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Plaice to be! Fish and chips in a single Cornish city tops stay-cation record

NEWS

By Matthew Cox

Published: | Updated:

One in five Brits are planning a last-minute holiday with fish and chips in one Cornish town looking like the most popular choice.

With schools reopening in just a fortnight across the country, many are looking to make the most of what summer has left to offer. 

As many as seven in ten Brits had already planned an August staycation this summer, according to new research. 

Enjoying the UK’s classic dish in Padstow – birthplace of celebrity chef Rick Stein – has topped a list of top UK holiday bucket list activities – on the to-do list of 51 per cent of staycation seekers.

It was joined on the list by Devon cream teas (48 per cent), searching for fossils on the Jurassic coast (40 per cent) and enjoying a spa treatment in Bath (29 per cent).

One in five Brits are planning a last-minute holiday with fish and chips in one Cornish town looking like the most popular choice. Pictured: Coverack

One in five Brits are planning a last-minute holiday with fish and chips in one Cornish town looking like the most popular choice. Pictured: Coverack

Enjoying the UK's classic dish in Padstow (pictured) - birthplace of celebrity chef Rick Stein - has topped a list of top UK holiday bucket list activities - on the to-do list of 51 per cent of staycation seekers

Enjoying the UK’s classic dish in Padstow (pictured) – birthplace of celebrity chef Rick Stein – has topped a list of top UK holiday bucket list activities – on the to-do list of 51 per cent of staycation seekers

Fish and chips in Cornwall edged out a cream tea across the border in rival Devon to be the most popular staycation option in England

Fish and chips in Cornwall edged out a cream tea across the border in rival Devon to be the most popular staycation option in England

Also making the final cut from other corners of the British Isles was hopping along the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland (46 per cent), spotting puffins in Anglesey (37 per cent) and walking along Hadrian’s Wall (37 per cent).

More broadly, the research by webuyanycar also found that a massive 91 per cent of Brits believe the UK has some of the best places to visit in the world.

Almost half (45 per cent) went as far as to say Blighty’s beauty regularly takes their breath away, while 69 per cent admitted they forget just how beautiful the UK really is.

The cost of living crisis seems to have been a catalyst for Brits’ rediscovery of their nation’s beauty, with 47 per cent saying they have holidayed in the UK more since their purse strings were tightened.

Richard Evans, head of technical services at webuyanycar, said: ‘It’s amazing to see just how enthusiastic Brits are about the many incredible experiences to discover across the UK, no matter where you are or where you’re going, so it’s great to see from the research how many people are planning to take advantage of what we have on our doorsteps this summer.’

Over half (53 per cent) say the real beauty of a stay-cation is in finding new places to enjoy, with over a third of those surveyed daring to go completely off grid in the name of discovering somewhere new.

Brits’ ultimate staycation bucket list: How many can you tick off?

  1. Eat fish and chips in Padstow, Cornwall – 51 per cent
  2. Enjoy a cream tea in Devon – 48 per cent
  3. Hop along the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland – 46 per cent
  4. Admire the stars in the Yorkshire Dales – 42 per cent
  5. Search for fossils on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset – 40 per cent
  6. Visit the Scilly Isles, England – 39 per cent
  7. Explore the Isle of Skye, Scotland – 38 per cent 
  8. Visit the Eden Project in Cornwall – 38 per cent 
  9. Spot puffins on Puffin Island in Anglesey -37 per cent
  10. Walk along Hadrian’s Wall – 37 per cent
  11. Feel the sand between your toes at Exmouth Beach, Devon – 35 per cent
  12. Climb Ben Nevis, Fort William in Scotland – 32 per cent
  13. Go camping in the Lake District – 31 per cent
  14. See a show in the West End, London – 30 per cent
  15. Have a spa treatment in Bath – 29 per cent
  16. Look for Nessie in Loch Ness – 29 per cent
  17. Climb Mount Snowdon, Wales – 29 per cent
  18. Afternoon Tea at the Savoy – 29 per cent
  19. Take a picture at Lulworth Cove, Dorset – 28 per cent
  20. Visit Stonehenge – 28 per cent
  21. Hike in the Peak District – 27 per cent
  22. Eat your way around the food markets of London – 27 per cent
  23. Take a perch on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh – 26 per cent
  24. Go whisky tasting in Scotland – 25 per cent
  25. Swim with seals at The Farne Islands off coast near Bamburgh – 23 per cent
  26. Discover Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon – 20 per cent
  27. Do a ghost tour in York – 20 per cent
  28. Punt on the River Cam in Cambridge – 20 per cent
  29. Explore the lanes of Brighton, England – 19 per cent
  30. A surf lesson in Newquay – 19 per cent

 Source: webuyanycar survey of 2,600 Brits in June 2024

Northern Ireland

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