The study by Alternix found that scones were the most craved treat, taking the top spot in 17 countries with more than 1.7 million monthly searches, including Australia, France and Germany.
Worcestershire sauce came in a distant second with 282,680 monthly searches, followed closely by Yorkshire puddings (243,860), Marmite (158,150) and crumpets (155,390). The top 10 can be found in the box below.
Most searched for British treats abroad
Chocolate digestives took the top spot in five of the 25 countries investigated in this study, while English breakfast, Worcestershire sauce and scones were tied in the top position in the United Arab Emirates.
‘Seeking a taste of home’
Commenting on the popularity of scones overseas, John Mcinnes-Smith – commercial manager at British scone maker Haywood & Padget – said: “When you think of the British ex-pat communities throughout the world there must be many people seeking a taste of home, and for many this might be for the great British scone.
“Over and above the ex-pat community there is a healthy appetite across several continents for our scones, including Asia, Australia, North America and Europe. We believe these sales are driven by an interest in British culture and a perception of Britishness that people wish to experience and enjoy.”
An exporter of scones for many years, Haywood & Padgett has faced significant challenges in sending its products to Europe due to Brexit.
Export regulations
“There’s been lots of changes to export regulations which complicates the process and pushes costs up considerably, especially for smaller shipments,” Mcinnes-Smith added. “We try to work with larger customers who can take container shipments to mitigate these increased costs.
“We get many requests for scones from all over the world. Interest in traditional English scones is also growing in the Far East (which we think is being helped by the worldwide popularity of English tv dramas such as The Crown and Bridgerton) and we now supply customers in China and Japan with our products too.
Meanwhile, the trade report from the Food and Drink Federation, which assessed the period between January and December 2023, warned that new trade barrier rules could reverse export growth.