UK North-South precise dividing line located thanks to Greggs and Pret A Manger
The precise location of the North-South divide has finally been revealed… and it’s all thanks to steak bakes and avocado wraps.
Boffins have worked out that England’s critical line really is the Watford Gap as that is where Pret A Manger gives way to Greggs.
This means Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester are considered northern too.
READ MORE: UK’s ‘worst Nando’s’ branded peri peri ‘Fawlty Towers’ by disgusted diners
Dr Robin Smith, who led the research at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “The food we eat is a very good indicator of whether someone is northern or southern.
“Greggs is very popular in the North, where people do seem to prefer a steak bake.”
(Image: Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The scientists used an artificial neural network model – normally used on nuclear reactions – to identify the “optimal” North-South line dividing the most Greggs from Prets A Mangers.
The analysis was revealed at the Cheltenham Science Festival this week.
It produced a diagonal line running from just north of Poole, Dorset, via the Watford Gap to just south of Skegness, Lincs, leaving Cornwall with the North.
(Image: Mirrorpix)
But a shift could be underway.
Dr Smith suggested that “since Greggs produced the vegan sausage roll, it has become more popular in the South so this might not be a marker of northernness for that much longer.”
Keep up to date with all the latest news stories. By signing up for one of Daily Star’s free newsletters here.
Keep up to date with all the latest news stories. By signing up for one of Daily Star’s free newsletters here.
