stephanie

I head that British food tastes aweful! And, something called Black Pudding doesn't sound very tastey! How is the food in england? <BR>

Arizona

Let's put it this way: British food is a lot better than it used to be. Some dishes, however, might not qualify for that statement. Some suspicious entrees include: shepherd's pie, Scotch eggs, and bubble-and-squeak. Why the Brits insist on putting hot toast in those nasty little racks (so that it can be cold when you get it?) is beyond me. Heavenly dishes: Cornish clotted cream with raspberries, hot scones with butter and marmalade, any kind of tea. Does anyone know what goes into bangers? Best not to know?

Karen

Al... Bangers is either fried pork or beef sausages, accompanied by gravy and poured over mashed potatoes. My mother in law called it mince...basically just fry up ground sirloin with onions, thicken it and make a gravy and pour over mashed potatoes and put peas on top...awful. It's like stuff we used to get in grade school cafeteria lunches. The thing I really like is Egg Mayonnaise, a little salad usually served before the main dish I am continually amazed at the large variety of meals offered in pubs in small villages. And, it is usually so good. The thing we miss most are large salads and decent sandwiches and American breakfast such as pancakes, waffles, French Toast, but British desserts sure beat ours anyday.

Kate Woodward

If you are careful in ordering, you can always find something good to eat. Avoid those disgusting traditional foods like black pudding. You DON'T want to know the ingredients... <BR> <BR>As the previous comments suggest, the desserts ARE wonderful. Beyond that, the chicken tastes better than American chicken. Lamb there is excellent, and is generally served with the mint sauce. The English do have good cheese, especially the Stilton (you must like strong cheeses to appreciate Stilton), so indulge yourself in a cheese tray. Homemade soups also tend to be very good (and taste great on a cold, rainy day). <BR> <BR>Also, make sure to eat a good curry. The English have WONDERFUL Indian food. However, speaking of regional foods, they tend to do a poor job with Italian food in general. <BR> <BR>You CAN find a good sandwich in England. Either go to a place that makes them fresh, or visit Marks and Spencers (a food/clothing store) for the pre-packaged sandwiches. They are quite good and inexpensive. <BR> <BR>Enjoy.

robbie

Dear Stephanie <BR> <BR> I was in England in May and the food in the pubs is great. Portions in most of the pubs I visited are very generous. The steamed fresh veggies are good, and I agree with the comments above. The chicken is very good as well as the lamb. The fish is very good also. There are fast food places like McDonalds and Burger King. You can get that at home. Be adventerous. If you purhcase a sandwhich they will ask you if you want salad on your sandwich (thats lettuce and tomato). In a number of pubs when I ordered a coke it was served with a little ice and a wedge of lemon (it was great). The presentation of the food is very nice in alot of eateries. <BR> <BR> Enjoy your trip

Joe

British has improved a lot recently, and can now be characterised as a mix of traditional British fare with colonial touches. However, the traditional stuff is best had in pubs, which are cheaper than restaurants. Many pubs have so.called carveries, where traditional roast lunches are served. <BR>Shepherds Pie is great: savoury mince with onions, carrots topped with mashed potato and baked with a light cheese topping. Black pudding is a Northern speciality, and is nothing other than blood pudding which is also found in other areas of Northern Europe. Much of what the British eat is similar to basic American cuisine - which country was originally the mother country?? - and is also similar to Northern European things, just less spicy. The one bad thing is the sauces - gravy, gravy and gravy. Try the pastry pies and Cornish pasties, or the suet puddings (puddings can be savoury - and Yorkshire puddings too. Desserts are excellent. <BR>On the whole, trad. British food is simple but wholesome.

s.fowler

I was to second the paen to Shepherd's Pie! The last time I was in London for an extended period we had a favorite pub where a lunch of Shepherd's pie and a pint of "bitter" was our standard fare after a morning of museums or sightseeing. If you are in any British town for more than a few days I recommend finding "your" pub and becoming, at least temporarily a "regular." It's a wonderful way to enter into the life of a community, even in London.

Martin

British food, in general, is very good (though more expensive than American food). I would like to second the posting that said that pub food is excellent. "Pub Grub" is quite a value and the quality ranges from good to excellent or even spectacular. I would note though, that every pub meal we ate came with peas. I usually hate peas, but they were usually fresh or frozen peas and, thankfully, not canned (yech). The worst pub food we found was in London (but with so many other choices, this isn't a major problem) and the best was in out of the way places in the countryside. <BR> Some excellent dishes: fish and chips (easy to find anywhere), cornish pasties (like a much better quality Hot Pocket sandwich--filled with an amazing number of choices of items), bacon (little like American-style bacon), Indian food (though pricey, Scottish beer, it's available even in many small towns) and Cadbury chocolate (tastes much better than US-made Cadbury). <BR> Some dishes I was not thrilled by: Black Pudding (chopped up intestines in blood stuffed into a sausage casing and cooked--it is worse than it sounds), Haggis (nearly everything from inside a sheep minced with oatmeal stuffed into a sheep's stomach--also worse than it sounds), and pizza in Edinburgh (just crust and a little bit of cheese--no sauce).

Owen O'Neill

Didn't you know that the term "British food" is an oxymoron? <BR> <BR>(no offense to all our UK friends but I just couldn't resist

Bill Barr

Haggis <BR> <BR>Sorry Martin but you've got it wrong - you've been influenced by English prejudices. In Scotland the best haggi are those hunted and killed, using a cleet, early in the morning and preferably just after the sun comes up. My grandfather always said that the most succulent of the species were found on any mountain's LOWER slopes. He was born and brought up in the shadow of Ben Nevis and used to tell us that haggi in the wintertime were always much more tasty simply because they had fattened themselves up for the cold season. Like you, I'm not too fond of them but that's not because of their taste - I've seen the little buggers run at and attack locals who offered them food. Indeed, a national Scottish newspaper, a few years ago, ran a campaign to have highlanders given free anti-tetanus shots simply because of the huge rise in haggis bites. <BR> <BR>Hope that helps, <BR> <BR>Regards, <BR> <BR>Bill, Glasgow

anne

Recently spent a few days in SE England, and was pleasantly surprised by the great pub meals. I didn't expect BAD food, since we'd been content with what we'd had on other trips to the UK, but what was so impressive this trip was the fresh vegetables - lightly steamed creative combinations - that came with the meals. Also I enjoyed the many and varied vegetarian creations.

kam

I vowed not to respond to anything on these posts until Fodors got them under control, but must add my 2 cents to this. British food is great---if you understand what it is and don't expect it to be American food--here we go again with the attitude! Shepherd's pie is especially good---but should be made with lamb, not beef (what is it that you think shepherds are shepherding around in the UK???) Bangers are slightly peppery pork sausages and mash is simply, mashed potatoes Yum. Blood pudding is a blood sausage--just like in Germany, Ireland and Argentina---I don't lilke it, but many do. If you know what the dish refers to you can make an educated guess about whether you will like it or not------many people feeling the same way about bunny in Italy----so, don't order it!!! I think Europeans must feel the same way about our okra and rhubarb etc. You need to do a bit more research about a potential trip to the UK--you are assuming that because our language is similar, our foods are the same also. On the other hand, there are plenty of fast foods like McDonalds--try Wimpy's--, if that's what you want. Ethnic foods particularly good in UK are Indian and some Chinese. The English breakfast is super as well as the traditional tea and the desserts are wonderful! Who would order pizza in Edinburgh and then criticize it??? Try to be more adventurous, please."When in Rome..............." <BR>

kam

Also, guys, where do we think the "Earl of Sandwich" lived??? He started the whole thing, thus the name. <BR>

John C.

I'm really surprised to hear most of you say that the food is good (or "great") in many instances. I spent a semester in England a few years ago, and was disappointed with the food. Perhaps I had too many lamb dishes at the school's cafeteria. Or, maybe I'm comparing it to my steady diet of Italian food. I do agree, however, that the food in the pubs is excellent.

Raeona

Hell-LO! Britain is an island -- surrounded by water. I don't think anyone mentioned that (or did I just scan too quickly?) Which means, you can have excellent fish, etc. The veggies ARE wonderful (most of the time) as someone mentioned...not overcooked the way they often are here. Be prepared for British prices -- EVERYTHING, not just food, costs more there than here. (And that includes the oft-recommended pub grub...our lunches, with a pint, typically ran us somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 or more -- this past June). If there is a B&B accommodation within 2-3 hours of London for less than 50 pounds (about $85), we sure didn't find it. That may get you a bath, and may not. I like Britain (tho it probably doesn't sound like it)....but it IS expensive right now. Paris...on the other hand, seemed like a deal...but that's another post.

kam

John, you can't add school food to the mix here. All school food is pretty awful, no matter where you are living. My son spent a semester in school in Oxford and his opinion of the food at school was the same as yours. Beware the haggi---he'll get you everytime! <BR>

sonia

A word in defense of the food in my native land. Food in Britain can be as good or bad as anywhere else: take time to educate yourself, read reviews, and don't expect it to be the same as the USA. If you wanted that, you'd stay home... Look for an early-summer issue of Bon Appetit magazine, (maybe May? London bus on the cover) which featured London as the current foodie hot-spot: lots of reviews and suggestions there. <BR> <BR>If you're in London and you want the _best_ fish and chips, try the Sea-Shell on Lisson Grove (a short walk from Marylebone tube station.) And the earlier responder is right about sandwiches, fruit etc. from Marks and Spencer -- they're great. And don't even get me started on the subject of yummy cream teas -- they're always a must for us (and best enjoyed in a country garden). Enjoy your trip! <BR> <BR>

Kate Woodward

Sonia....AGREE! The cream teas are the most amazing thing ever! You haven't lived until you've consumed a cream tea. <BR> <BR>BTW, could you ship me a few M&S sandwiches? The grilled veggie, marinated tomato and cottage cheese, and all the low-fat chicken sandwiches were a staple of my diet for months. A bag or two of Walkers would be great too!

Marty

Cadbury chocolates! They are not like the U.S. version. There in all the machines in the tube stations. We missed a few trains, because we pack coins into those machines at every stop! We ate at least two a day--thank goodness we walked and walked. We beg anyone we know who is going to bring us back some. Then we savor them. In Italy, eat 2 gelatos a day; in London 2 Cadburys!

marty

Oops! THEY'RE in every candy machine.