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My mower (2011 Briggs & Stratton 149.3CC 3.5HP) is really hard to start when cold (even with the choke on full), so I was wondering if putting "premium" (high octane) fuel in the tank, rather than "regular" (low octane) would help with starting ?

I know premium is a bit mower expencive (see what I did there ? :laughing, but I'd pay the extra price if it helped my mower start on these frosty mornings!

I'd go by whatever the manual that came with the mower recommends. Most -- if not virtually all -- gas mowers sold in the US run on regular. It may be different in the UK for some reason. The only thing I do is add fuel stabilizer if the fuel is going to sit around for a long time.

What does the book say?

The manual says to fill with 95 Octane (that's regular for the UK).

The octane rating is a measure for the anti-knocking properties of gasoline... It has nothing to do with energy levels of the fuel & will not give you better performance if your compression ratio is such that a lower octane rated fuel will work...
Save the extra cost... & put it toward something you will actually use. :smile:KennyV