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Article: London and the West Country tie as England's food capital, and every region backs itself

Censuswide

London and the West Country tie as England's food capital, and every region backs itself

Asked which region they most associate with high quality food and drink, 20% said London and 19% said Cornwall and Devon. Yorkshire came third. Wherever people live, they tend to pick their own patch.

Key findings

  • Asked which region of England they most associate with high quality food and drink, 20% said London and 19% said Cornwall and Devon. Yorkshire was third (11%), then the Cotswolds (7%), the Lake District (6%), Norfolk and Suffolk (5%) and Kent (4%).
  • The largest group, 27%, don't associate any particular region with quality.
  • People back their own patch: 41% of Londoners picked London, 35% of the South West picked Cornwall and Devon, and 36% of Yorkshire picked Yorkshire.
  • 37% of 18 to 24 year olds named London. Only 11% of over-55s did.

The national picture

London and the West Country are level. 20% of adults in England most associate London with high quality food and drink and 19% say Cornwall and Devon. Yorkshire is the only other region in double figures (11%). The Cotswolds, the Lake District, Norfolk and Suffolk and Kent share the rest between them. More than a quarter of people (27%) don't associate any region with quality at all.

Which region of England do you most associate with high quality food and drink? All adults in England.
Region %
No particular region 27%
London 20%
Cornwall and Devon 19%
Yorkshire 11%
Cotswolds 7%
Lake District 6%
Norfolk and Suffolk 5%
Kent 4%

Home advantage

Wherever people live, they tend to pick their own patch. 41% of Londoners chose London, against 8% of people in the North East. 35% of the South West chose Cornwall and Devon, against 12% in Yorkshire. 36% of Yorkshire chose Yorkshire, against 5% in London.

Each region's pick for its own area, compared with England as a whole.
Where people live Their own region's pick At home Across England
Greater London London 41% 20%
Yorkshire and The Humber Yorkshire 36% 11%
South West Cornwall and Devon 35% 19%
East of England Norfolk and Suffolk 14% 5%
North East Lake District 13% 6%
North West Lake District 13% 6%
West Midlands Cotswolds 12% 7%
South East Kent 10% 4%

The East of England is the only region to back Norfolk and Suffolk in any numbers, and the North East and North West are the Lake District's biggest supporters. The North East is also the region most likely to say no region stands out (33%).

By city the effect is stronger still. 41% of Plymouth chose Cornwall and Devon and 38% of Leeds chose Yorkshire, while only 7% of Newcastle chose London.

Young people say London, older people say nowhere

37% of 18 to 24 year olds and 31% of 25 to 34s named London, compared with 11% of over-55s. Over-55s were the most likely to pick Cornwall and Devon (22%) and by far the most likely to say no region stands out (35%, against 16% of 25 to 34s).

What Marcus says

Marcus Holland, founder of MadeInEngland.com:

"Ask someone from Yorkshire where the best food comes from and you'll get one answer. Ask someone from Devon and you'll get another. They're both right, and so is Norfolk, and the Lakes, and about thirty other places nobody mentioned. That's the whole point of a marketplace like ours."

"I'm biased, I'm in Exeter. I'd have the West Country ahead of London any day of the week. But I'll take a tie."

Methodology

The research was conducted by Censuswide among a sample of 2,001 adults in England, nationally representative of those aged 18 and over. Fieldwork ran from 13 to 16 April 2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society and the British Polling Council and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge, and abides by the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles. Survey reference J17714CWMP. Full results for all 20 questions.

Notes for editors

Full data tables, including breakdowns by gender, age, region and nearest city, are available on request. Charts and figures may be reproduced with credit to MadeInEngland.com. Marcus Holland, founder of MadeInEngland.com, is available for interview and further comment. Contact: marcus@madeinengland.com, 07983 818291.

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