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Brits Rally in Defence of the Full English Breakfast After Viral American Critique

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  Published in Humor and Quirks on Tuesday, November 11th 2025 at 14:15 GMT by Daily Mail

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Brits rally in defence of the full English breakfast after a scathing American influencer review

The latest cultural clash between Britain and the United States erupted last week when an American food‑lover turned social‑media star posted a scathing review of the classic “full English breakfast.” The video, which was shared on the influencer’s popular YouTube channel and subsequently rebroadcast on Instagram and TikTok, quickly went viral, prompting an avalanche of comments from British fans, chefs, and even politicians. The Daily Mail has been at the centre of this debate, collecting the most colourful responses and providing a thorough analysis of what the backlash reveals about national identity and culinary heritage.

The review that sparked a national outcry

The influencer in question, food blogger and “Taste‑Buddies” channel co‑founder Lillian “Lilly” Thompson (a native of New York), released a 12‑minute video titled “Is the Full English Breakfast Really Worth It?” on Monday morning. In the clip, she sits in a bright, modern kitchen and unpacks the full English breakfast – a plate piled high with fried eggs, bacon, sausage, black pudding, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, and toast – and proceeds to give the dish a series of harsh, highly‑structured criticisms.

“The eggs are over‑cooked and almost rubbery,” Thompson says. “The black pudding tastes like… like it’s trying too hard to be ‘savory’ but ends up being… um… unappetizing.” She follows this up with a side‑by‑side comparison to a “American breakfast” – a stack of pancakes with butter and maple syrup – that she calls “light, flavourful, and far less greasy.” The video concludes with a blunt statement: “If you’re a real breakfast lover, you need to reconsider your palate. The full English is a relic, not a meal.”

The clip was posted on Thompson’s YouTube channel, Taste‑Buddies, which has 2.3 million subscribers, and then shared on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Within hours the video had accrued more than 500,000 views on YouTube alone, and the hashtag #FullEnglishDebate trended on Twitter in the UK.

British response: a united front

Shortly after the video was uploaded, British social‑media users began flooding Thompson’s comments section with praise for the dish. Some defended the breakfast’s rich, hearty appeal. Others accused the influencer of “cultural appropriation” and “unfounded bias.”

One Twitter user, @TheLondonCafe, wrote: “My mother still makes the most amazing full English. I’ve never seen anyone like you try to denigrate it.” Another, @SconeAndTea, responded with a screenshot of a BBC article titled “A Brief History of the Full English Breakfast.” The article linked to the The Food Network recipe, A Classic Full English, and detailed how the dish originated from a 17th‑century “breakfast for the poor” that has since become a staple of British culinary culture.

Meanwhile, chefs from across the UK joined the conversation. Chef James Larkin of the Michelin‑starred restaurant “Hale’s Kitchen” posted a video on Instagram Reels, showing himself flipping a perfect fried egg. Larkin commented, “A full English is not just food; it’s an experience, a tradition that brings people together at the start of the day.” He added a link to his blog post “Why the Full English Breakfast is a cultural icon,” which also featured a step‑by‑step recipe.

The backlash even caught the eye of a British Member of Parliament, Andrew Johnson (Labour), who tweeted, “I’m proud to be a Brit! The full English breakfast is an essential part of our national heritage. Let’s not forget how our food has shaped our identity.” His tweet included a link to a parliamentary debate on food heritage and was widely shared by other MPs.

Behind the backlash: what a full English breakfast really is

For many Britons, the full English breakfast is more than a dish; it’s an institution that has evolved over centuries. The Daily Mail article points to a 1930s Times headline titled “Breakfast as the King’s Meal” and explains that the meal’s original form consisted of simple items like black pudding, sausages, and baked beans – ingredients that were accessible and filling for the working class. Over time, the dish has acquired a “fry‑up” nickname and become a tourist attraction in popular culture, even inspiring the television series “Fry Up Your Life.”

The article also includes a link to the National Food Museum’s page on breakfast history, which offers a detailed timeline of the dish’s evolution. The museum’s resources emphasize that the dish was meant to be “satisfying and nutritious,” especially for people who would need to power through a long day at work or on the farm. This history is what many Brits feel is being missed in Thompson’s review.

The influencer’s reaction

When the backlash erupted, Thompson posted a short, sincere apology on her Instagram Stories, saying, “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. I was just sharing my opinion. I appreciate the love and history of the full English.” She added a link to a new “Taste‑Buddies” video, in which she travels to London to taste the dish from a street vendor in Camden Market and shares her experience. In the new clip, Thompson admits she was “surprised by the depth of love people have for this breakfast.” She ends by saying, “I’ll definitely be making one at home next week.”

The response from her followers was mixed. Some welcomed her new video, seeing it as a sign of growth, while others called her “an opportunist” who used cultural criticism to boost her views. Nevertheless, Thompson’s shift to a more respectful tone was largely appreciated, especially by her British followers.

What this debate reveals

The “full English breakfast” controversy is not simply a culinary dispute; it’s an encounter between two different ways of viewing food as a cultural marker. For Americans, the dish may seem heavy, greasy, or simply unfamiliar, whereas for Britons it evokes a sense of belonging, nostalgia, and even economic history. The article suggests that such clashes are a reminder of how food can both unite and divide, as well as how global media can shape perceptions of national identity.

Ultimately, the backlash underscores that the full English breakfast remains a beloved, contested part of British culture. Whether you love or hate it, the dish is now more in the spotlight than ever – a testament to the power of social‑media criticism and the resilience of national culinary traditions.