British Food: What They Say Isn't True

I have written on this blog for 2.5 years and there is good reason for that. On my last blog post, I actually had just met my husband and have spent a good deal of my time dating, marrying and settling down with him. What is most annoying about not having posted on the blog for this long is that I have actually written quite a lot for it. Notes in my Iphone, pictures taken, half written posts gathering virtual dust in server space in Kentucky or wherever have sadly not made their way to the pixels on your internet viewing device. So what brought me back after so many half-hearted attempts? There was a phrase that an individual said to me yesterday that stuck in my head… itched and would not go away. My response to her comment did not sway her opinion in the least. I was in bed at midnight and her words still lingered so I sat up, pulled over the laptop and here now is my full rebuttal.

It always gets my goat when people say that “It’s true what they say about British food, it’s awful”. I want to ask “Have you been back in the last 30 years?” or “Did you eat at a place other than a chain sitting outside of a tourist trap?" In this post, I will hopefully convince you that this unfortunately widespread opinion is a misconception. I believe that after many trips and getting married in the country, that I have eaten at such a variety of places in the city and country, I can speak from an informed perspective. And I don’t think the fact that I am an anglophile is swaying me to this conclusion either. Or the fact that my husband is English and happens to be the best cook that I know (and anyone who has had the pleasure of eating his creations, will never say a bad thing about British cooking again). Aside from these points, I love food and I have been impressed by England in so many ways. Not only can I stroll through Trafalgar Square and happen upon the London Symphony Orchestra playing Stravisnky or see Marina Abramovic in-person at The Serpentine, but there is an equal and vibrant food element to the cultural scene.

Now, I do hail from Utah now, which is not the culinary capital of the world, but I’ve been around the block from Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco and Craft in New York to Sirocco in Thailand. And Salt Lake City has its own fair share of artisanal and fine quality cuisine (shout out Meditrina and Pago). I just want to inform you of my informed palate. I have had too many disappointing meals in Paris (the countryside is completely the opposite) but I have never ever had a bad meal in England. In fact, it only gets better every time I go. It could be because I have an eye now for what is promising – the design, the menu, the wine. These are all tell-tale signs upfront on the type of meal to be expected. Or it could be that London is reaching its zenith of its cuisine revolution finally.

Another reason that I may have never had a bad meal in England is because I have chosen not to have Mexican food in England because, well they don’t have many Mexicans there being so far away from Mexico. But the equivalent to Mexican food is a curry. In fact, many people are shocked, as I once was, to discover that curry is the national food of England. Couldn't we say Mexican food has become as much a part of American cuisine as hot dogs and burgers? At 2 in the morning sobering up, my friends and I get Mexican food. In England, you get a kebab when it's too late to take the tube and are waiting on a cab to pick up your drunken self.

I remember my first day in England in Sept of 2010, walking around the city amused and out of my element and stopped at a falafel place for my first meal and was satisfied. I went back to the adorable B&B where I was staying, 22 York Street, and fell asleep for a while and woke up, turned on the TV to see that it was midnight, watched a news segment about a foreign political figure stabbed outside of his apartment. I clicked off the TV and wandered stupidly out of the B&B in search of food. You would think the recent news I had watched would have deterred me but don’t get between me and my food or you will be the one in trouble, not me. I ran into Piccadilly Circus with drunken, loud mouthed youths and loads of food vendors. I grabbed a few samosas and went on my way after being amused by the scene. 

A few days later in my trip, I found myself in Brick Lane, an area which hosts 200+ curry houses in a few block radius, eating Indian food which was much different than the Indian food that I had in Utah. It was more complex, earthy, less sweet and so good that I ate too much. I now have a spot in Twickenham, in the suburbs of the greater London area, that I go to every time I set food in England which is close to my in-laws house called Green Spice. My favorite item on the menu is Shrimp Scamport, a dish that I have never heard of before and the papadums, something that no Utah Indian restaurant has (like Indian chips and salsa with lentil crisps and various sweet and spicy sauces). At the end of the meal, the staff brings out brandy for the men and Bailey’s for the women, After Eight mints and roses for the ladies. A little cheesy but charming in its own right. My husband always gives me the brandy. Green Spice is the equivalent for me that Red Iguana, Utah’s renowned Mexican restaurant/dive featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, is for my husband. Every time he lands in Utah, we immediately drive to Red Iguana as it is conveniently en route from the airport and we get the best Mexican food in town with moles and beautifully melted cheese.

Now you may say, well of course the Curry is good there (and note, all curry is not just Indian. There are loads of Bangladeshi or Pakistani curry houses as well). But British cuisine holds its own aside from its ethnic influences from nearby countries. I want to note that one does not have to eat at high-end, Michelin rated restaurants to have a decent meal (like places that I have been to like Dinner and The Wosely which are the top dining experiences and very British). I can’t stop at a gas station anywhere in the U.S. and expect to see an organic quinoa, beetroot and feta cheese salad in the refrigerated section! But I can in England. There are so many appealing and healthy options, especially with a Pret A Manger, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and now Whole Foods always close by. It is usually difficult for me to decide and I get several meals at once. There is a difference generally in what is available but I prefer the English options to those in the U.S. generally. I cannot find duck eggs, chicken liver pate or lapsang souchong smoke infused salmon in the US where I can readily in England. England’s eggs are almost all free-range whereas it is a selling point in the U.S. Read more reasons why England's eggs are better than those in the U.S. here. There are vegetarian options everywhere. I can substitute a Sunday roast with a nut roast and it tastes incredible as it’s handmade that day. Not feeling super healthy? No problem. Eat a divine gourmet burger at Hache and you will find it impossible to be let down by any choice that you make.

And then there’s Harrods. I should have just started with this mecca of food since I love them so much. Harrods has such an incredible selection of high quality foods in one place. You can get a $50 for 100kg of Kopi Luwak, which I did to cross it off of my foodie bucket list but you can also William Curley fine chocolate, young green Castelvetrano olives and don’t even get me started on the cheese selection because we’ll be here a while. Fortnum & Mason also hold their own in the high-end food shop spectrum. One of the best days of my life was during my second trip to England in January of 2012. Two girlfriends and I visited Harrods and we ate at a lovely fish restaurant, Bentley's. We perused around and then had tea and dessert at  Ladurée. I was in absolute heaven! Note, it was not only one of the best days of my life because of the visit to Harrods. That evening, I popped into the pub next to my hotel, The Roebuck, and was bar tended by a handsome, intelligent, fun guy who had a knowledge and know-how of craft beer. A couple of drinks and a few years later, that man is now my husband.

But let’s not overlook places outside of London. I have been to Cheddar Gorge and eaten sharp aged cheese wheel accompanied with local cider, Belvoir elderflower soda and savory chili jam (or jelly as they call it) in the wilderness with goats lopping here and there. Though the ultimate meal that I have had in England was that for my wedding. We chose to marry in a beautiful and warm manor home, Buckland House, in the verdant countryside of Devon on the lower west coast beneath Wales. My husband and I are absolutely nutters for food so we did not skimp on the meal part of the wedding in the slightest. We catered through Dartmoor Kitchen, sister company for Tom’s Pies. When we made the arrangement for our food, we went out for an included tasting with Tom himself! He’s a man who pays attention to detail and delivers a fine presentation and top-notch food. For dessert at our wedding, we had a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting and for the groom’s cake, a cheese wheel ensemble that was really fun to design at www.thecheeseshed.com with various cheese from the area where we were wed. As wedding favors, Anthony made jam and his friend who owns a bakery, made caramel cake balls (because caramel is one of my favorite things ever). Chloe stayed up all night making over 200 of them and they were absolutely incredible, thanks CakesbyChloe! The photo of our cakes is included below as well as the wedding menus, courtesy of Tabula Rasa, as I am sure you are curious what kind of fare was served. At the wedding, instead of champagne we served award-winning Bluebell English sparkling wine, as the terroir in England has altered to their benefit due to climate change. And the meals that whole week were incredible since two of Anthony’s friends have been professional chefs. We made tabbouleh, grilled mackerel, meat stew, piccalilli sauce with cheese and there was much drunken madness for a week in a a house half filled with Mormons.

I want to mention other noteworthy eateries outside of London, since you know, I’m not getting married all of the time and you can’t crash the party for good eats. Rick Stein’s pub in Cornwall, The Cornish Arm, I have not eaten here but I am extremely excited to sample cuisine from this well-renowned fish chef. I followed one of his recipes recently for fish curry and it was easy and such a delight. In Brighton I ate at The Giggling Squid and had squid there that was the best that I have ever eaten! I also will be eating at an Italian restaurant, Al Boccon Divino, located in Richmond during my upcoming visit in the next month. It’s Michelin star rated and has a unique model in that it has no menu! You tell them your dietary restrictions but then leave it up to chance as to what you’re going to get. And I cannot leave Le Manoir in Oxford off of the list. I could write an entire blog post on just this experience.  My husband and I received a prix fixe meal here for a wedding present. The setting was picturesque, the building impeccable, service top-notch… overall perfection. One aspect of English eating that I quite prefer to US dining is there’s not an incessant barrage of checking in to see how is the food, etc. In a quality restaurant like in The Wosely or Dinner mentioned above, they do not ask how is the food. They listen to see if anything is wrong but the food is expected to be good. 

Food can be just as enjoyable picked up unplanned walking through a street and happening into a market. I have been to Borough Market, one of the most famous food destinations in the world. It was on an off-day but there are plenty of food markets around London that are actually more in-line with my tastes as crowds are generally an anathema to me. I have run into the Real Food Festival several times outside of The Royal Festival Hall and it’s absolutely incredible. Craft beer, cheese, falafels (yes, a weakness of mine!) and much more is available. I had the pleasure of running into another unique find next to The BFI. It is a pop-up drinking and eating well called "The Prop Store”. It's furnished with props from the BFI, posh crisps, sodas, beers and nibbles and was one of the coolest places I have ever visited. I will see if it's back for its third iteration this year and hopefully, it will keep coming back.

And I'm not going to go this whole blog post without mentioning the drinking holes. While I'm not here to contest that the beer is better in England, because it's on-par, their pubs are definitely more quaint and intimate. There's “The Harp”, a charming building bustling with old school charm and new school vibrancy, and “The Rake”, London's smallest pub that focuses on quality over quantity is a destination for beer legends and geeks around the world. I'll also highlight BrewDog, a favorite of my husband, which is gaining notoriety in the States for the show that the two Scottish owners have on The Esquire Channel which is in some ways like Iron Chef meets craft brewing with its innovative brewing techniques and ingredients. Just as an example of their cutting edge style, which is more for the camera than the brewery, is one one episode, they captured fog in San Francisco and condensed it to water and then put that into their brew using an anchor steam method alongside tea found in China town. That's one hell of an experiment in a cup.


There are so many charming tea shops like Tea and Tattle which is also a bookstore but there are also good coffee shops like this amazing camera shop and coffee bar, Camera Cafe.  My mum-in-law brought me there so that she could check out what vintage cameras they had in stock. The shop is so her and so lovely. She's a photographer, amongst many other things, and I feel that she's even more hip than I can ever aspire to be. If you like these recommendations and crave even more, I will point you a book, eat.shop.london. I actually have not gone to a single recommendation in the book yet but have tried! It lists The Golden Hind as the best fish n chips and I am so excited to try it one day. I arrived just as they shut their doors after lunch and was left devastated. The book also lists fancy cheese stops, antique shops and artisan clothing boutiques in the compact and easy-to-carry guidebook. Thanks the gods that there's always a next time so that I can see more and be inspired every time I go to London.

Have I convinced you yet? Or at least have you re-thought some of your notions on British cuisine? I say come to England and try for yourself or try again if you have done it before. I haven’t eaten anywhere else in the UK like Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland but do plan to set food in Scotland in a month and I have high hopes for the highlands. If you’re still not swayed, knock on our door and we’ll give you a taste of truly brilliant British food. In the meantime, I will keep traveling, eating and loving food and drink, especially in England. Maybe when I move there one day, the cuisine will have an off-day but it will, I am sure, not be the norm.