The winning construction is made with white sliced bread (not toasted), smoked bacon and brown sauce.
Interestingly ketchup was rejected as the perfect condiment to accompany bacon. While Jamie Oliver might like to mix brown sauce, ketchup and tabasco to create a gourmet sauce for his perfect bacon butty condiment, the nation disagrees and simple brown sauce is the preferred accompaniment.
Jamie also likes to warm his bread in the oven before serving, but the preference of Tradesmen, Small Businesses and those across the nation is for the bread to be served plain and untoasted (58 per cent). Only 21 per cent of people like their bread warmed or toasted for a butty.
A quarter (25 per cent) of Britons say the perfect butty is made with bacon sandwiched between slices of white sliced bread, while 21 per cent rate a white bap as the best option. Just 6 per cent voted for brown bread as their top option. Other options included stotties, sourdough, tiger bread and even Belgian waffles.
While Brits generally prefer their butties unadorned with anything but bacon and sauce, when they do add additional ingredients eggs are the clear winner. The research showed that to get some variety in their butty, bacon butty fans are most likely to create a ‘breggy,’ - a bacon and egg butty.
If Brits are going to change up their butty 31 per cent would add an egg, while 17 per cent would add mushrooms and 14 per cent would layer on cheese. Some of the more unusual butty preferences revealed by the research include adding lightly fried banana and avocado.
The research identifies a clear East-West divide when it comes to ketchup or brown sauce in a butty. Those in the East of England and the patriotic Welsh prefer their butty with tomato ketchup, while those in the West of England go for a brown sauce, such as HP or Daddies.
Regional preferences for the perfect bacon butty
Region Perfect bacon butty recipe
London White sliced bread, untoasted with unsmoked bacon and brown sauce
Wales White bap, untoasted with unsmoked bacon and ketchup
Scotland White sliced bread, untoasted with unsmoked bacon and brown sauce
East White sliced bread, untoasted with unsmoked bacon and ketchup
East Midlands White bap, untoasted with smoked bacon and ketchup
North East White sliced bread, untoasted with unsmoked bacon and ketchup
North West White sliced bread, untoasted with smoked bacon and brown sauce
South East White sliced bread, untoasted with unsmoked bacon and ketchup
South West White sliced bread, untoasted with smoked bacon and brown sauce
West Midlands White sliced bread, untoasted with smoked bacon and brown sauce
Yorkshire and The Humber White bap, untoasted with unsmoked bacon and ketchup
Jazz Gakhal, Head of Direct Line for Business, said: “The nation has spoken and declared their preferred bacon butty recipe. The humble butty inspires passion and debate, and there are those that will always claim bacon needs ketchup, but brown sauce is the collective favourite. Bacon butties have been the staple British breakfast for years, helping fuel the nation as they head to work or wind down on the weekend.”