McDONALD’S UK&I STUDY REVEALS GENERATIONAL FOOD LANGUAGE SHIFT AS GEN Z REWRITES THE MENU
10-10-2025
McDONALD’S UK&I STUDY REVEALS GENERATIONAL FOOD LANGUAGE SHIFT AS GEN Z REWRITES THE MENU
- Breakfast language is changing as younger Brits favour simpler words.
- To mark the launch of its new Sausage Sandwich, McDonald’s UK&I surveyed 2,000 people nationwide to uncover the changing language of food.
- The Sausage Sandwich is already sparking debate: ‘is it a sandwich, or a burger?’
- Gen Z is dropping regional words ‘cob’ and ‘barm’ and instead using ‘bun’ or ‘roll’.
- The NEW McDonald’s Sausage Sandwich — just £1.99, or £2.99 with a hot drink. Big on flavour, made for breakfast.
Breakfast isn’t just the most important meal of the day – it is also one of the most hotly debated, according to new research by McDonald’s UK & Ireland.
To mark the launch of its new Sausage Sandwich on the Breakfast Saver Menu, McDonald’s surveyed 2,000 adults nationwide and uncovered how Gen Z is driving a generational shift in food language. From breakfast to dinner, Gen Z is reshaping the words we use at the table…
18–24-year-olds (Gen Z) are dropping established slang like ‘grub’ (24%), ‘sarnie’ (17%) and ‘pop’ (6%) – in favour of ‘scran’ (50%) and ‘sub’ (25%).
While older generations in Manchester ask for a ‘barm’ (21%) and those in the Midlands a ‘cob’ (21%) Gen Z overwhelmingly call it a ‘roll’ (62%) – or simply a ‘bun’ (50%). Even ‘sandwich’ (20%) is in decline in comparison to the national average (72% vs 86%).
At first glance, McDonald’s NEW Sausage Sandwich could be mistaken for a burger — 76 per cent of Brits thought so. But one bite tells a different story: a soft bun, rich sauce, and McDonald’s UK&I’s RSPCA Assured pork sausage patty come together for a savoury breakfast experience that’s unmistakably a sandwich.
Traditional words are falling out of use among under-25s - only 23% still call the evening meal ‘tea’ and just 8% use ‘nosh’ for food, and 35% say ‘cuppa’ for a hot drink.
Despite this, the research found that the biggest influence on Gen Z’s food language is their family (28%). Words used at home have a bigger impact than language used in the local area Gen Z respondents grew up in (21%) and social media (12%), which came second and third, respectively.
Lucy Holt, Marketing Manager, McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said: “Language is constantly evolving, and food slang is no exception. Our Sausage Sandwich is already sparking its own naming debates – burger or sandwich – but what matters most is that all our customers can now enjoy this new great value breakfast option on the McDonald’s Breakfast Saver Menu”.
The McMuffin® suggests it remains a strong breakfast identifier at McDonald’s, especially among 25–34s with 1 in 5 immediately linking ‘muffin’ to the morning, more than double the national average (9.6%). And with two thirds (66%) of Brits still enjoying elevenses at least occasionally, McDonald’s £2.99 bundle with a selected drink such as McCafé®, whether calling in first thing or when Breakfast finishes before 11am.
Still, curiosity remains...
Forty per cent of people admit they want to know what unfamiliar regional food terms mean - with a further third (37%) saying they try to work it out from context, and almost one in five (18%) looking them up online.
Overall, 70 per cent of respondents believe regional breakfast and food terms should be preserved as part of cultural heritage – even if their own use is declining.
10 FOOD TERMS IN DECLINE:
1. Tea – to refer to the evening meal.
2. Cuppa – to refer to a cup of tea.
3. Squash – to refer to a drink made with water and cordial.
4. Pop – to refer to a carbonated drink.
5. Sandwich – to refer to the food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between.
6. Sarnie – to also refer to the food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between.
7. Roll – to refer to the small, oblong individual loaf of bread.
8. Bap – to also refer to the small, oblong individual loaf of bread.
9. Grub – to refer to food generally.
10. Nosh – to also refer to food generally.
10 FOOD TERMS ON THE RISE:
1. Hoagie – to also refer to the food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between.
2. Supper – to refer to the evening meal.
3. Juice – to refer to a drink made with water and cordial.
4. Sub – to also refer to the food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between.
5. Doorstep – to also refer to the food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between.
6. Scran – to also refer to food generally.
7. Snap – to also refer to food, usually lunch.
8. Piece – to also refer to the food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between.
9. Soda – to refer to a carbonated drink.
10. Hero – to also refer to the food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between.
The new Sausage Sandwich includes a hearty pork sausage patty, sourced from RSPCA assured farms, nestled in a soft, fluffy bun, topped with melted cheddar cheese, the Sausage Sandwich can be finished with ketchup or brown sauce for a personalised twist.
These breakfast options from the Breakfast Saver Menu, include the NEW Sausage Sandwich and served until 11:00am……
Item* | Price |
Sausage Sandwich | £1.99 |
Cheesy Bacon Flatbread | £1.99 |
Porridge | £1.69 |
Hash Brown | £1.59 |
Apple Slices | £0.79 |
Tropicana® Juice (Apple/Orange) | £1.89 |
Bundle (Sausage Sandwich + Selected Drink) | £2.99 |
*NB prices may vary across UK restaurants.
ENDS
About McDonald’s UK & Ireland
McDonald’s has been operating in the UK since 1974. The business currently operates more than 1,560 restaurants across the UK and Ireland, serving over three million customers each day. McDonald’s is one of the UK’s largest private sector employers, employing more than 159,000 people and works with over 29,000 British and Irish farmers.
You can follow all the latest McDonald’s UK news on Instagram @mcdonaldsukinews