They’re among the most delicious teatime treats ever eaten in Britain.
But the likes of Victoria sponge, iced bun, custard slice and even the legendary scone could be on their way out.
Experts at British Lion Eggs surveyed 2,000 British adults to see how our teatime preferences are changing.
Classics now considered ‘outdated and unhealthy’ include chocolate cake, Victoria sponge, iced bun, cream bun, custard slice and sugary tea.
Instead, adults are preferring more healthy options at teatime, such as Greek yoghurt, hard-boiled eggs and carrots with hummus.
And healthy influencers on social media platforms like TikTok may be responsible for the shift.
‘It is clear to see from the research that health-conscious Brits are looking to change up their snack routine,’ said a spokesperson for British Lion Eggs.
‘Brits want to increase their protein each day so that they can stay fuller for longer, manage their weight and stay strong.’
Even the classic Victoria sponge are deemed unhealthy and outdated by health-conscious young Brits according to a new survey
Amazingly, 31 per cent said they would not have chocolate cake – making it the least popular out of all the classic treats
The experts at British Lion Eggs surveyed 2,000 British adults aged between 18 and 40 – described as Gen Z and Millennials.
They were asked which of the following sweet dishes would they’d not consider eating at teatime or elevenses because they’re too unhealthy.
Amazingly, 31 per cent said they would not have chocolate cake – making it the least popular out of all the classic treats.
In all, 30 per cent said they wouldn’t eat Victoria sponge, 30 per cent wouldn’t want iced buns and 29 per cent would refuse cream buns.
A classic feature of the great British bakery, the iced bun consists of a finger-shaped or circular bread roll with white or pink icing over the top.
Meanwhile, the cream bun is more likely to feature in posh tea rooms, featuring soft milk bread with vanilla whipped cream piped into the centre.
Next up was the custard slice – refused by 27 per cent – which has wobbly yellow custard sandwiched between layers of puff pastry.
And 25 per cent would never drink tea with milk and sugar – meaning the classic cuppa with ‘milk and two sugars’ could die out within a generation.
A classic feature of the great British bakery, the iced bun consists of a finger-shaped or circular bread roll with white or pink icing draped on top
The cream bun is more likely to feature in posh tea rooms, featuring soft milk bread with vanilla whipped cream piped into the centre
Rounding out the list was scones with cream and jam (declined by 23 per cent), chocolate biscuits (16 per cent), toasted teacakes (15 per cent) and flapjacks (13 per cent).
The survey also found that Brits’ go-to teatime snacks instead include Greek yogurt – opted for by 35 per cent of respondents.
Hard-boiled eggs were favoured by 32 per cent, followed by protein bars (26 per cent) avocados (24 per cent) and protein shakes (21 per cent).
In all, 20 per cent would choose salmon, 19 per cent a ‘handful of nuts and 16 per cent carrots with hummus.
Lastly, 14 per cent would prefer a hard-boiled egg with spinach and 12 per cent would rather have slices of ham or chicken.
Reasons for Brits opting for protein rich snacks include they keep you fuller for longer (55 per cent), are good for muscle building and repair (30 per cent) and help keep weight down (23 per cent).
Perhaps it’s no surprise 49 per cent of the 18- to 30-year-olds surveyed described themselves as health conscious, while 48 per cent said they avoid cakes and biscuits in the office as much as they can.
25 per cent would never drink tea with milk and sugar – meaning the classic cuppa with ‘milk and two sugars’ could die out within a generation
The survey also found that Brits’ go-to teatime snacks instead were Greek yogurt (opted for by 35 per cent) while hard-boiled eggs were chosen by 32 per cent
Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are flooded with quick and healthy recipe ideas which may be fueling their popularity.
Of all the respondents, 27 per cent said they regularly post images of their healthy snacks to Instagram and TikTok, using the hashtags #healthy (33 per cent), #healthysnacking (19 per cent) and #protein (16 per cent).
It follows similar research published last month by kitchen appliance maker Ninja that found the likes of pan haggerty, Glamorgan sausage and even the mighty shepherd’s pie could soon be among the ‘extinct’ dinner options.
Meanwhile, British puddings at risk of extinction include Chelsea buns, rock cakes, gypsy tart, scones and rhubarb crumble, Ninja found – corroborating some of the new findings from British Lion Eggs.
