Britishness is 'defined by diet'

Fish and chips defines the nation

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips, and tea are among the things that define Britain most as a nation, according to a survey.

Researchers asked 1,000 Britons what people, places, activities or characteristics set the country apart.

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, along with fish and chips, were chosen by 73% of those questioned.

The Queen was in third place, chosen by 64% of voters, followed by Buckingham Palace in fourth with 58%.

Fifth was the cooked English breakfast (56%), then The Beatles and the Houses of Parliament (both 55%), Marks & Spencer (53%), the master painter Constable (52%) and drinking tea (51%) in tenth place.

Lower down were queuing (34th place), keeping a stiff upper lip (49th), and the British reluctance to tackle foreign languages (65th).

The inclusion of Hugh Grant, the London Eye, Trevor McDonald and David Hockney all attest to the changing yet positive way in which Britishness is perceived Tanqueray marketing director Richard Wells

A panel of five experts, including editor of GQ magazine, Dylan Jones, and political journalist Matthew Parris, compiled a list of 100 candidates.

These were then voted on by 1,000 people in a survey conducted by pollsters TNS RSGB last month on behalf of Tanqueray gin.

Participants were asked to choose three each from a list of 10 categories - public figures, national traits and cultural modes, music, actors, film and television, food and drink, icons and national symbols, artists, buildings and landscapes, and brands.

Tanqueray marketing director Richard Wells, said: "As global trends develop and consumers become more discerning, we need to understand which cues are important in British brands and what makes them distinctive to other countries brands."

Mr Wells said one of the most noteworthy revelations of the research was how contemporary icons had also made it into the list.

"The inclusion of Hugh Grant, the London Eye, Trevor McDonald and David Hockney all attest to the changing yet positive way in which Britishness is perceived."