Italian food named the nations favourite

A survey conducted by the UK's leading online travel agent On the Beach has revealed that perhaps the typical Brit abroad no longer exists with the majority now choosing foreign food rather than old British favourites during their holiday.

The survey of 1,500 British holidaymakers revealed eight of 10 travelling Britons head to local restaurants serving local cuisine whilst abroad, with only 14% sticking to British style restaurants and bars. Only 4% of Brits say they prefer to dine at well-known international restaurants.

The results of the survey suggests that the typical Brit abroad is changing with almost three quarters (74%) saying they would now choose a Paella over Pie and Mash during a holiday in Spain.

The survey also shows that British holidaymakers are becoming more adventurous when it comes to shopping for food with only 16% saying they only buy well-known British brands and food in the local supermarkets. The majority (84%) prefer to go wild in the aisles, choosing local brands and foods.  

Italian cuisine was voted the nations favourite with 20% of the vote, followed by Thai with 9.5%. Spanish food was voted the nation's third favourite international cuisine with 9%, with Mexican (8%) and Greek (7%) making up the top five.

French cuisine, which is deemed by many to be the best in the world, just missed out in the top five, named the sixth favourite international cuisine by travelling Brits.

Alistair Daly, Chief Marketing Officer at On the Beach comments:

"It would appear that the old Brit abroad tag no longer exists with the majority preferring to try local foods instead of the old British favourites. One of the best things about being in a different country  is sampling the local food so it's good to hear that as a nation, we are now more likely to head to local restaurants serving local food, rather than heading straight for the Dog and Duck."

The nation's top 10 favourite foreign food:

1. Italian
2. Thai
3. Spanish
4. Mexican
5. Greek
6. French
7. Caribbean
8. Moroccan
9. Portuguese
10. Turkish

-ends-

For further information please contact Jamie Wortley at:  jamie@jpwcommunications.com, or call 01769 573 444

About On the Beach

Founded in 2004, On the Beach is a leading online travel company in the UK and has become one of the most popular holiday booking sites, with 50 million website visitors every year and one million customers choosing On the Beach to find, book and enjoy their perfect beach holiday. Book online at www.onthebeach.co.uk, or by calling the UK call centre on 0871 474 3000.