Bacon has officially been crowned Scotland’s favourite morning roll filling, according to new research from McGhee’s Bakery, with soft and fluffy rolls emerging as the nation’s top choice.
The survey of more than 1,000 Scottish adults found that over a third (34%) prefer bacon in their morning roll, placing it comfortably ahead of square sausage, which secured 27% of the vote. Egg followed with 14%, while sausage links (9%) and black pudding (4%) trailed behind.
When it comes to the roll itself, texture matters. Almost half of those surveyed (47%) said they favour a soft and fluffy roll, compared to 30% who prefer a crispy finish and 17% who opt for a well-fired roll.
The findings come as McGhee’s Family Bakers lends its support to an ambitious UNESCO bid to recognise Scotland’s morning roll tradition as a form of protected living heritage. The campaign, Good Morning Rolls, is led by Scottish food historian Peter Gilchrist, co-director of the Glasgow University Food and Drink History Lab and winner of The Guild of Food Writers’ Best Newcomer Award 2024.
Launched in May, the campaign calls for the everyday ritual of ordering a morning roll to be acknowledged as part of UNESCO’s Living Heritage project in 2027. It argues that what may appear to be a simple daily habit is, in fact, a deeply embedded cultural practice played out across Scotland’s bakeries, cafés, corner shops and food vans.
Gilchrist said: “The history of the morning roll is surprisingly difficult to trace, largely because it has always belonged to Scotland’s bakeries and their closely guarded traditions. That’s what makes this donation so significant.
“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.”
McGhee’s, Scotland’s largest independent wholesale morning roll baker, produces more than two million rolls each week, supplying supermarkets, cafés and convenience stores across the country. The family-run bakery has been serving Scots for nearly 90 years, making it a longstanding fixture in the nation’s daily food culture.
The research also revealed strong opinions when it comes to sauces. A third of Scots (33%) said they would not eat tomato sauce on a breakfast roll, while 32% claimed they would never add brown sauce.
Aisling McGhee, Commercial Director at McGhee’s Bakery, said: “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 in everyday life.
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“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.”
With growing support behind the Good Morning Rolls campaign, Scotland’s humble breakfast staple could soon gain international recognition as a living cultural tradition—one soft, fluffy roll at a time.
