Could it be the end of the traditional English breakfast?

Brits have said they now prefer the American hash brown on their breakfast plate over the traditional slice of toast or buttered bread, according to new research published to celebrate National English Breakfast Day (December 2nd).

The popular American food item, usually found in food diners across North America seems to be a huge hit with Brits, as it received high votes during a study by food delivery app Foodhub, who polled 2,000 Brits to find out the must-have items on a Full English Breakfast.

And some now even opt for chips, as a must-have item on the classic English breakfast plate.

So, is the Full English Breakfast under threat of becoming Americanised?

Well, almost half of the 2,000 Brits polled say that a hash brown should be part of their breakfast, alongside egg, sausages and rashers of bacon.

With more of the nation choosing hash browns (60%) than even the traditional English black pudding (26%), the iconic dish favoured by the nation for hundreds of years is at risk of losing its Englishness.

America is increasingly changing the traditional English ways with the introduction of baby showers, prom nights and gender reveals coming across the pond – even the US Election took over the entire country’s news agenda.

As the burger has recently been voted as the UK’s favourite sandwich – causing controversy – could another American food item spell the end of the staple English dish?

Foodhub spokesman Wil Chung said: “You can’t beat a classic Full English Breakfast and the beauty of the dish is that you can make it bespoke to suit your tastebuds. As vegetarianism is becoming increasingly popular, it is no surprise that the egg was voted as the number one product to have on your plate. With sausages and bacon following closely behind, this tasty trio represent what a model English Breakfast looks like.

“However, it is interesting to see that more people are opting for the American hash brown over buttered toast or bread and the English black pudding. We’re even seeing a big swing to people demanding chips on their breakfast plate!

“There are key traditional items that make up an English breakfast and if removed or replaced the Full English Breakfast is at risk of becoming the Full American Breakfast.”

However, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, as when it comes to what hot beverage, we’d prefer to wash our breakfast down with, it was of course a no brainer! The traditional English cup of tea came out on top with nearly half of the UK voting it as their choice of drink (45%).

Coffee followed behind with 33% of the vote. However, participants in the West Midlands opted for coffee (42%) over tea (31%), as did people in Northern Ireland with 44% choosing the bitter yet sweet tasting drink.

The much-loved English Breakfast doesn’t necessarily have to be enjoyed first thing in the morning. Almost a half of people surveyed (43%) said that its acceptable to eat an English Breakfast at any time of the day.

When it comes to how often we eat a Full English, a fifth of the nation claimed they ate the classic dish once or twice a week. Shockingly, 12% of the UK said that they never eat the iconic English dish.