Great British Kitchen Culture

It’s no secret that Britain loves home cooking and baking, but in recent years, Great British culinary creations have met their fair share of kitchen challenges. From deciphering the best recipes to keeping the cost of ingredients low, people are looking for more guidance in the kitchen.

That’s why we asked the nation*:

• What do Brits’ at-home culinary efforts look like these days?
• What appliances come out on top?
• How do our cooking habits reflect wider trends?
• How do different generations approach their kitchen habits?

Our report takes a deep dive into the mixing bowl of Britain’s kitchen culture, exploring the nation’s favourite kitchen appliances, comfort meals and bakes, the latest trends shaping our tastes, and, ultimately, the hurdles we face when it comes to rolling out culinary creations.

Whether you're a seasoned pro or just finding your feet in the kitchen, this report serves up a slice of insight into what’s cooking across the country, offering up a fresh look at Britain’s kitchen culture.

We invited the nation to share their views on their most essential kitchen appliance from the cooker to kettles, and everything in between. While traditionally, the oven hob combo would have been a natural leader in this space, the air fryer actually came out on top, with the slow cooker not even scraping a place in the top five, despite its cost and energy-saving benefits.

According to our survey, the air fryer has been identified as the UK’s “most important” kitchen appliance, very closely followed by the classic oven and hob.

Here’s what our survey told us were the UK’s most important kitchen appliances:

No matter the appliance you prefer cooking with, there are some key British staples that most of us feel happy serving up at home, including:

While many of us consider these dishes to be classic British staples, our report finds that there are some meals that many of us need extra guidance with cooking other classics, including Toad in the Hole, trifle and jam roly poly.

Our survey data found that, as a nation, we're least confident cooking:

Air fryers have taken the top spot as the go-to gadget Brits can't cook without, even trumping ovens, kettles and the old reliable convenience appliance, the microwave.

Ranked as the number one gadget they can't live without, air fryers have won over households with their convenience, energy efficiency, and ability to create healthier meals quickly.

It’s actually the Baby Boomer Generation (anyone aged between 60 and 78) who are the air fryer’s biggest advocates, with 22% saying it’s the most important appliance in their kitchen, followed by the oven and kettle, in joint second place.

We know that air fryers are the top choice appliance in most UK households, but which brands are front and center of consumers' minds?

Is Ninja still leading, or has Tower or Tefal knocked them off the top spot? We’ve done the legwork and collated the data from Google to find out:

Top 3 air fryer brands based on Google search demand

1. Ninja air fryers
2. Tower air fryers
3. Tefal air fryers

The Ninja air fryer continues to dominate the space, and it looks like their lead isn’t stopping anytime soon. However, their demand on Google is declining – could this be the opportunity that Tower and Tefal have been waiting for?

Don’t worry – the classic oven and hob still have their place in the top five!

Our survey data shows that, in the end it was a close-run competition between the classic oven and hob and the air fryer for securing the top spot. And while the air fryer is definitely in its heyday, other appliances like ovens, electric hobs and gas hobs still play a crucial role in British at-home cooking, with one in five acknowledging the cooker’s vital role in UK kitchens.

Among Millennials (those aged 28-43), the oven sits above the air fryer in priority order, with one in four naming it their most important appliance. Meanwhile, bucking the trend entirely is the older generation, who actually consider the kettle and microwave to be most important, with the microwave receiving 30% of the vote for the most essential appliance among those aged 79 and over.

Gen Z are the least confident making a roast dinner

While roast dinners were ranked as one of the most iconic dishes in British cuisine, Gen Zers admit they’re the least confident when it comes to cooking this meal. The complexity of timing, multiple dishes, and high expectations from family members can often be overwhelming, so it’s no surprise this could potentially put off younger generations from taking the kitchen reigns.

Moving into baking, and it seems that the Great British Baking Trend appears to be on decline, with one in five saying they never bake at home.

For many, the high cost of ingredients is the main reason they don't bake more often, with this concern being most prevalent among Gen Z and Millennials (those aged 16-43 collectively).

And with British baking classics including scones, Christmas cakes and sausage rolls being cited as the trickiest to make, Britain needs a baking boost to build their confidence to get back in the kitchen.

Read our baking tips and access our recipes here.

It might be top of the wishlist for many Brits during the festive season, but turns out traditional Christmas pud is one dish British bakers simply can’t get their heads around.

Despite the dish being a festive favourite, most respondent (75%) admitted they would feel nervous about making one from scratch.

The complexity of the recipe, coupled with the long preparation time and unfamiliar ingredients, leaves many turning to store-bought options instead. This reluctance suggests that while Brits cherish Christmas traditions, the labour-intensive nature of this iconic dessert is a barrier for home bakers.

Methodology

AO worked in partnership with research consultants to ask 3,000 UK citizens their views and opinions on a number of cooking and baking related questions to help us understand the current state of Great British cooking culture.