A new bread map from Tesco of consumers’ buying habits around the UK explodes some myths about regional tastes.

Although white bread is more popular further north and brown bread is more widely bought in the south, Tesco store data reveals that the area with the highest demand for ’upmarket’ bread is Tyneside.

Geordies buy more bread with added ingredients, such as wholegrain and cranberry, malted wheat and sunflower, and sunflower and pumpkin seed. Meanwhile residents of Cheltenham - known for its ladies college and Regency town houses - buy the most standard white sliced bread.

Tesco bakery category manager Andrew Brocklehurst said that five years ago most people were happy with either a basic white or brown loaf, but tastes now change from area to area.

"The diversity of British bread tastes these days is simply astounding and we must now be reckoned to be the world’s bread connoisseurs," said Brocklehurst. "Travel has become cheaper, especially to Europe, and more people have begun to try out the wide range of breads available on the Continent."

Tesco also found that residents of Edinburgh buy the most Irish soda bread in the UK, while more German rye bread is bought in Manchester than anywhere else. British traditional loaves sell best in northern England with bloomers most popular in Sheffield, Brighton has the biggest bagel- eating population and Bristol residents can’t get enough tortillas.

Brocklehurst added: "Britain has a style to suit every age group, taste and occasion."

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