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The Full English breakfast could die out within a generation because almost one in five young people living in the UK have never eaten a fry-up.  

Despite being a mainstay of British society since the Victorian era, a nationwide study has revealed 17 per cent of British people under 30 have never tucked into the greasy breakfast food.  

Millennials are avoiding the traditional meal due to health concerns, with a fifth of 18 to 30-year-olds saying they associate the dish with heart attacks and obesity.

The majority would prefer to have smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, smashed avocado on toast or oatmeal pancakes for breakfast over the Full English. 

The Full English breakfast could die out within a generation as almost one in five young people living in the UK have never eaten a fry-up

The Full English breakfast could die out within a generation as almost one in five young people living in the UK have never eaten a fry-up

The Full English breakfast could die out within a generation as almost one in five young people living in the UK have never eaten a fry-up

Why are younger diners avoiding the traditional fry up? 

Seven in 10 young Brits would opt for smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, smashed avocado on toast or oatmeal pancakes for breakfast over the Full English. While one in twenty would rather tuck into a bowl of muesli.

When asked to rate how healthy the full English is on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being very unhealthy and 0 being extremely healthy, the average 18 to 30-year-old rated Full English at a seven.

Nearly a quarter believe it is too greasy, and 42 per cent said it reminded them of ‘men in vests hanging around in transport cafes’.

For a third it conjures up images of Brits abroad, and 29 per cent of the 2,000 people polled admit they ‘cringe’ when they see UK tourists tucking into a cooked breakfast.

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Other aspects which put young Brits off are greasy bacon with 24 per cent saying they don’t like this, while eight per cent said lukewarm baked beans put them off six per cent said they wanted to avoid processed sausages.

Black pudding is the single most unappealing element, according to 27 per cent of millennials surveyed.

Ellie Glason, Director of polling firm Ginger Research, who commissioned the study: ‘The results of our nationwide breakfast research suggest the full English could become a thing of the past, due to the health concerns of younger Britons.

‘In fact, according to the results, avocado, scrambled eggs, salmon and oatmeal pancakes are replacing the humble fry-up in the nation’s hearts.

‘The study found also that over half of young adults believe Britain is becoming more health conscious and shunning traditional English meals like fried breakfasts, bangers and mash and pie and chips.’    

According to the English Breakfast Society, the ‘common’ full English breakfast consists of back bacon, eggs, British sausage, baked beans, fried tomato, fried mushrooms, black pudding and fried and toasted bread. This may depend on where in Britain you are.

The Full English breakfast dates back to the 1800’s when the Victorians made it the most important meal of the day, using it as an opportunity to display their wealth and hospitality.

However, it was soon adopted by the working classes of the industrial revolution who needed a hearty breakfast to give them the energy to work a full day of grinding manual labour.

The tradition spread until its peak in the 1950s when roughly half of the British population started their day with a Full English breakfast.

Source: Food Recipes and News