David Saunders
French food is giving Britain’s beloved fish and chips a run for its money, with a new survey revealing just how many of us are quietly sneaking across the Channel—culinarily speaking.
According to a poll of 2,000 British foodies, French food now ranks second only to traditional British grub, with 77% of respondents voting it ahead of Spanish, Italian, Chinese and even Indian cuisine.
For all the flag-waving we do over roast beef and Yorkshire pud, a hefty 65% admitted they’d rather tuck into a steak frites than fish and chips, and two-thirds (66%) confessed the French cook a better steak than we do. Ouch.
If that wasn’t enough to bruise the national ego, seven in ten (70%) also sided with French fries over chip shop chips.
Favourite French Dishes
| Rank | Dish | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steak frites | |
| 2 | Chocolate fondant (Fondant au Chocolat) | |
| 3 | Profiteroles | |
| 4 | Boeuf Bourguignon | |
| 5 | French onion soup | |
| 6 | Quiche Lorraine | |
| 7 | Steak tartare | |
| 8 | Cheese souffle | |
| 9 | Coq au vin | |
| 10 | Fondue | |
| 11 | Ratatouille | |
| 12 | Croque Monsieur | |
| 13 | Tarte Tatin | |
| 14 | Moules Marinière | |
| 15 | Croque Madame |
Asked to name their favourite French dishes, Brits didn’t hesitate. Steak frites led the pack with 44%, followed by chocolate fondant (37%), profiteroles (37%), and boeuf bourguignon (30%).
Also making the list were French onion soup (28%), quiche Lorraine (25%), and steak tartare (23%). The roll call of Gallic indulgence continued with coq au vin (18%), fondue (18%), ratatouille (17%), croque monsieur (16%), tarte tatin (16%), and moules marinière (15%). Clearly, when it comes to a night of decadence, French food has us weak at the knees.
Sophisticated Yet Intimidating
The survey also revealed that 67% of Brits believe French food is more indulgent and sophisticated than other world cuisines. But sophistication comes at a price: 15% admitted they’re daunted by the sheer amount of butter and cream, while 70% said the thought of cooking a French classic themselves is intimidating.
Two-thirds (66%) believe French dishes are the hardest to master, meaning 14% only attempt them on special occasions. For the rest of us, it seems safer to leave it to the professionals—or a delivery box.
Mindful Chef x Côte Partnership
The study was commissioned by healthy recipe box company Mindful Chef to mark its new partnership with Côte Brasserie. Together, they’re launching a range of recipes that promise the joy of French food without the fuss.
Jesse Kempner, Head of Food at Mindful Chef, explained: “It’s clear from the research that as a nation we love French food, even if we are intimidated to cook their dishes at home or feel they are too indulgent for a midweek meal. That’s exactly why we’ve partnered with Côte, to deliver a healthy twist on the classics we know and love and make it easy for people to enjoy French food at home, any day of the week.”
“The data reveals a common misconception, that French cooking at home is overly complex – it doesn’t need to be.”
Steve Allen, Executive Chef at Côte
A Culinary Reality Check
So, while Britain still tops its own charts at 90%, the verdict is clear: when it comes to steak, chips, and indulgence, the French have us beat. The question is whether we’ll keep hiding behind the deep-fat fryer, or finally admit that sometimes, it’s the butter that wins.
The Mindful Chef x Côte Brasserie range of recipes are available to order now from http://mindfulchef.com, with delivery available between the 7th September and 14th September. The six recipes in the range are as follows:
