Britons’ lockdown longing revealed with our taste buds to guide our travel plan

With just days to go until al-fresco dining and the first phase of staycations are allowed across the country, new VisitEngland research shows that it’s foodie experiences that are top of the agenda for sensory-starved Britons.

In a research poll of 2,476 nationally representative adults commissioned by VisitEngland, more than half (51%) of respondents cited eating out at a restaurant as the travel experience they had missed most of all during lockdown, followed by more than a third (37%) who had missed visits to pubs and bars and coffee shops and cafes.

The research showed that our taste buds are also driving our travel plans with foodie experiences taking the top three spots for activities Brits are hoping to enjoy this summer. Almost half, 46%, of respondents were most looking forward to eating out at a restaurant, market or street food truck, jointly placed with the chance to have a drink in a pub garden, with 44% looking forward to visiting coffee shops and cafes.

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said “From fine-dining restaurants and gastropubs to beach-side shacks and city street-food, England’s food and drink offering is as varied as it is exciting and an integral part of exploring a destination. From our coast and countryside to our city streets, England offers a huge diversity of sensory experiences and we encourage Brits to responsibly explore both their old favourites and discover our hidden gems this summer.”

Tantalising our tastebuds also scored highly when thinking about the sensory experiences Brits are looking forward to as freedom to travel begins to open up. Fish and chips (51%); ice-cream (51%) and a cold drink in a pub (47%) were the top three tastes Brits were excited about experiencing this summer.