London’s diners are rewriting the rules of the Sunday roast, adding global flavours, experimenting with healthier alternatives and becoming less precious about what belongs on the plate.
According to research by Lightspeed, 37% of Londoners say they or someone they know has added ketchup to a roast in the past year, while 32% have spiced things up with hot sauce or chilli oil (23%).
The changes are not just about flavour, with nearly half (45%) of Londoners stating that they often replace classic sides to be healthier, eat more vegetables (40%), or get more protein (30%) and fibre (28%) into their diets – with these changes ranking higher than the national averages.
Younger diners are also experimenting with their roast dinners. Two in five (39%) of Gen Z add ketchup, nearly a quarter (23%) go for hot sauce, and nine per cent even add a Korean twist with kimchi. In stark contrast, 40% of Baby Boomers refuse to alter the classic roast formula of meat, potatoes, gravy and all the usual trimmings.
Returning to dining nostalgia
The study also looked at how eating out has changed since 2016, with the results suggesting diners are craving a return to nostalgic British favourites. Compared to 2016, British cheeses (40%), seasonal veg (33%) and hot honey (28%) are the foods Brits are most likely to order now if they featured in a dish.
Despite being partial to tailoring their roast, when asked which one classic dish restaurants should never mess with, Brits say it’s the Sunday roast (18%). This is followed by the full English breakfast (15%) and fish and chips (14%).
Four in five Brits (81%) also want more restaurants, pubs and cafés to bring back traditional British dishes which remind them of childhood, with a whopping 77% stating they would pay a premium for meals made with British ingredients. In London, 36% would even stretch to over £5 extra, while 78% say they are more likely to order a dish if the menu explicitly states exactly where in Britain the ingredients were sourced.
Award-winning chef Sally Abé, who has recently opened her first standalone restaurant Teal by Sally Abé, said:
“Diners are far more adventurous than they were ten years ago. Younger diners in particular have grown up with a wider range of global flavours, so experimenting with traditional dishes doesn’t necessarily feel unusual to them. Even something as familiar as a Sunday roast can evolve, whether that’s through different vegetables, spicier flavours or new accompaniments.
“But at the same time, there has been a real return to comfort and nostalgia. People still want dishes that remind them of childhood or classic British cooking, but they expect them to be made with great ingredients and executed really well. That’s why we’re seeing things like proper pies, suet puddings, and classic desserts enjoying a resurgence.”
Ana Munoz, VP of Sales, EMEA Hospitality at Lightspeed, said:
“It’s clear that the way we eat out has changed significantly over the past ten years, from the flavours we are willing to try to the way we choose dishes. Restaurants are having to respond to changing diner expectations, particularly around health and the provenance of ingredients – from looking at the data, we see a clear desire from people to get the best of both worlds, where adventurous dishes and nostalgic favourites will go hand in hand on the menus of the future.”
In response to how Brits are customising classic British dishes when dining out, Sally has collaborated with Lightspeed to create custom recipes of traditional favourites that people can cook at home.
Find her recipes here.
