12 July 2025

''Brits are more Vincent Van Scoff than Vincent Van Gogh, with three-quarters of the nation (76%) preferring to tuck into a fry-up than visit an art gallery, a new study reveals.

A further half (47%) describe the humble full English as a greater masterpiece than either Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, the research from Best Western Hotels reveals*.

Celebrated art historian Ruth Millington backs the findings, insisting: “The fry-up is the ultimate British masterpiece.

“A fully interactive art form, just as The Mona Lisa has become a phenomenon, so has the fry-up.

“Like any true masterpiece, from Van Gogh’s Sunflowers to Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, it’s survived centuries of change to enjoy an iconic, timeless status.”

Best Western Hotels has been celebrating the nation’s love of the fry-up with its Year of the Free Breakfast, which gives Rewards customers a free breakfast with every booking. 

And to mark its new study - Best Western demonstrated how everything’s better with breakfast - by using AI to add a fry-up to Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. It displayed its effort on a digital van outside the Royal Academy - where a collection of Van Gogh's most treasured works are currently on display.

The study also shone a spotlight on the visual element of a fry-up, with 90% saying presentation is important to them, with a further 72% saying looks are just as, if not more important than, taste.

One in four (28%) even admit to taking a photo of their fry-up for posterity.

Ruth, an art historian and author who’s worked with top UK galleries and museums, explains: “We eat first with our eyes, and looking at the classic fry-up can be compared to gazing at an artwork, with both prompting an immediate aesthetic reaction.

“The plate is the chef’s canvas, where harmoniously arranged components bring balance to the composition, just as in a Monet or Mondrian painting.

“Like the world's greatest masterpieces, an appetising fry-up has enduring appeal. Beryl Cook, Sarah Lucas and Su Richardson are among artists who have taken it as the inspiration for artworks which hang in major museums and galleries.

“And in common with the best art, the fry-up can trigger human emotion, from desire and longing to enticement and excitement. However, while we’re told not to touch masterpieces in the museum, eating a fry-up is an immediate and immersive experience.”

Best Western’s research has also settled the debate for the ages - what does the ultimate fry-up consist of? According to the survey, it’s all about twos: two rashers of bacon, two sausages and two eggs on the plate. Add beans, toast and a strong cuppa, and you’ve got Britain’s real masterpiece.

But if there’s one thing most of us can agree on, it’s that tinned tomatoes are out, with more than half saying they ruin the whole fry-up.

Tim Rumney, CEO at BWH Hotels GB, said: “The fry-up really is Britain’s masterpiece, and we’ve been proudly serving them for decades alongside plenty of other delicious breakfast options. 

“Every Best Western breakfast is its own work of art - no gallery ticket needed. That’s why we parked our van outside the Royal Academy - home to several Van Gogh classics this summer - and gave Sunflowers a little upgrade with a proper fry-up. Because let’s be honest, everything’s better with breakfast.”

For more information on Best Western Hotels and the Free Breakfast promotion, please visit: Year of the Free Breakfast | Best Western Hotels