Made in England ResearchSurvey finding
Nearly four in ten say supermarkets don't give English-made food enough shelf space
37% say supermarkets don't give English-made food and drink enough prominence, 27% say they do, and 36% have never thought about it. Under-35s and over-55s disagree sharply.
Key findings
- 37% of adults in England say supermarkets don't give enough shelf space and prominence to English-made food and drink. 27% say they do, and 36% have never thought about it.
- Under-35s and over-55s see it completely differently: 46% of 25 to 34 year olds say supermarkets do enough, against 16% of over-55s. 45% of over-55s say they don't.
- Greater London is the only region where more people say yes (39%) than no (32%).
- 54% find genuinely English-made food and drink easy to find, 25% find it difficult and 20% have never tried.
The verdict on the shelves
37% of adults in England say supermarkets don't give enough shelf space and prominence to English-made food and drink. 27% think they do. Just over a third (36%) have never thought about it.
The South East and East Midlands (both 42%) and the South West (41%) are the most critical regions. Greater London is the only region where more people say supermarkets do enough (39%) than say they don't (32%). Among cities, Plymouth (49%) has the highest share saying not enough. City figures are based on small subsamples and should be read as indicative. Base sizes are in the full data tables.
A generation split
Age divides the answers more than anything else. Among 25 to 34 year olds, 46% say supermarkets give English-made food enough space and 27% say they don't. Among over-55s it is the other way round: 16% say enough and 45% say not enough. The 45 to 54 and over-55 groups are also the most likely never to have thought about it (39% each).
| Age | Yes | No | Never thought about it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 43% | 28% | 29% |
| 25-34 | 46% | 27% | 28% |
| 35-44 | 32% | 33% | 35% |
| 45-54 | 21% | 39% | 39% |
| 55+ | 16% | 45% | 39% |
| All adults | 27% | 37% | 36% |
Easy to find, if you look
54% of adults in England say they find it easy to find genuinely English-made food and drink. 25% find it difficult and 20% have never tried. Again the young find it easiest: 64% of 25 to 34 year olds say easy, and 25% say very easy, against 50% and 8% of over-55s. Brighton (66% easy) and Plymouth (41% easy, 35% difficult) sit at the two ends among cities.
What people associate with English-made is clear enough: 42% say it is fresher when it reaches them, 36% higher welfare standards, 32% better for the environment and 19% fewer artificial additives. 22% have never thought about the difference.
Most people also have little idea who owns the shops. 33% have no idea what share of food is bought from foreign-owned supermarkets and retailers, and those who guessed put it at 26% on average. MadeInEngland.com's Who Owns Your Basket study traces 102 everyday supermarket brand lines back to who owns them and where they are made.
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.