Bacon Britain! Fried breakfast staple beats chocolate, chicken and steak to be crowned nation's favourite food

One in ten Britons named the breakfast and sandwich favourite top



Foreign delicacies like sushi and chorizo also rank highly

But we are NOT a nation of sweet tooths with top dessert ice cream down in 27th place



Bacon has topped a list of Britain’s favourite 100 foods, ahead of chicken, chocolate and delicacies such as duck and lobster.

Britain’s first ever Top 100 Food Index is a comprehensive study into what now makes up our favourite tastes.

One in ten Brits named the breakfast and sandwich favourite their top food, followed by chicken and chocolate in second and third spots.

Nation's choice: Bacon has been voted Britain's favourite food in the first ever Top 100 Index

The entire list ranges from the everyday - baked beans, jam and apples - to more exotic foods such as sushi and spices like ginger.

Meat dominated the top 10 with steak, beef and lamb also featuring.

The research, commissioned by Food Network UK, found that the banana is now Britain’s favourite fruit, coming in at number eight on the list, ahead of apples.

Bananas are now our favourite fruit

And asparagus is our preferred vegetable, at number 14 in the list, with artichokes coming second at number 19.

The study, carried out among 2,000 adults, also suggests we are not a nation of sweet tooths with ice cream, the top ranked favourite dessert, down in 27th.

Salmon was voted the top fish, in 15th, ahead of anchovies in 24th.

And chilli would seem to be our preferred spice, in 22nd.

Quintessentially English spread Marmite was voted 35th favourite food.

The study indicates bacon may retain top spot for years to come, with more than two thirds (67 per cent) of Brits saying their favourite food has been the same for the past ten years.

Meanwhile, a third claim they could eat their favourite food every single day without ever tiring of it.

British ingredients dominate with asparagus, blue cheese such as Stilton and strawberries making the top 20 and two-thirds claiming they use more British ingredients than 10 years ago.

Although some more exotic foods are represented, such as chorizo, mango and lobster, the majority are more traditional fare, with bread at number 7.

Not to everyone's taste: But anchovies (24th) and Marmite (35th) both ranked highly in the survey



Food Network UK chef Andy Bates said: 'The study shows we tend to be quite traditional and safe with our tastes - leaning towards ingredients considered staples rather than more unusual, luxury ingredients.

'We definitely favour foods we’re more familiar with but also those that are affordable, simple and versatile.'

Nick Thorogood, Managing Director of Food Network, added: 'We are seeing a resurgence of British ingredients, including asparagus and black pudding - along with many others that made the Top 100 Index.

Exotic: Foreign delicacies such as Spanish chorizo (39th) and Japanese sushi (58th) are also popular



'It will be interesting to see how this list evolves in the next few years - Food Network UK aims to inspire people to try new foods but also new ways of cooking with existing ingredients.'

Bacon, which contains Vitamin B1, B12, Zinc and Selenium, is one of the oldest processed meats in history - the Chinese began salting pork bellies as early as 1500BC.

It is so popular that pigs from Yorkshire and Tamworth are bred especially for bacon.

The phrase ‘to bring home the bacon’ comes from the ancient country fair sport of catching a greased pig. The winner kept the pig and ‘brought home the bacon’.

NATIONAL NIBBLES: BRITAIN'S TOP 100 FAVOURITE FOODS

1. Bacon

2. Chicken

3. Chocolate

4. Steak

5. Beef

6. Lamb

7. Bread

8. Banana

9. Baked beans

10. Apples

11. Strawberries

12. Avocado

13. Pasta

14. Asparagus

15. Salmon

16. Duck

17. Prawns

18. Apricots

19. Artichokes

20. Blue Cheese

21. Sausage

22. Chilli

23. Eggs

24. Anchovies

25. Cashew nuts

26. Cherries

27. Ice Cream

28. Lobster

29. Scallops

30. Almonds

31. Aubergine

32. Mushrooms

33. Blueberries

34. Garlic

35. Marmite

36. Black pudding

37. Pork

38. Tuna

39. Chorizo

40. Cod

41. Haddock

42. Mango

43. Raspberries

44. Tomatoes

45. Turkey

46. Yoghurt

47. Cereal

48. Rice

49. Venison

50. Broccoli 51. Grapes

52. Beetroot

53. Mussels

54. Pineapple

55. Coconut

56. Mackerel

57. Sea Bass

58. Sushi

59. Corned beef

60. Crumpets

61. Hummus

62. Peach

63. Porridge

64. Rhubarb

65. Trout

66. Blackcurrants

67. Custard

68. Halibut

69. Oranges

70. Sweets

71. Brussels sprouts

72. Butternut squash

73. Carrots

74. Golden Syrup

75. Noodles

76. Sweet potato

77. Watermelon

78. Cauliflower

79. Cucumber

80. Gravy

81. Kippers

82. Lentils

83. Mayonnaise

84. Melon

85. Onions

86. Pate

87. Peanuts

88. Pesto

89. Pomegranate

90. Popcorn

91. Sole

92. Spam

93. Cabbage

94. Carrot

95. Cous cous

96. Cranberries

97. Ginger

98. Goose

99. Ham

100. Honey



