Poll finds British people think Italian food is the best in Europe, followed by UK and France
British people think Italian food is the best in Europe, reflecting the popularity of pizza and pasta as well as famous Italian gourmet products, our poll for holiday website Holiday Hypermarket has found.
British food was second-most popular, followed by French and Spanish cuisines.
The online poll of 2,068 people in the UK asked the question: 'Which European country do you think has the best national cuisine?'
- Italy was the most popular with 30%
- 22% said the UK was best
- 12% said French cuisine
- Spain netted 6%
- And Greece came next on 3%
Calum MacDonald, Marketing Manager at Holiday Hypermarket, commented: 'Food is an integral part of any trip abroad, and sharing meals with your fellow travellers is often where memories are made.
There are so many fantastic foods in Europe that it can be hard to decide where to visit, so we thought we’d make it easier and find out which cuisines people like the best.'
Age also played a big role in people’s preferences.
- Respondents aged 55 and over are more likely to think British food is the best (26% of those 55+, vs. 14% of those 18-34)
- Compared to younger respondents who prefer Italian food (41% of people aged 18 to 34 vs. 22% of those 55+)
While both men and women prefer Italian food over British overall, more men chose British food than women (25% vs. 19%), while Italian food is more popular with women than men (33% vs. 27%).
Italian food has entered the mainstream in Britain, with pizza and pasta on offer in restaurants around the world, and visiting a winery or sipping an espresso can be seen as an integral part of holidays to Italy.
Britain’s strong showing may surprise some, considering the poor reputation of British food, but in fact, forty-two foods from the UK have been granted protected geographical status under European law in recent years, while the island nation offers excellent fish, meat, cheese and produce.
MacDonald concludes: “European food is famous around the world for its quality and variety, and we hope that visitors to Italy, Britain and the rest of Europe get the opportunity to explore each nation’s unique cuisine.”
See the survey details and full results here
