The controversial way Brits are making their bacon sarnies

There are few things us Brits hold dearer to our hearts than the iconic bacon sandwich.

Be it a butty, a bap, or a crusty roll, there’s something about that greasy bundle of joy that speaks to our sense of national pride.

But while this breakfast staple has the power to bring the UK’s meat-eating populace together, recent findings suggest it could be the very meal that tears us all apart.

British meat brand The Jolly Hog recently conducted a survey of 3,000 Brits to uncover exactly how they construct their perfect sarnie. And the results were… well, shocking.

There are a few different ways people like to cook their bacon.

Unsurprisingly, given ‘slightly crispy’ was the favoured finish of 60% of respondents, 27% of people use an air fryer, while almost half (48%) opt for grilling.

The majority of Millennials (55%) said they prefer this method, but Gen Z differed slightly, with 53% of 18 to 24-year-olds expressing their love for the frying pan.

But what was most shocking was that 10% of those surveyed admitted to microwaving their bacon. Yes, you read that correctly.

The prime culprits? 25 to 34-year-olds; 19% of this age group confessed to being unashamed meat microwavers, almost double the overall figure.

Interestingly, this also appears to be a southern trend, with London and Brighton emerging as the cities most likely to nuke their bacon, at 23% and 21% of residents respectively.

One sarnie connoisseur who isn’t having any of that is Davut Utkun, 28, part owner and manager of the Regency Café, an iconic corner spot in Westminster that’s been serving authentic British breakfasts since 1946.

‘Microwaving bacon is what happens when patience runs out, but standards shouldn’t,’ he tells Metro.

‘Bacon belongs in a pan, not a microwave. One gives you breakfast, the other gives you regret.

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Having worked in kitchens since he was 12, Davut knows a thing or two about constructing the perfect sandwich.

And for him, nothing beats a ‘bacon and egg sarnie with brown sauce.’

Talking of sauces, The Jolly Hog’s survey also revealed some interesting insights into Brits’ bacon bap condiment of choice.

Hot sauce in a bacon bap?

For decades now, ketchup has been this country’s favourite condiment. Smothered across fish and chips or blobbed on the corner of a pizza crust, we find ways to integrate this neon red liquid into almost every meal.

Brits love ketchup so much, the UK ranks third in global consumption – with an estimated annual per capita intake of 36 pounds.

So, it won’t come as much of a surprise that ketchup is the nation’s top bacon sandwich sauce, with 50% opting for tomato sauce in their bap.

HP sauce is up next with 32% of the vote, while 11% of survey participants said they choose mayonnaise to moisten their sarnie.

And even more controversial, almost one in three (30%) of the younger generation named hot sauce as their second-favourite bacon sandwich condiment.

Hot sauce has become a staple in most British homes, with Tesco reporting a 65% rise in sales of Sriracha. And from TikTok recipes to Reddit posts, social media users definitely seem to be here for a spicy sarnie.

‘I have hot sauce on most things, a tad mixed in with baked beans on toast is also excellent,’ one Reddit user wrote underneath a post in r/UKFood. ‘Once you’re hooked on hot sauce you just can’t help yourself.’

‘I love a bit of Frank’s RedHot sauce on mine personally,’ another added.

It’s safe to say that it’s clear where Davut stands on this topic though, with the café manager concluding: ‘Hot sauce with bacon sandwich? This ain’t tacos!’

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