Is the great British fry-up now toast? Gen-Z turns its back on cooked breakfasts after being convinced it is too fatty and greasy by health influencers on social media

The traditional fry-up may be in danger of 'frying-out', as younger Britons shun the breakfast classic as too fatty or too time consuming to put together, research has found.

A new poll of those aged between 18 to 34 finds almost 15 per cent may only touch a fry-up once or twice-a-year, while one in ten never do. Almost four in ten worry that the breakfast staple is too fatty or greasy to tuck into any more than they usually do, while a similar number worry about the calories on the plate.

For many, it is the sheer number of ingredients that may be a turn-off. Almost a third of the 1,000 young Britons that were surveyed added that they felt that making a fry-up takes too much time. The clean-up also seems to be a problem, while others suggested that the trouble of juggling so many ingredients at the same time was a frustration.

What exactly goes into a fry-up varies across the UK. While eggs, mushrooms, baked beans, sausages and bacon, are mainstays on the plate, there are often national varieties. In Wales, cockles and laverbread are often added, while in Northern Ireland, soda bread and potato bread sometimes manage to muscle onto the menu. 

There is hope, yet, for the fry-up as 70 per cent of young Britons said that they would be more inclined to eat the big breakfast feat if these problems could be overcome.

'It's perfectly possible to create a traditional fry up that's a little more guilt-free and less hassle,' said Lydia Baker of Breville, which commissioned the research. 'There's still time to save the iconic dish. It's a beloved institution for a reason.

Ms Baker added that social media may have been a factor harming the traditional fry-up. 'Social media has spread an endless number of accounts giving advice on what's 'good' and 'bad' to eat, with the humble fry-up often falling into the latter camp,' she said.

Among young Britons, a staggering 89 per cent said that they had experienced 'food guilt' after wolfing down the breakfast. Almost one in four also said that they thought it was 'out-dated'.

It may be true, as almost thirty percent of those polled said, that the fry-up was at an all-time low. Reports of famous greasy spoons shutting-up shop have become depressingly common in recent years.

There are, however, some new institutions trying to modernise the traditional English breakfast and opening their doors as proud greasy spoons. In London, Norman's Cafe in Archway has offered an up-to-date take on traditional fare like the fry-up.

The rise of the air fryer as a must-have kitchen appliance may also help. Of those that owned an air fryer, researchers found that almost 60 percent had used them to make a less greasy and less time-consuming version of the traditional fried breakfast.

Zoe McClean, senior home economist at Breville, said: 'A fried breakfast is quite an involved process with lots of moving parts, which means there are lots of opportunities for improvement. The way you prepare something is almost as important as what you're making.'