The UK’s Favourite Sweet Treats | World Chocolate Day

With World Chocolate Day just around the corner on the 7th of July, we got to thinking about all our favourite treats – chocolate, crisps, and cake, oh my! But we also wanted to find out the UK’s favourite sweet treat, so we surveyed the nation to reveal just how much Britain loves a choccy biccy versus a gooey glazed doughnut. 

Does Britain have a sweet tooth?

It may come as little surprise, but we Brits love a sneaky sweetie from time to time – in fact, 16% of people admit to eating sweets at least once a day!

Even more surprising might be the fact that nearly half of Brits admit to eating sweet treats multiple times a week too. We found that Brits are categorically more likely to have a sweet tooth rather than preferring savoury bites – when we surveyed the nation, we found that 33% would always choose the sweet option, compared to 27% opting for savoury.

What is the nation’s favourite treat?

According to our survey of Britain, we found that the nation’s favourite indulgent treats are:

1. Chocolate – 61%
   This delicious treat first came to the UK in the 1600s as a drink and became popular as a solid treat in the 1800s – it even had to be rationed during the world wars because Brits didn’t want to have to go without such an indulgent treat!
2. Crisps – 49%
   Coming from the humble potato, these tasty snacks come in so many different flavours that it’s hard to keep track of how many there are – 141 according to the Museum of Crisps!
3. Ice cream – 43%
   Brought to the UK in the wake of the unification of Italy, ice cream and gelato are some of the most refreshing summers treats on a hot day.
4. Cake – 39%
   A British classic; everyone loves a piece of Victoria’s sponge, especially at an afternoon tea or a birthday party.
5. Biscuits – 36%
   Biscuits rounded out the top five of our list – would we even be Brits if we didn’t enjoy dunking a sugary treat into our cups of tea? 
6. Sweets – 36%
   Whether you prefer an old-fashioned boiled sweet from the confectioner or you like modern chewie gummies, sweets have held a place in all our hearts since childhood. 
7. Cheesecake – 29%
   Classically baked or in the New-York style, cheesecake is a party favourite and tastes great on every occasion (even when you’re sneaking the last slice from the fridge at bedtime). 
8. Cookies – 25%
   A quarter of Brits love these moreish morsels the most, whether they come in the white chocolate, milk chocolate, or triple chocolate variety!
9. Donuts – 24%
   A favourite of Chief Clancy Wiggum and Homer Simpson himself, this American treat landed solidly in the UK and made itself comfortable as a national favourite! 
10. Brownies – 23%
    First created in Chicago for a ladies’ luncheon, these crumbly cake-like treats are a hit here in the United Kingdom, with over 1 in 5 Brits claiming to love them the most out of any treat. 

Chocolate overwhelmingly takes the top spot as the nation’s favourite treat, with nearly two-thirds of the popular vote! So, we’ve found the UK’s number one snack, but which area of the UK is home to the worst culprits for indulging regularly? 

The biggest chocolate lovers in the country

1. Manchester – 45%
2. Liverpool – 44%
3. Belfast – 42%
4. Newcastle – 40%
5. Southampton – 37%
6. Leeds – 36%
7. Glasgow – 35%
8. Sheffield – 35%
9. London – 35%
10. Bristol – 35% 

The sweet tooth hotspots in the UK 

When it comes to letting their sweet tooth get the better of them, the people of Edinburgh are at the top of the list, with almost 63% claiming that they are OBSESSED with sweeties! 

Belfast is a close second with 62%, while Glasgow’s not much further behind with 54%. Newcastle and Manchester also make it into the top five, both with over 50% of their residents claiming to love all things sugary. 

We also found that when we asked residents of each city whether they preferred sweet or savoury, only three cities claimed to prefer savoury: Bristol, Cardiff, and Nottingham! 

If all this talk of sweet treats is up your street, but you want a lovely kitchen to do your baking in, why not check out Wren’s range of brand-new kitchens where you can enjoy your cookies to your sugar-loving heart’s content? Alternatively, check out our amazing range of appliances that will cook your cakes perfectly every time (provided you follow the recipes!).