Which Bacon Wins on Your Plate?
Which Bacon Wins on Your Plate? A Complete Guide to Back, Streaky and More
Bacon is one of the most versatile and best-loved ingredients in British kitchens, but not all bacon is created equal. The cut you choose can dramatically affect flavour, texture, cooking performance and overall customer satisfaction.
From hearty breakfast plates to refined restaurant dishes, selecting the right bacon is key to delivering consistently excellent results.
At The Bacon Factory, we specialise in producing high-quality British bacon for the foodservice and wholesale market. With decades of experience behind us, we know that understanding bacon cuts is just as important as sourcing and curing.
So, which bacon really wins on your plate? Let’s take a closer look.
Back Bacon: The Classic British Choice
Back bacon remains the most popular bacon cut in the UK, and for good reason. Cut from the pork loin with a small portion of belly attached, back bacon offers a balanced combination of lean meat and flavourful fat. This makes it an ideal choice for traditional British dishes and high-volume catering environments where consistency is essential.
Because back bacon is meatier than other cuts, it delivers a satisfying bite and holds its shape well during cooking. It also tends to shrink less in the pan, making it particularly appealing for cafés, hotels and caterers focused on portion control and yield. The flavour is rich without being overpowering, allowing it to complement eggs, bread and other breakfast staples without dominating the plate.
At The Bacon Factory, our range of back bacon includes selected, prime and smoked options. Each is produced to strict quality standards, ensuring dependable cooking performance and a consistently excellent taste across every batch. This reliability is why back bacon continues to be the backbone of many professional menus.
Streaky Bacon: Rich, Crispy and Full of Flavour
Streaky bacon, cut from the pork belly, offers a very different experience. With its distinctive layers of fat and meat, streaky bacon delivers a deeper, richer flavour and a more indulgent mouthfeel. As it cooks, the fat renders down, creating crisp edges and a juicy centre that many diners find irresistible.
This cut excels in dishes where flavour impact matters most. Streaky bacon is ideal for wrapping meats, adding depth to pasta dishes, topping burgers or enhancing salads with crispy shards. It also performs particularly well when grilled or oven-baked, making it a popular choice in modern kitchens that value both efficiency and taste.
Although traditionally less common on the British breakfast plate, streaky bacon has grown in popularity due to its versatility and global appeal. For menus aiming to deliver bold flavours or contemporary twists, streaky bacon often emerges as the standout winner.
Other Bacon Cuts Worth Considering
While back and streaky bacon dominate most menus, there are several other cuts that deserve attention, particularly in professional kitchens looking to diversify their offerings.
Middle bacon combines the best of both worlds by including both the lean loin and the fatty belly in one rasher. This traditional cut provides a varied texture and flavour profile, making it ideal for customers who want a little bit of everything on their plate.
Thick-cut bacon or bacon chops offer a more substantial serving, with a pronounced meaty texture that works well for grilling or as a main protein element. These cuts are especially popular in gastropubs and restaurants where bacon plays a starring role rather than a supporting one.
Lardons, typically small cubes of bacon, are invaluable in commercial kitchens. They add depth and savoury richness to salads, soups, quiches and slow-cooked dishes, delivering consistent flavour throughout the dish rather than just on the surface.
Understanding these options allows chefs and buyers to choose bacon not just by preference, but by purpose.
So, Which Bacon Really Wins on Your Plate?
The truth is that there is no single “best” bacon — the winning choice depends entirely on how it will be used. Back bacon often comes out on top for classic breakfasts and sandwiches thanks to its lean texture and dependable cooking results. Streaky bacon tends to win when flavour, crispness and indulgence are the priority. Other cuts, such as middle bacon or lardons, shine in specific applications where texture and depth are key.
The most successful kitchens understand that bacon is not a one-size-fits-all ingredient. Matching the cut to the dish ensures better presentation, improved flavour and greater customer satisfaction.
Why Choosing the Right Bacon Supplier Matters
Beyond the cut itself, the quality and consistency of your bacon supplier play a crucial role in your kitchen’s success. In foodservice environments, unreliable bacon can lead to uneven cooking, unpredictable shrinkage and dissatisfied customers.
At The Bacon Factory, we focus on delivering bacon that performs as well in the pan as it does on the plate. Our commitment to British sourcing, controlled curing processes and rigorous quality standards means our customers can rely on every delivery, whether they’re serving hundreds of breakfasts or crafting premium dishes.
By choosing the right bacon and the right supplier, you ensure that every plate leaving your kitchen reflects the quality and care your customers expect.