One in ten children have not had a ‘99 ice-cream at the beach
Some of the UK’s most loved regional holiday food, such as Cornish pasties, Devonshire cream teas and cockles, are at risk of extinction according to new research by Travelodge.
‘The Flavours of Britain’ study - conducted by the hotel chain as part of its new campaign to inspire the nation to ‘get up & go’ and explore Great Britain - surveyed 1,000 children across the UK to investigate their knowledge and appetite for classic regional British fare.
Children don't know ingredients of cornish pastyKey research findings revealed that, despite a fifth of children claiming that they like to try new foods whilst holidaying on British shores, the majority of kids have never tried, or even heard, of some of Britain’s classic regional holiday dishes.
Over half of British children have never experienced a Cornish pasty – probably one of the most famous regional dishes on the UK food map, dating back to the 13th century. Furthermore, nearly a third of young Britons don’t know what the main ingredients of a Cornish pasty are. The research also revealed that seven out of ten children have never tried a Cumberland sausage which has been a local speciality in Cumbria for over 500 years.
Monica Askay, Cook and Food Historian said:
“Looking at this research, it is a great pity that so many young Britons are not aware of, or have not had the opportunity to enjoy, our rich and varied regional culinary heritage.
"Many modern Britons appear reluctant to try the great range of regional dishes this country has to offer yet they are very open to international cuisine. In my experience, once people have tried these regional dishes they are pleasantly surprised at how tasty they are.
"Many regional dishes give us insights into the cooking of much earlier times and it would be a great shame to lose this culinary heritage. I would strongly encourage parents and their children to seek out and try these dishes for themselves in order to help
The idea of cream tea also confuses kidspreserve our food heritage for future generations. If not, we could lose both a great source of enjoyment and a very valuable part of our culinary history.”
The study also found that three quarters of children have never enjoyed a Devonshire cream tea, a speciality hailing from the historic town of Tavistock one thousand years ago. Interestingly, 43 per cent of young Britons don’t even know what a cream tea is.
The study also revealed that nine out of ten British children have never tried the national dish of Scotland, haggis and nearly half stated that they have never even heard of the dish. In addition eight out of ten children have never tried black pudding, a delicacy that comes from the Black Country and the North West of England – especially the towns of Bury and Ramsbottom.
The report also found that, despite seaside holidays being very popular with young Britons, more than a third of children has never tasted the seaside classic treat, candy floss – which was invented in 1897 by the dentist William Morrison. Furthermore, nearly nine out of ten children have never tried the cockles and 98 per cent of children have never experienced one of David Beckham’s favourite snacks, jellied eels. Over a fifth of young Britons think this dish is eels made of jelly.
The study also showed that two thirds of British children have never enjoyed a stick of rock, one in eight has never experienced eating fish and chips at the seaside and one in ten children has not had a ‘99 ice-cream at the beach.
Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman said:
“Food is a big part of Britain’s rich heritage. However, our research has highlighted that we are at risk of losing some of our famous regional dishes because children have not been given the opportunity or encouraged to try them. To save Britain’s food legacy, we would urge families to get up & go this summer and taste their way through Great Britain.”
Interestingly when British children were asked what foods they would consider as their UK holiday must have a number of international dishes took prime position in the top ten listing. This included: Pizza, Chinese stir fry and Thai green curry.
Tagged in food Food & Drink