A very special national day is being celebrated for the first time ever today.
Today is the launch of National Cheese Toastie day, as the mighty comfort food takes the crown as the UK’s tastiest lunch option with over a third of Brits picking it as their top spot.
It seems that the UK is a cheese toastie-loving nation as almost half of the country (47%) have admitted to eating toasties weekly, and 20% eating them more than once a week. In total, it’s been revealed – thanks to newly-conducted research by The Yorkshire Creamery – that the British public eat an average of 4.3 billion cheese toasties per year, with 3.3 million people eating a toastie every day, and 31.3 million eating at least one toastie a week.
That’s a lot of cheese.
When it comes to the cheese of choice for the toastie, the undeniable champion was found to be the mighty Cheddar – with two thirds of people choosing it over all other options – and Red Leicester was next on the list, with 13.7% of the vote.
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Cheese and ham is the most popular flavour combination, with 30% of the vote, a classic cheese toastie on its own comes second (23%), and cheese and tomato takes third place (22%).
All in all, 37% of Brits say that a cheese toastie is the tastiest lunch option, and while the jacket potato (21%) and beans on toast (14%) took second and third place respectively, one in five people agreed that there is no better comfort food quite like a cheese toastie.
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What about us Mancunians though?
43% of Mancunians eat a cheese toastie at least once a week.
62% agree that cheddar is the best cheese for a cheese toastie.
40% say the cheese toastie is tastiest lunch option around with – jacket potato 19%, and beans on toast 14% taking second and third spot.
The favourite flavour combos are Ham and cheese 30%, Cheese and Tomato 22%, and Cheese and Onion 20%.
Flickr
Each year on 27th October, the nation is invited to celebrate its love for the mighty cheese toastie on its own national day, so today you’re encouraged dust off your toastie machine, dig out your grill pan, or whip out your toastie bags and get ready to cook up the ultimate British comfort food.
Although, from looking at these new statistics, it seems like every day is cheese toastie day according to some three million Brits.
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What’s the best way to make a cheese toastie though?
Top tips include 39% of people saying you should always use a toastie maker for the perfect cheese toastie, but 18% preferring the grill pan for their cheese toastie fix, and a third of people stating that buttering the outside of the bread is crucial.
One in five people also championed the need to toast the bread first.
Sandra Bell at The Yorkshire Creamery – who founded National Cheese Toastie Day – commented: “Since we launched our range of award-winning cheeses made with milk from local farms and using traditional techniques, we’ve been inviting the nation to toastie together with us and have been overwhelmed by the nation’s love for the mighty cheese toastie.
“The research just backs up what we already thought – that we’re a nation of cheese toastie lovers.
“On the back of this, we’ve decided to etch toasties into our history with a dedicated day to recognise this delicious cheesy delicacy every year. We want to celebrate one of the nation’s favourite comfort foods and bring people together to share recipes, inspiration and new insight on toastie trends.”
Well, we know what we’re having for lunch.
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Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK – this is why
Emily Sergeant
A list of the top 10 most affordable cities in the UK has been revealed, and Manchester has made the cut for one very specific reason.
On a bit of a budget? Aren’t we all.
The cost of living crisis has been raging on for quite a few years now, and unfortunately, despite how much we all wish for it to, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down – with prices for everyday items, especially typical fridge and cupboard stables, shooting up by the day, even though supermarkets are showing efforts to prevent it.
And it’s the noticeable price increases in groceries that led delivery insurance provider, Street Cover, to uncover which UK cities don’t strain your food shopping budgets too much just yet.
As it was found that food and non-alcoholic drinks inflation reached 1.3% this past summer, a new study has revealed that Sheffield is officially the most affordable city in the UK, with several other northern locations on the list.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK / Credit: MCC | Aldi
The study compared the 2026 Grocery Index for the largest UK cities with the UK average, as well as available 2025 Grocery Indices, to track the changes in food affordability.
The cities are ranked by the index difference from the national average – which is 67.3 – but the report also uses direct monetary values for a grocery basket to provide some additional context too.
Manchester took sixth place on the list, with an average grocery basket price of £23.08, while some of the other northern cities in the top 10, besides Sheffield at number one, include Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle.
Top 10 Most Affordable UK Cities For Groceries
Sheffield
Milton Keynes
Liverpool
Reading
Newcastle
Manchester
Leeds
Bristol
Cardiff
Southampton
As the only other North West city in the top 10, Liverpool may have come in third place overall, but the study found that the grocery bill here is the smallest in terms of actual monetary numbers – with it setting shoppers back £22.08 for a regular supermarket basket, which is a whole £1 cheaper than in Manchester.
“Data shows households in the North East of England have the lowest average food spend in the country, around 11% below the UK average, while Yorkshire sits 6.6% below,” Al Taylor, who is the Head of Street Cover, commented on the study’s findings.
“Sheffield’s position at the top reflects lower property costs for retailers, less competition from premium chains, and a supermarket landscape dominated by value-led options.
“The practical implication for household budgets is significant – the difference between budget and premium shopping can easily be £1,000 or more per year for a family, which can be spent on other things or saved for future plans.”
Featured Image – Aldi
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Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’
Emily Sergeant
Call yourself a clever clogs? The BBC is currently looking for contestants to take part in what is widely considered the hardest quiz show on TV.
That’s right – Only Connect is back for another series on BBC Two.
Presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell and first broadcast all the way back in 2008, Only Connect takes TV quizzing to the next level, as it sees two teams compete against each other by finding connections between seemingly unrelated clues.
In this quiz show – which viewers have dubbed one of the most challenging there is – knowledge only takes you so far, as the ability to think laterally is also deemed ‘vitally important’.
A casting call for the upcoming 2027 series has been shared on the BBC website, with people from Greater Manchester encouraged to apply.
Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’ / Credit: BBC
The casting call reads: “The popular BBC Two quiz show presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell returns for a new series in 2027.
“Only Connect is seeking teams of three players OR single applicants or teams of two looking for like-minded teammates to pool their combined wits to solve fiendish conundrums and vexing puzzles.
“This is the quiz series where, as in life itself, knowledge will only take you so far: patience and lateral thinking are also vital. It’s all about making connections between things which may appear, at first glance, not to be connected at all.”
Reckon you’ve got what it takes then? Applications are now open, and all applicants must be aged 18 or over and a resident in the UK or Channel Islands.
Emily Sergeant -
27th October 2020 
