From a hearty roast dinner to a classic full English breakfast, classic British dishes have become staples on dinner tables across the nation, loved for their comforting flavours and cultural significance.
However, Google searches for ‘shepherd’s pie recipe’ are down 55% in the past year, with less and less people looking to create this traditional dish at home.
With this in mind, a new study from Ninja surveyed 2,000 people and studied search trends for popular British dishes to uncover which meals are still loved and which might be nothing more than a distant memory. Shockingly, the new study revealed that shepherd’s pie could be facing extinction as early as 2027.
The top 10 British dishes at risk of extinction
Ninja’s data revealed Glamorgan sausage as the dish to vanish the quickest, with searches dropping by 2.01% weekly. With just 264 recipe pages available online, it is predicted to disappear entirely this year.
Tatws pum munud, a tasty Welsh stew, also faces extinction in 2025, with just three “Tatws Pum Munud recipe” pages available when searching online.
Ranking third, the vegan roast dinner is experiencing a weekly decline of 1.20% in interest. With 23% of Brits admitting they’d be the least sad to see this dish disappear from tables, it is projected to vanish entirely by 2026.
In fourth place is pan haggerty, a beloved Northumberland favourite, which faces a weekly search decline of 1.17%. It is projected to disappear by July 2026.
Shepherd’s pie takes the fifth spot, experiencing a 0.76% weekly decline. And with only 5% of Brits naming it a favourite, the classic dish risks extinction by 2027.
| Rank | Dish | Predicted date of extinction | Initial % change per week | Search volume for “Dish + Recipe” change past 12 months | Total “Dish + Recipe” Pages |
| 1 | Glamorgan Sausage | 16/11/2025 | -2.01% | -12.00% | 264 |
| 2 | Tatws Pum Munud | 14/12/2025 | -1.86% | -71.00% | 3 |
| 3 | Vegan Roast Dinner | 12/07/2026 | -1.20% | 0.00% | 1,072 |
| 4 | Pan Haggerty | 26/07/2026 | -1.17% | 23.00% | 122 |
| 5 | Shepherds Pie | 13/06/2027 | -0.76% | 49.00% | 19,133 |
| 6 | Nut Roast | 07/11/2027 | -0.65% | -45.00% | 21,627 |
| 7 | Vegan Pie | 04/06/2028 | -0.55% | -32.00% | 21,995 |
| 8 | Welsh Lamb | 08/04/2029 | -0.44% | -22.00% | 550 |
| 9 | Cheese and Onion Pie | 22/07/2029 | -0.41% | 24.00% | 741 |
| 10 | Panackelty | 02/09/2029 | -0.40% | 46.00% | 23 |
The nation prefers exploring dishes from other cuisines
The study revealed that while 57% of the nation would be sad to see British staples fade away, 31% do appreciate the evolution of food trends.
When dining out, 35% still enjoy indulging in British cuisine, though nearly 1 in 5 (18%) admit they’d prefer to explore other cuisines.
1 in 10 think classic British dishes lack flavour
The study also revealed that the growing popularity of takeaway and convenience food is the leading reason why people are moving away from traditional classics, with nearly half (46%) of respondents citing it as their main reason. Additionally, 15% reported that the cost of ingredients was too high, while 10% felt that British classics lacked flavour.
Health concerns are another factor contributing to the decline of these beloved British classics. In fact, 18% of people surveyed believe that more would enjoy these dishes if they were made healthier, while 30% agree that fewer people are consuming them because they are striving to maintain a healthier diet.