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Sunday roast tops miss-list

The Sunday roast, an English breakfast and a cup of tea are among the things Britons would most miss if they lived abroad, a survey showed today.

Research by Abbey National Offshore found that while family and friends topped the poll of things people would miss if they left the UK, food dominated the list.

About 42% of people said they would crave a traditional Sunday roast, while 37% would miss tea, 34% would want fish and chips and 29% said they would feel deprived of an English breakfast.

One in five people said they would miss chocolate, while 12% would crave baked beans, 10% said they would hate not being able to go for a curry and the same proportion would miss crisps.

Not being able to shop in Marks & Spencer would be a major drawback for 27% of people, while 26% would miss Tesco and 20% would be unhappy about not being able to go to the pub.

Family

Nearly three-quarters of those questioned said they would miss family and friends if they lived abroad, while 24% said not being able to keep up with soap operas would be a drawback and 20% would miss British comedy.

Around 17% of people said they would miss British news and current affairs programmes, while 14% thought they would miss documentaries.

Unsurprisingly, the British weather was the thing most people said they wouldn't miss, cited by 47% of those questioned, followed by traffic congestion and MPs for 38% of people.

A third of people said they would be glad to escape reality TV shows and 30% said they could manage without the UK's obsession with celebrities.

:: BMRB questioned 1,026 people face-to-face during March.