Made in England ResearchSurvey finding
A quarter would pay 20% more for an English-made food gift. Four in ten say it depends on the product
Offered two food or drink gifts of equal quality, one made in England and costing 20% more, 24% of adults in England chose the English-made one and 22% the cheaper import. The most common answer, on 42%, was that it depends on the product.
Key findings
- 24% of adults in England would choose an English-made food or drink gift costing 20% more over an imported one of equal quality.
- 22% would choose the cheaper import. The two-point gap is within the margin of error, so the two groups are level.
- The most common answer, given by 42%, is that it would depend on the specific product. 11% are not sure.
- Only about one in five chose the cheaper import outright.
An even split, with most people in the middle
The question set up a straight choice. Two food or drink gifts, equal in quality. One is made in England and costs 20% more. Which would you choose?
24% of adults in England said the English-made gift and 22% said the cheaper import. With a sample of 2,001, each figure has a margin of error of about two percentage points either way, so a two-point gap is not a lead. The fair reading is that the two groups are the same size.
| Answer | % |
|---|---|
| It would depend on the specific product | 42% |
| The English-made product | 24% |
| The cheaper imported product | 22% |
| Not sure | 11% |
Just over half did not pick either gift outright: 42% said it would depend on the specific product and 11% were not sure.
What "it depends" means
The survey did not ask which products people had in mind, so it can't say where an extra 20% is worth paying to them and where it isn't.
What it does show is that, with quality equal, origin alone settles the choice for about a quarter of people and price alone settles it for about a fifth. For the largest group, the product itself decides.
The wider picture
Price was a live worry when the survey was taken. 78% said they were concerned that global disruption would affect food prices over the next 12 months.
When people do choose English-made, the main reason they give is economic. 31% say supporting jobs and the local economy is the single biggest reason, ahead of better quality (18%) and national pride (15%).
The question was about gifts. It does not show what people would do in their weekly shop.
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
The full data tables (Excel), including breakdowns by gender, age, region and nearest city, can be downloaded. Charts and figures may be reproduced with credit to Made in England Research. Please link to the page you took them from. Marcus Holland, founder of MadeInEngland.com, is available for interview and further comment. Contact: marcus@madeinengland.com, 07983 818291.
Suggested citation
Made in England Research/Censuswide, survey of 2,001 adults in England, 13 to 16 April 2026.