The top things to come out of Britain…
A survey of a wide selection of UK adults found the full English breakfast, the internet and Cadbury chocolate also finished high in the top 50 best British exports, alongside Cheddar cheese and William Shakespeare.
The Beatles and Queen completed the top 10. Several traditional British foods made their way into the top 50, with the sandwich, afternoon tea, crumpets and Marmite all ranking highly. Classic British TV shows Top Gear, Downton Abbey and Doctor Who were also popular, as were public figures such as the Royal Family, Sir Stephen Hawking and David Bowie.
A host of British businesses also appeared in the list, including Marks & Spencer (M&S), Yorkshire Tea and Dyson, alongside car brands MINI, Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin. It also emerged that 82 per cent of Brits, polled by Santander UK, think some of the best things in the world have originated in Britain.
And 79 per cent would like to see more British companies becoming successful overseas, with 85 per cent believing exports to be crucial to the future of the UK economy.
Santander UK head of international and transactional banking, John Carroll:
“Britain has produced a wealth of successful exports over the years – from classic foods and businesses to TV shows and celebrities. As well as being a source of pride, putting us on the global map, UK exports play a significant role in the day-to-day success of British companies and their contribution to the economy back home.
“It’s important that we encourage and support more of our homegrown businesses to trade beyond the UK so we can grow this already impressive list of exports and help British businesses expand and flourish.”
The study also polled 1,000 UK business owners and decision-makers and found 48 per cent currently trade internationally, with 86 per cent of these companies reporting that overseas exports are critical to their business.
Top Ten Greats of Britain
1. Fish and chips
2. Roast dinners
3. Sir David Attenborough
4. Full English breakfast
5. The internet
6. Cadbury chocolate
7. Cheddar Cheese
8. William Shakespeare
9. The Beatles
10. The Queen
