More than a third of Scots choose bacon for their breakfast roll, as McGhee’s Family Bakers backs a campaign seeking recognition for the tradition as living heritage.

Bacon has been named Scotland’s favourite morning roll filling, beating square sausage in a new survey of more than 1,000 adults.

Research commissioned by McGhee’s Family Bakers found 34 per cent of Scots opted for bacon, compared with 27 per cent who selected square sausage.

Egg was the third most popular choice, attracting 14 per cent of the vote, followed by sausage links at nine per cent and black pudding at four per cent.

The study also revealed strong opinions about the roll itself. Almost half of respondents, at 47 per cent, preferred theirs soft and fluffy, while 30 per cent favoured a crispy roll and 17 per cent chose the well-fired variety.

McGhee’s carried out the research as it announced its support for the Good Morning Rolls campaign, which is seeking recognition for Scotland’s morning roll tradition through UNESCO’s Living Heritage project in 2027.

The campaign was launched in May by Scottish food historian Peter Gilchrist, co-director of the Glasgow University Food and Drink History Lab.

It argues that ordering a morning roll is more than an everyday breakfast choice and should instead be viewed as a cultural ritual rooted in Scotland’s bakeries, cafés, convenience stores and food vans.

McGhee’s, Scotland’s largest independent wholesale morning roll baker, produces more than two million rolls each week for supermarkets, cafés and convenience stores across the country.

The bakery is donating its survey findings to the campaign to help document how Scots eat and enjoy morning rolls today.

Gilchrist said: “The research McGhee’s has collected will give future historians an unprecedented insight into what Scots were actually eating in 2026, and I hope schoolchildren a century from now will be comparing their own morning roll orders to ours today.

“This campaign recognises that morning rolls are more than ingredients; they are part of Scotland’s living culture.

“Scottish culture isn’t just found in museums or wrapped in tartan. Sometimes it’s in a butter-stained paper bag, but it’s just as important if we say it is.”

The research also exposed divisions over condiments. One-third of respondents said they would not eat tomato sauce on a breakfast roll, while 32 per cent said they would never add brown sauce.

McGhee’s Bakery commercial director Aisling McGhee said the results demonstrated how firmly the morning roll was embedded in everyday Scottish life.

“As Scotland’s largest independent wholesale morning roll baker, producing more than two million rolls every week, we see first-hand just how deeply rooted this tradition is,” she said.

“For nearly 90 years, McGhee’s has been part of that routine. The data is fascinating and it shows just how close morning rolls are to Scots’ hearts.

“Donating our data to Peter’s campaign felt natural for us, because it recognises something we’ve always understood: that the morning roll is part of Scotland’s daily rhythm, passed from generation to generation and shared in kitchens, cafés and workplaces all over the country.”

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