Everyone loves a good takeaway. It’s a delicious and convenient option for when you want to treat yourself without being forced to leave the comfort of your sofa. Everybody has their favourite takeaway, the thing that they always fall back on. However, you can see larger patterns in what people prefer throughout the UK.
Favourite Meals to Take Away
Here are some of the most popular options.
1. Fish and Chips
Yes, we start with the uniquely British marvel of fish and chips. It’s simple fare, but it’s undeniably brilliant. Surprisingly, fish and chips aren’t necessarily considered the favourite takeaway of most individual people. So, why are they leading this list?
Well, fish and chips are considered the safest option. Even if you prefer something more exciting, you can’t go wrong with a good helping of fish and chips. It’s comforting and familiar, which is something that we all need.
Even if you aren’t a big fish eater, you can happily spring for a chip butty, battered sausage, or even a hearty portion of chips accompanied with salt and vinegar or curry sauce.
2. Chinese Takeaway
The most popular takeaway in the UK is the Chinese takeaway. It’s sweet, it’s sticky, and you can even pretend that it’s healthy if you try hard enough. Of course, there are some standout orders that we Brits lean towards from the local Chinese takeaway.
First up, we have the classic chow mein. Whether you order chicken, shrimp, beef, or whatever else, you’re likely to get a similar tasty dish involving stir-fried noodles and veg. As with many takeaway meals, chow mein isn’t actually a traditional Chinese dish, but something altered for restaurants and takeaways.
Other popular Chinese takeaway meals include sweet and sour chicken or pork, shredded crispy chilly beef, chicken in black bean sauce, and everyone’s favourite treat, Peking roasted duck.
3. Indian Takeaway
No list of the UK’s favourite takeaways could be complete without the good old Indian takeaway. Most Indian takeaway meals are considered part of a cuisine known as “British Indian food”. Essentially, popular Indian food was altered to suit British tastes and to make it easier to cook quickly in bulk. Expect lots of spices, onions, chillies, and a generous splash of cream to make things truly delicious.
The most popular British Indian takeaway meal is the fantastic chicken tikka masala, featuring chicken pieces swimming in a gloriously red, rich sauce. This isn’t a particularly hot curry, so it caters to most people’s tastes. Other favourites include chicken Korma, Rogan Josh, butter chicken, and chicken Madras.
Most of these meals are served with either rice, naan, or a combination of both. If you add some popadoms to the mix, then you’ve got a great feast waiting for you.
4. Pizza
Next up we have pizza, to no surprise whatsoever. Much like fish and chips, pizza is seen as a pretty safe option. At its most basic, you have bread, sauce, and cheese, you can’t go too horribly far wrong with that.
According to surveys, the nation’s favourite pizza topping is pepperoni, which again, probably isn’t much of a surprise. Second, we have barbecue chicken, closely followed by Margherita pizza and the ever-controversial Hawaiian pizza. Apparently, quite a few of us do love pineapple on pizza, who knew?
From there, there are a few pizza options that will still sound familiar and a couple that might not. Meatball pizza is next, then we have the four-cheese pizza, the calzone, prosciutto ham pizza, spinach and egg pizza, and hot and spicy pizza. Who knew that there were so many pizza options?
5. Kebab
Last but not least, there’s the classic kebab. The kebab was once considered the chosen food of someone having a rough night out, but it’s now a rising star among the nation’s youth. Honestly, you can’t blame them as kebabs can range from comforting fare designed to fill a hole, to something verging on luxury.
The stand-out favourite kebab option out there is doner, which is heavily spiced and tightly minced lamb shaved in thin strips. It’s moreish and tasty, especially when paired with pitta, salad, and either garlic or chilli sauce. But while doner kebab is the most popular, it’s not the only option.
The next contender is shish kebab, where the lamb is cut into cubes and skewered instead. However, some people prefer chicken to lamb, which others still go for the vegetarian option of halloumi or falafel instead. In any case, it’s delicious paired with the age-old combination of pita, salad, and some tasty sauces.