dislike it 15% more than men, making it the most divisive dish between the sexes. Dining with the opposite gender? Be careful with this one!
The Most Divisive Dishes Between Genders
There are also a few dishes with particularly large differences in approval rates between men and women:
- Steak and kidney pie: Men like it 17% more than women
- Steak and kidney pudding: Men like it 16% more than women
- Pork pie: Women dislike it 13% more than men
- Cauliflower cheese: Women like it 14% more than men
Overall, British women have noticeably higher standards for food than men:
- Women’s average approval rate: 55%; men’s: 60%
- Women’s average dislike rate: 21%; men’s: 16%
Stop Complaining to Britons About British Food
To sum up with a bit of British sarcasm: Britons love their local food—they just dislike more dishes than they like. And if you’re serving black pudding or cauliflower cheese to someone of the opposite gender, maybe ask first. Of course, Sunday roast is always a safe bet.
References
Smith, Matthew. “Classic British Cuisine Ranked by Britons.” YouGov, 11 June 2019.