What England knows, buys and believes about its own food: full survey results, April 2026

About this research

MadeInEngland.com commissioned Censuswide to ask 2,001 adults in England twenty questions about English food and drink: what they know about it, what they buy, and what they think should happen to it. The sample is nationally representative of adults aged 18 and over in England. 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. It abides by the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.

Results are shown for all respondents and, where an article draws on them, by gender, age band, region and nearest city. Regional samples range from 98 (North East) to 315 (South East). City samples are smaller, from 68 (Plymouth) to 598 (London), and city figures should be read as indicative.

To cite: "Made in England Research/Censuswide, survey of 2,001 adults in England, 13 to 16 April 2026."

Summary of findings

1. Half of England doesn't know a "made in England" label can contain imported ingredients. 50% didn't realise, 39% did, 11% weren't sure.
2. Four in ten people in England say they can't name a single English food or drink producer. 22% say they could name five; the average across everyone is two.
3. Two thirds say growing more of our own food matters more now than in previous decades (68%). 78% are worried about food prices over the next 12 months and 70% about availability.
4. Six in ten (63%) want it made easier for English producers to sell to the EU even if it means closer trade cooperation. 15% are against.
5. London (20%) and Cornwall and Devon (19%) top the list of regions most associated with high quality food and drink. Wherever people live, they tend to pick their own patch.
6. Nearly four in ten (37%) say supermarkets don't give English-made food and drink enough shelf space. 27% say they do.
7. 69% of people who have tried English sparkling wine rate it high quality, but 39% have never tried it, including half of over-55s.
8. Supporting jobs and the local economy is the biggest reason people would choose a product made in England (31%). Better quality is second on 18% and national pride third on 15%.
9. A quarter (24%) would pay 20% more for an English-made food or drink gift of equal quality. 22% would take the cheaper import and 42% say it depends on the product.
10. People in England rank their own country first for "premium food and drink gifting" (25%), ahead of Italy (15%) and France (11%).
11. Three in ten (31%) would pick one of two kinds of hamper as a luxury food and drink gift; a fine dining restaurant experience is the most popular single choice (20%), and 23% said nothing in particular.

Also in the data: only 48% could say that St George's Day falls in April.

Full results

All figures are percentages of all 2,001 respondents unless stated. Rounded to whole numbers; totals may not sum to 100.

Q1. When is St George's Day celebrated in England?

Q2. How often, if at all, do you do each of the following for St George's Day?

Q3. What, if any, is the single biggest reason you would choose a product made in England?

Q4. Which country, if any, do you most associate with premium food and drink gifting?

Q5. Could you name five English food or drink producers off the top of your head?

Q6. Which, if any, of the following do you know to be genuinely produced in England? (Select all that apply)

Q7. If two food or drink gifts were equal in quality, but one was made in England and cost 20% more, which would you choose?

Q8. What, if anything, appeals to you most in a luxury food and drink gift?

Q9. Do you find it easy or difficult to find genuinely English-made food and drink?

Q10. When it comes to food produced in England compared to imported alternatives, which, if any, of the following do you associate with English-made? (Select all that apply)

Q11. Did you know that a food product can be labelled "made in England" even if some or all of its ingredients come from outside England?

Q12. What percentage of the food bought in England do you think is purchased from foreign-owned supermarkets and retailers?

Q13. How many different countries do you think the ingredients in a typical supermarket ready meal are sourced from?

Q14. Do you think supermarkets give enough shelf space and prominence to English-made food and drink products?

Q15. Which, if any, region of England do you most associate with high quality food and drink?

Q16. Which, if any, of the following types of English wine have you tried, and how would you rate them?

Q17. To what extent, if at all, do you agree or disagree with the statement "English food and drink was better quality in the past than it is today"?

Q18. To what extent, if at all, are you concerned that global disruption will affect the price or availability of food in the next 12 months?

Q19. Compared to previous decades, how important do you think it is for England to increase its own food production?

Q20. Should the UK make it easier for English food and drink producers to sell their products to EU countries, even if it requires closer trade cooperation with the EU?

Using this data

Journalists, researchers and other publishers are welcome to quote any figure on this page with credit to Made in England Research and Censuswide, and a link to this page. Charts from the accompanying articles may be reproduced with the same credit.

The full data tables (Excel), including breakdowns by gender, age, region and nearest city, can be downloaded. The open-text responses are available on request. Marcus Holland, founder of MadeInEngland.com, is available for comment. Contact: marcus@madeinengland.com, 07983 818291.