Yorkshire puddings named best classic British dish

Debate erupted online after Yorkshire puddings were revealed as the nation’s favourite savoury British dish.

The northern staple was named by YouGov as “Britain’s finest home-grown food” with 85% of people who had tried them saying they liked them.

Second in a list described as “distressingly beige” by YouGov came the Sunday roast, liked by 84% of people who had eaten it, followed by fish and chips (84%), crumpets (81%) and a full English breakfast (81%).

At the bottom of the pile were jellied eels, liked by only 6% of those who had eaten them, lagging way behind the next least popular, laverbread (20%).

The results proved contentious on social media, particularly among Scottish people.

Others felt one of their favourites had been harshly treated – or left of the list completely.

Meanwhile among sweet foods, scones reigned supreme, enjoyed by 85%, ranking as one of only two dishes alongside the Victoria sponge (81%) to register an approval rate of over 80%.

In bottom place was the deep-fried Mars bar (22%) – the only sweet food to clock in at under 50%.

YouGov pointed out some gender differences with men more likely to enjoy black pudding than women (56% to 38%) and women more partial to cauliflower cheese (76% to 62%).

Meanwhile older generations were more positive about the foods on the list in general, most noticeably with liver and onions, enjoyed by 58% of those over 55 and just 15% of people aged between 18 and 24.

Among sweets, Christmas pudding is far more popular with the over 55s (70%) than with 18-to-24-year-olds (34%).