How the UK Eats: Our Most Popular Foods| Miller Food Services (2024)

The UK is a nation of food lovers – with a hugely varied taste profile that varies region by region. Informed by generations of cultural history, we have some of the most amazing cuisines in the world available right at our fingertips.

As a retailer, you can reflect this taste variety in your shop offering. However, you still need to ensure you get the sales you need, so which range should you be focusing on to capitalise on the tastiest foods in Britain and the most beloved by shoppers? Here’s a handy guide to the UK’s most popular foods.

General popularity survey

The YouGov online tool publishes scores gathered from thousands of British people who partake in their surveys. That means it gives you a good impression of overall thoughts and feelings around a food, but not its sales volume.

With that in mind, YouGov’s listings of the most popular dishes are quintessentially British. The top dishes in their rankings include:

• Fish and chips
• Roast chicken
• English breakfast
• Soup
• Bangers and mash
• Beans, eggs and chips
• Pigs in blankets

Britain’s favourite takeaway

JustEat, the popular online takeaway app, published the results of its ‘most loved cuisine’ survey to show us exactly what British people like to eat when they order takeaway. The choices might surprise you…

1. Italian was the UK’s favourite cuisine overall, with macaroni cheese and lasagne ranking as the top dishes.
2. Indian food came second, with the iconic chicken tikka dish driving much of this interest.
3. Fast food was next, showcasing Britain’s love of quick, convenient meals without the hassle of cooking.
4. Japanese food came fourth, largely driven by a demand for noodles of all kinds. Udon noodles were the favourites.
5. Finally, the fifth spot belongs to Mexican food. Tacos, burritos and other chili-laden choices are ideal for convenient meals that are usually suitable for a wide range of allergens.

Top-selling food brands

While general popularity is interesting, the real thrust of this blog is about brands retailers need to be aware of. In The Grocer’s top 100 brands of 2021, some food brands emerged as clear winners that you should consider stocking on your own shelves. These are:

1. Cadbury - the confectionary brand reigns supreme as the UK’s best-selling food business. Dairy Milk remains the most popular sub-brand, giving retailers a delicious option to stock on shelves and capitalise on Britain’s undeniable sweet tooth.
2. Nestlé - the classic Kit Kat is enormously popular, growing its sales by £79m recently and helping take Nestle to over £1,193m in total sales.
3. Walkers - the crisp brand remains one of Britain’s strongest sellers, with over £1,050m in sales and lots of popular flavours. By the end of 2020, 80% of British households had bought a Walkers product.
4. Heinz - with easy, nutritious meal offerings such as their iconic Baked Beans, Heinz continues to top the charts in terms of sales.
5. Warburtons - Britain loves bread, and Warburtons takes the top spot for most popular loaves in the country.

These lists are all here to give you a quick impression of the UK’s taste preferences, but it’s all up to you what you choose to stock. It seems clear that some of our favourite foods are based on convenience, with brands like Heinz and Walkers stealing the spotlight. Whatever you want to stock on your own shelves, Miller Food Service can help you – we’re proud to offer a vast range of some of Britain’s best food brands right here on the site.