A new study has found that Britain’s happiest place isn’t the beach or the pub – it’s the Sunday roast table.
Research by Chilean wine brand 35 South asked 2,000 adults where they feel happiest, most at peace and most at home. The top answer was eating a Sunday roast surrounded by family, with 32% saying it’s their ultimate happy place.
Other top moments include slipping into clean sheets (31%), watching waves crash onto the sand (29%) and curling up on the sofa with a takeaway (29%).
For many, happiness isn’t tied to a location at all. More than half (53%) said home is “wherever you feel it”, and 45% said they’re happiest simply being with friends and family.
“Home and happiness really are wherever you feel them,” said James Murch from 35 South wine. “For some, it’s a windswept beach, for others it’s that first sip of tea. We wanted to celebrate how Britons connect deeply with both place and moment, wherever they may be.”
With winter on the way, 65% of people said they’re making a conscious effort to seek out experiences that bring them joy, and 30% are spending more time in their personal happy places.
Capturing those moments also matters. Over half (55%) said they take photos to remember times when they felt at peace, snapping an average of nine “pure happiness” pictures each month.
Nature plays a key role, too. One in five (18%) said they feel most at home outdoors, whether walking the dog through countryside fields (21%) or taking in a mountain view after a long hike (10%).
Cornish local Sarah Barrett, 33, commented: “That feeling of home can strike anywhere for me, often down at Holywell Beach. In the morning, it’s quiet and peaceful. At sunset, I’ll share a picnic with friends. Two totally different moments, but both make me stop, breathe, and appreciate where I am. In those moments, it’s home.”
From bookshops to bonfires, the findings show that Britain’s happy places are simple, familiar and often shared with loved ones.
Britain’s Top Happy Places
- Eating a Sunday roast with the whole family – 32%
- Slipping into clean sheets – 31%
- Watching waves crash onto the sand – 29%
- Curled up on the sofa with a takeaway – 29%
- Watching the sunrise on a beach – 28%
- Tucked up with a good book on a rainy day – 24%
- A sunny pub garden with friends – 24%
- Your first sip of tea in the morning – 21%
- Walking the dog in the countryside – 21%
- Under a blanket during a thunderstorm – 20%
Whether it’s the comfort of a roast dinner or the calm of the coast, the study proves happiness in Britain often begins at home.
