A new national survey has revealed that, according to the British public, there’s no better aroma than freshly baked bread.
The poll, carried out by retailer LiQuid, asked people across the UK to name their favourite smells – and the comforting scent of a loaf fresh from the oven rose to the top with over 55% of the vote.
The rest of the top three proved just as homely, with flowers in second place and coffee in third. Sweet scents such as strawberries and chocolate, as well as savoury favourites like bacon, also scored highly – but there were some more unusual choices too, with petrol rounding out the top ten.
Britain’s Top 10 Scents
- Freshly Baked Bread
- Flowers
- Coffee
- Strawberry
- Bacon
- Chocolate
- Menthol
- Lemon
- Curry Spices
- Petrol / Diesel
While bread dominated the rankings nationwide, the survey revealed plenty of regional quirks. Southampton was the only city not to crown bread as its favourite smell, choosing flowers instead. Bristol ranked bacon in its top three, Glasgow placed petrol on the podium, and Edinburgh put vomit in its top unusual choices.
Some cities had even stranger preferences, giving a unique insight into the UK’s more unusual smell loves.
Strangest Smells for Each City
- Belfast – Petrol, Tobacco, Garlic
- Birmingham – Petrol, Tobacco, Garlic
- Bristol – Petrol, Garlic, Vomit
- Cardiff – Garlic, Bleach, Petrol
- Edinburgh – Petrol, Vomit, Chlorine
- Glasgow – Petrol, Garlic, Egg
- Leeds – Petrol, Bleach, Garlic
- Liverpool – Bleach, Chlorine, Tobacco
- London – Garlic, Glue, Vomit
- Manchester – Petrol, Vomit, Chlorine
- Newcastle – Petrol, Chlorine, Egg
- Norwich – Garlic, Bleach, Tobacco
- Nottingham – Garlic, Bleach, Vomit
- Sheffield – Bleach, Tobacco, Petrol
- Southampton – Petrol, Garlic, Chlorine
The research also uncovered some surprising numbers – one in ten people named garlic as their favourite scent, while one in twenty admitted to enjoying the smell of vomit. Petrol’s appearance in the top ten and across many city lists shows that it remains one of the UK’s most divisive aromas, with some finding it unpleasant while others see it as oddly satisfying.
The data also showed clear differences between men and women. Women tended to prefer sweeter, homely smells, while men ranked savoury scents and fruits more highly. Menthol was particularly popular among men compared with women.
Regional favourites
Bread’s dominance was clear across much of the country, but when it came to second and third choices, results varied dramatically. Coastal cities often favoured fresher, lighter scents such as flowers or lemon, while more urban centres ranked bolder smells like bacon, curry spices and even tobacco higher.
In some locations, food-related smells dominated all three top positions, while in others, residents showed a liking for sharper, more industrial scents. The mix of homely, indulgent, and unusual aromas paints a picture of a nation whose sense of smell is as diverse as its cuisine.
The comfort connection
Comforting and nostalgic aromas proved to be the clear winners overall. Bread, coffee and flowers are scents that often appear in people’s daily lives and are tied to pleasant memories. The data suggests that these smells act as a sensory shortcut to feelings of warmth, familiarity and happiness – which could explain their popularity across all age groups.
Dessert Data – Britain’s sweetest results
Alongside the scent rankings, the survey also delved into the nation’s dessert preferences – and it turns out the UK has a serious soft spot for cheesecake.
Cheesecake topped the list as the nation’s favourite pudding, followed by apple crumble in second place and ice cream in third. Sweet treats like chocolate cake, lemon tart and brownies also made the top ten, alongside British classics such as trifle, sticky toffee pudding and cherry bakewell.
Top 10 Desserts in the UK
- Cheesecake
- Apple Crumble
- Ice Cream
- Chocolate Cake
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Lemon Tart
- Trifle
- Cherry Bakewell
- Doughnuts
- Brownies
Generational preferences showed a divide in taste. Younger respondents leaned towards brownies and chocolate cake, while older generations preferred traditional desserts like trifle and apple crumble. This generational split hints at the gradual decline of certain classic puddings from younger tables.
Regional Dessert Preferences
- Belfast – Lemon Tart
- Birmingham – Cheesecake
- Bristol – Apple Crumble
- Cardiff – Cheesecake
- Edinburgh – Cheesecake
- Glasgow – Cheesecake
- Leeds – Ice Cream
- Liverpool – Cheesecake
- London – Ice Cream
- Manchester – Cheesecake
- Newcastle – Chocolate Cake
- Norwich – Cheesecake
- Nottingham – Apple Crumble
- Sheffield – Cheesecake
- Southampton – Apple Crumble
The North emerged as the biggest chocolate lovers, the Midlands and South West showed loyalty to trifle, and Newcastle’s favourite was jam roly-poly. Meanwhile, Liverpool, Newcastle and Southampton all ranked chocolate desserts highly.
The quirks that make Britain unique
From the homely comfort of freshly baked bread to the unexpected allure of petrol, Britain’s favourite scents are a mix of nostalgia, indulgence and oddity. These findings reveal a nation with a strong emotional connection to smell, shaped by food, place and personal history.
And while the top three scents – bread, flowers and coffee – might not surprise anyone, it’s the quirks further down the list that tell the most interesting stories. Garlic’s appearance in the top rankings, vomit’s surprising level of support, and the regional love for bleach, tobacco and glue show that the British nose can be both traditional and unpredictable.
When paired with the dessert results, the survey provides a snapshot of the UK’s sensory landscape – one in which familiar favourites sit comfortably alongside more unusual indulgences. Whether it’s the smell of a crusty loaf, a bunch of fresh flowers, a hot mug of coffee or the scent of something more unconventional, Britain’s top smells show that what we love most is deeply personal – and often delightfully surprising.
See more survey results and explore more on the British favourite smells.
