Do the Brits have an unrequited love affair with American food?

The Word of Mouth blog at The Guardian has an intriguing entry today – Why do Brits love American food? According to the author, Katy Salter, “Britain is having a passionate love affair with American grub and, embarrassingly for us, it’s an unrequited romance.” She traces this romance from the cupcake to the burger to barbecue, and believes much of the attraction is because “American food has a fun, colourful allure that British food doesn’t – in it we see the neon of New York, the glamour of 50s Americana, and the glitter of Hollywood. “

We don’t really know enough to have a valid opinion on this. However, we are a bit skeptical given the incredible popularity that such authors as Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver have in the U.S. And certainly we’ve recently seen an outpouring of recipes related to Downton Abbey and The Hobbit.  Finally, a quick look in the EYB library shows 128 recipes alone for Sticky Toffee Pudding (a truly significant import). So we’d love to hear from our British community on this vital question – Is American food irresistable to the British, and, if so, why?