Sticky toffee pudding has been crowned Britain's most nostalgic dish, beating toad in the hole and trifle in a study of 2,000 adults. The research, commissioned by Lyle's Golden Syrup, found the 1990s was considered the nation's most memorable food decade, thanks to favourites like potato smiles, turkey dinosaurs and pasta salads.
1990s tops nostalgic food decades
The 90s was closely followed by the pre-1950s, with classic dishes such as Shepherd's pie, bread and butter pudding, and bubble and squeak also evoking strong memories. In comparison, just 12% consider food from this century to be among the most memorable.
The top 20 nostalgic foods include sticky toffee pudding, toad in the hole, trifle, jam roly-poly, rice pudding, Arctic roll, syrup sponge pudding, angel delight, scampi and chips, prawn cocktail, treacle tart, bubble and squeak, corned beef hash, crispy pancakes, ginger beer, liver and onions, potato smiles, jelly, ice cream floats and vol-au-vents.
Brits recreate childhood dishes
The study found seven in 10 adults have recreated nostalgic dishes from their childhood, to relive old memories and introduce their children to the popular meals. Nearly six in 10 (59%) long for the comfort and familiarity of their childhood foods, while 57% find them appealing because of the memories they evoke.
This comes as supper clubs are making a comeback, with a quarter of people (24%) saying supper clubs encourage them to try a retro dish they've never eaten before. Gen Z is also getting involved, with 15% of 18-24-year-olds recreating retro dishes from before they were born for dinner parties with friends.
Supper clubs and modern twists
To celebrate the social dining resurgence, Lyle's Golden Syrup has partnered with a number of supper clubs around the UK to bring communities together and get more people trying retro dishes and different cuisines.
Zoey Phoon, co-founder of Jiran Supper Club in London with Sareef (Lip) Naknan, said: "Supper clubs bring people offline, around a shared table, over food that actually has a story to tell. With the pressures that modern life brings, I think this is the reason we have seen them grow in popularity recently. We're all keen to evoke a sense of togetherness whenever we can."
Phoon added: "Jiran started as intimate dinners for friends in our backyard, with six people at a time, sharing plates of the Southeast Asian dishes we grew up on, cooked from memory and instinct rather than from recipe books. Now, we host 30 people who arrive as strangers and leave as friends, having tried something new and shared passions for food."
The research, conducted by OnePoll, also found 65% would be keen to try old classics with a modern twist, including 25% who would experiment with a combination of golden syrup and chilli. For 40% of all adults, curiosity could sway them to try a retro dish they hadn't eaten before, while 61% would order a classic meal in a restaurant if it was offered.
Olivia Haley, from Lyle's Golden Syrup, said: "There's something special about the foods we grew up with. They can instantly bring back happy memories of family meals; childhood treats and time spent together around the table. But nostalgia doesn't have to mean simply recreating the past. As people explore their own food rituals and styles, we're seeing a renewed love for the dishes we grew up with."
Haley added: "Whether that's giving childhood favourites like potato smiles a gourmet makeover, trying an unexpected flavour combination or a younger generation discovering retro classics for the first time, it's all about having fun with food and making these dishes our own. Personally, we think Syrup Sponge Pudding is particularly underrated."
