Brits think bananas are produced in the UK, are unsure as to whether apples grow on trees or not and the majority have no idea where kale comes from, new research shows.

A recent study of 2,000 Brits found many to be clueless when it comes to food knowledge with a fifth of parents in East Anglia confessing they could not explain to a child where a potato comes from - despite parts of the region being among the biggest producers of the crop.

While one in 10 thought the treasured pork pie came from overseas, one in 10 could not identify the classic steak and kidney pie as British, and over half thought scampi was breaded prawns.

And future generations will be just as confused, as over a third of parents said their children have asked questions about their meals that they didn’t know how to answer.

A spokeswoman for Whitby Seafoods, Laura Whittle, who carried out the research said: “Times have changed since we used to buy our groceries from local markets and shops. Back then we could chat to a butcher, fishmonger or greengrocer about where their goods are sourced, but these days it’s harder to get the information. If we really want to know more about what we’re eating, it’s important to check supermarket labels. Brushing up on the facts before you grab things from the shelves means you can feel better about what you take home.”

The research also showed 40 per cent of adults in East Anglia rate their food knowledge from ‘average’ to ‘very poor’ - with two in ten rating their lack of awareness as embarrassing. A fifth said they have no idea where their regular fruit and veg comes from and two in ten admit they are clueless to when various fruits are in season.

Fish was no different as nearly three in ten were lost at sea over whether their seafood is sustainably sourced and only half of shoppers look to see whether it’s caught locally or imported.

Despite past controversies over supermarket meat, many adults were shown to be oblivious over knowing where their groceries are sourced.

Three in ten confessed they don’t check the labels when buying meat or chicken, while a carefree 40 per cent said they pick up their milk without ever reading the bottles. It’s counting the pennies that seems more important to Brits – as 50 per cent of adults in East Anglia said when trawling the supermarket aisles, they predominantly look at the price.

When asked further about their knowledge of food, nearly four in ten didn’t know a cauliflower grows in the ground, over a fifth were clueless about how broccoli grows and three in ten thought melons grow on trees.

The results also showed that although scampi and chips is a British pub classic, just one in five knew it was made of langoustine.

Whitby Seafoods, the UK’s leading scampi supplier, commissioned the study in order to better understand shopper’s food knowledge and help enlighten them on what Whitby Scampi is and it’s origins.

Laura Whittle added: “Making sure you get sustainably sourced food means you can do your bit for the environment and get quality produce in return. And if your kids ask about their food at the dinner table, you can tell them about it too.’’