Something that tastes like a warm hug feels, the meal we dream of at the end of the day, or the perfect way to close out a busy week.
But it stands to reason that we all have different tastes, which means the comfort meal to hit the spot likely switches up depending on who you ask – and this is why online cake shop Jack and Beyond has enlisted the help of 3,280 food lovers from up and down the country to devise the ultimate top 20 list.
Cheesy pasta, roast dinner, and full English rank in Brits’ top 20 best comfort foods / Credit: The Manc Eats | Zouk
Putting the question to the public to create the final ranking and allowing respondents to pick multiple answers, the company asked: ‘Which savoury comfort foods are the best of all-time?‘ – and the answers came in thick and fast.
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Taking the top spot as the UK’s favourite comfort food is cheesy pasta, with a whopping 71% of Brits describing the dish among the best meals of all time.
Does this sound about right to you?
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Thousands of Brits had their say in the ultimate top 20 list / Credit: Unsplash
In second place is pizza, receiving the title of best comfort food from 68% of the country, while taking the crown of the UK’s third favourite comfort food is the British classic, a roast dinner – which is a dish voted as a favourite by 67% of Brits and let’s face it, it’s not hard to see why.
A hot meal that’s easy to make (and even easier to order from the local takeaway) is the humble curry, which takes the fourth spot with 65% of the British public voting it among the best comfort foods ever.
A simple cheese toastie rounds out the top five, receiving 62% of the vote.
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The UK’s Top 20 Comfort Foods
Comfort Foods
Percentage describing it as the “best comfort food of all-time”
1
Cheesy Pasta
71%
2
Pizza
68%
3
Roast Dinner
67%
4
Curry
65%
5
Cheese Toastie
62%
6
Sweet and Sour Chicken
59%
7
Lasagne
54%
8
Macaroni cheese
51%
9
Poutine
46%
10
Carbonara
45%
11
Chips
45%
12
Crumpets
41%
13
Pesto pasta
40%
14
Bacon Sandwich
39%
15
Biryani
39%
16
Fried Chicken
37%
17
Full English
36%
18
Jacket Potato
33%
19
Sausage Roll
32%
20
Bangers and Mash
30%
Following in sixth place is sweet and sour chicken – an authentic Chinese dish that appears to be the way to a Brit’s heart as voted by 59% of people – and placing in seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth position is lasagne (54%), macaroni cheese (51%), poutine (46%), and carbonara (45%).
A bacon butty, bangers and mash, sausage roll, and of course, a Full English breakfast also feature in the top 20.
Have your favourite comforts foods made the cut? What you you add to this list?
Featured Image – Unsplash
Eats
Manchester Irish bar Mother Mary’s announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
Irish bar Mother Mary’s has announced its closure in Manchester, just 18 months after opening.
The bar and live music venue opened last May on New Wakefield Street, taking over the building that had previously been home to legendary student haunt Font.
But just over a year after opening, and this Manchester Irish pub has announced its sudden closure due to financial pressures.
Mother Mary’s, at the time of opening, was headed up by nightlife veterans Greg Dwyer, Joseph Finegan and Chris Sharp, who transformed the venue with state-of-the-art sound systems for its live music offering.
Spread across two floors, the venue also served spice bags, pizzas, and plenty of Guinness, and hosted many-an-after party for some of the city’s biggest gigs.
Their full statement addressing their closure states: “It breaks our hearts to share that Mother Mary’s, as of this past weekend, has been forced to close its doors due to financial pressures.
Mother Mary’s Irish bar in Manchester has announced its closure. Credit: The Manc Group
“Only last week we were representing our venue at the This Is Manchester Awards as shortlisted nominee’s, so you can imagine this is a shock to everyone involved.
“Over the past year, Mother Mary’s has become so much more than a bar, it has grown into a true community hub. We’ve been home to grassroots music, inclusive club nights, and events that brought together people from all walks of life. From the bands who played their very first gigs on our stage (and have already gone on to fill bigger venues), to the regulars who made this place feel like home, to the countless partygoers who filled the dance floor with joy. YOU are what made Mother Mary’s so special.
“Spaces like ours that are wheelchair accessible, queer-inclusive, independent, and dedicated to championing local talent are so incredibly important. Especially also with the heart and spirit to offer a free space to fundraisers and events that are integral to those in our city that are often underrepresented. What we’ve built together is rare, beautiful, and deeply loved.
“It’s hard to imagine a world without Mother Mary’s, and while this may be the end of this chapter, we truly hope it’s not the end of our story. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the love, the music, the laughter, and the community we created together.
“Keep an eye out on our social media for any updates, we still have memories of our own from events that we would like to share with you. While our doors may be closed, our soul is very much still here and in everything we do.
“Please keep sharing the love and the memories. Every post, every message, every bit of support means the world right now.
“With love and gratitude, The Mother Mary’s Team.”
The best food and drink at the Manchester Christmas Markets 2025
Daisy Jackson
The Manchester Christmas Markets are back for 2025, filling the streets with food stalls, festive bars, and all manner of market stalls selling gifts.
There’s loads of new stuff to explore this year, including the markets’ return to Albert Square for the first time in years.
And our first port of call – as usual – has been to suss out this year’s food and drink offering, which includes loads of exciting new traders for the season.
We’ve rounded up 10 phenomenal new food and drink traders at this year’s Manchester Christmas Markets – but there are loads of returning favourites worth your time too.
Waffle Kart are back on King Street with their famous Chinese waffle sandwiches (don’t knock it til you’ve tried it, they are DIVINE), Flat Baker have returned to Piccadilly Gardens with their Brazilian-inspired pastries and desserts, and Oi Dumpling are back slinging out handmade dumplings aplenty too.
So without further ado, here are 10 food and drink traders you need to try at the Manchester Christmas Markets 2025.
Great North Pie Co.
Food trader Great North Pie Co. at the Manchester Christmas Markets. Credit: The Manc Group
Our piggy little food prayers have been answered – you can finally get your hands on proper British pies at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
Great North Pie Co. have been a staple at the markets for years, but it’s always been with pies you take home to heat for your tea.
For the first time this year they’ve got an actual pie and mash bar, serving their award-winning bakes on a bed of fluffy mashed potato, with lashings of steaming hot onion gravy.
Piccadilly Gardens
Hong Kong French Toast
Here’s a Manchester Christmas Market food trader we can all raise a toast to (… geddit?).
This new trader is Hong Kong French Toast, and you’ll find them serving adorable little trays of traditional French toast.
Thick, fluffy white bread is layered with fillings like peanut butter, Nutella, and pistachio cream, before being dipped in egg batter and deep-fried.
They’re then topped with things like condensed milk and miniature pats of butter for the ultimate indulgence that’s worth being on the naughty list for.
Rita’s Reign is one of the new food traders at the Manchester Christmas Markets. Credit: The Manc Group
Known for serving the city with hearty and gigantic Afro-Caribbean rice boxes, Rita’s Reign has expanded its reign even further – to the Manchester Christmas Markets food offering.
This beloved local street food favourite now has a festive-themed sister site right in front of the Town Hall, with festive fusion boxes of Jollof rice and homemade purple slaw.
Expect boneless Jerk chicken, curry goat, and vegan bowls, all served with that sunny Rita’s Reign service.
Loaded roast potatoes at Roastie HausAustrian goulash in a bread bowlCredit: The Manc Group
What could be more winter warmer comfort food than a stew (specifically, an Austrian goulash) served in a bowl made out of bread?
The team at Roastie Haus have got that, as well as loaded roast potatoes served with a big tub of gravy alongside.
You can have your spuds loaded with pigs in blankets, stuffing, onion gravy and lingonberry sauce, or with cauliflower and broccoli cheese plus golden breadcrumbs.
Piccadilly Gardens
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Misu Tiramisu
Misu Tiramisu at the Manchester Christmas Markets. Credit: The Manc Group
It’s not often that you come across stop-you-in-your-tracks branding at the Manchester Christmas Markets, but these adorable miniature trays of tiramisu did just that.
Misu Tiramisu is selling nine different flavours of individual Italian puds, from familiar flavours like classic, pistachio, and lemon, to festive editions including gingerbread, black forest, and chocolate orange.
Remember that tiramisu drawer from Onda that went incredibly viral? Imagine a miniature one and this is that stall.
This one kind of does what is says on the tin, and is one of two different loaded hash brown food stalls at this year’s Manchester Christmas Markets.
Look out for this silver Airstream on Albert Square and you’ll find portions of crispy hash browns loaded with all manner of toppings.
There’s the truffle, with crispy onions, truffle mayo and cranberry sauce; a Katsu hash with chicken goujons and curry sauce; and a salt and pepper, to name a few.
Albert Square
Niwa Yakitori
Who’d have thought you’d see the day where you could get an iced matcha at the Manchester Christmas Markets?
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And not just any matcha – matcha from one of the city’s finest Japanese green tea experts.
Niwa Yakitori (who have a cafe in the Northern Quarter that transforms into an intimate Japanese grill restaurant in the evenings) are here at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
As well as ceremonial-grade matcha and hojicha, they’re doing proper yakitori grill skewers too.
Piccadilly Gardens
Gorgeous Cheesecakes
This is Gorgeous Cheesecakes, and if you haven’t guessed it, they’re serving gorgeous cheesecakes.
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This build-your-own pudding bar is brand-new at the Manchester Christmas Markets, but you might recognise them from Selfridges and various other spots around the North West.
Pop over to see Matilda at Piccadilly Gardens and you can pick your base, cheesecake filling and toppings, whether you fancy a pistachio-loaded tub or a pot dripping in Biscoff.
Piccadilly Gardens
Pasta Claus
Pasta, from a cheese wheel, in the middle of Piccadilly Gardens. Whatever next?!
Pasta Claus is an Italian food trader at the Manchester Christmas Markets slinging out carby, cheesy classics like carbonara, cacio e pepe, and a pesto burrata number.
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There’s even thick-cut slices of Lasagne too, with layers of beef ragù, bèchamel sauce and lashings of parm.
Mini French toast
These mini French toasts are part of the new Albert Square Christmas markets in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Once you get over the jarring contrast of a pastel pink Eiffel tower standing in front of the Manchester Town Hall clock tower, you might notice that this stand has a sweet treat worth your attention.
This place is selling miniature boxes of French toast bites, topped with flavour combinations like pistachio and white chocolate, creme Anglaise, and Nutella and strawberry.
Imagine traditional Austrian Kaiserschmarrn (scrambled pancakes) but with a bit more hun.
Albert Square
10 of the best food traders at the Manchester Christmas Markets 2025
Emily Sergeant -
18th August 2023 
