Bury St Edmunds in Top 15 Foodie Destinations in Britain

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk's foodie capital, is in the top 15 go-to staycation destination for food lovers in Britain.

The town, with its award-winning food and drink, tasty food markets, and an annual food and drink festival, is number 14 in the ranking of the UK’s top 30 foodie towns. The only destination listed in Suffolk and one of only two listed in East Anglia.

Bury St Edmunds is home to over 80 eateries with a great mix of independents and chains and offers foodies everything from award-winning fine dining (Bury St Edmunds has the only Michelin starred restaurant in Suffolk, Pea Porridge) to great pub food and from family friendly restaurants to pretty cafes to while away an afternoon.

And it's not just food. Bury St Edmunds is the home of Greene King which has been brewing award-winning beers in the town for over 200 years using water from Bury’s chalk wells which date back to 1086, when monks would brew ale on the site of the Great Abbey of St Edmund.

This month, Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides  teamed up with businesses in the town centre to launch a new Food & Drink Tour in Suffolk’s Foodie Capital and with four vineyards and the UK's Food Museum on the town's doorstep in nearby Stowmarket it is a great destination for a foodie themed break.

The research was commissioned by Sykes Holiday Cottages as part of its annual Staycation Index report

This ranking of the UK’s top foodie towns is based on the number of restaurants in each area (ONS), TripAdvisor data on the quality and concentration of eateries, plus consumer research of 2,000 adults.

For those planning a food-led staycation, 33% want to try local delicacies, while 32% are seeking out a specific restaurant and 29% want to shop for regional ingredients. When eating out on holiday, British pubs remain the top choice (58%), followed by independent restaurants (52%), fish and chip shops (51%) and tearooms (50%).

Food is playing a bigger role in where Brits go. More than a third (34%) now choose their destination based on its culinary appeal, while one in five say their overall enjoyment of a trip is heavily influenced by what they eat.

James Shaw, Managing Director of Sykes Holiday Cottages, said: “Food is an essential part of the staycation experience, whether that’s indulging in fresh seafood at the coast, browsing local farmers’ markets, or seeking out a pub lunch. People are increasingly planning their holidays with their palates in mind – and that’s great for local businesses across the UK.

“We’re seeing more and more holidaymakers prioritise local experiences over abroad escapes, and with so many flavour-packed places to visit in this country, it’s no surprise that foodie travel is on the rise.”

The research also noted that holidaymakers are willing to travel an average of 70 miles in the UK to try a certain cuisine or eatery – with one in 10 prepared to trek more than 150 miles.

Others enjoy sampling tearooms (50%), farm shops and markets (29%) and eating from street vendors (24%).

Nearly one in five (17%) said the enjoyment of their break is heavily influenced by what they eat, while one in 10 have rebooked a destination purely to go back to a favourite eatery.

To find out more about Suffolk's Foodie Capital Bury St Edmunds visit our Foodies Guide.

Find a place to eat tonight in Bury St Edmunds in our Food and Drink Directory.