English cuisine is a hearty mix of pub classics, traditional roasts and signature breakfasts. From Sunday lunch roasts with all the trimmings to sausages and mash, English food is always comforting and delicious – the perfect accompaniment to cosy evenings in the cooler months.
English cuisine – throughout the day
English food has its own place throughout the day, with many meals only being eaten at specific times, and none more so than the traditional full English breakfast. This massive breakfast is sure to set you up for the entire day, with a delicious plate of sausages, bacon, eggs, potato hash browns, black pudding and mushrooms. Alternatively, breakfast consists of baked crumpets with fruit jams or marmalade. Lunch is usually a sandwich, with fillings including egg and cress, roast beef and horseradish, or prawn cocktail. For dinner, heavy dishes like crumbly shortcrust meat pies with gravy or fish and chips with mushy peas are staples.
Some guidelines on English food
English cuisine is a celebration of the influence of many cultures, with dishes and ingredients evolving into the national cuisine. Heavy and hearty dishes are at the foundation of British cooking, with pies and meat playing a central role. There are certain rules when it comes to eating some English food, from the correct sauce to enjoy with a dish to when you should enjoy some foods, so here is a list:
- Sunday roasts are exclusively for lunch times on a Sunday, of course. Sauce accompaniments are specific – horseradish for beef, apple sauce with pork, mint sauce with lamb and cranberry with turkey. Of course, gravy goes on everything.
- Fish and chips can be eaten on any day, but are traditionally eaten on Friday nights.
- Tomato sauce goes on everything!
English cuisine – the classics
One thing is certain for English cuisine; the dishes are incredibly traditional and have their own place on specific days of the week or times of the year. Below is a list of the true English classics – food that is celebrated throughout British culture and enjoyed across the country for its filling and warming nature and nostalgia.
- Fish and chips – the dish that most represents British cuisine, fish and chips is a classic traditionally eaten on Friday nights. Flaky white cod is battered alongside thick cut chips and covered in plenty of salt and vinegar. As a side, peas are mashed with cream to create mushy peas, a deliciously sweet pureed vegetable. Our favourite spot to grab this fantastic Friday feast is Hawkerman (Funan) – order the Feesh and Chips.
- Sausage and mash – one for the colder evenings, sausage and mash is a true English classic. Pork sausages are grilled or fried and served alongside creamy buttered mash potato and plenty of beef gravy. Also known as bangers and mash, we grab this dish from LAD & DAD.
- Cod and new potatoes – for a lighter dinner, the classic grilled white fish and new potatoes is a delicious way to enjoy a traditional English dish. Cod is grilled with lemon butter and garlic and served alongside buttered new potatoes and grilled English vegetables. This delicious dish is best ordered from Mariners’ Corner Restaurant
Dishes you don’t want to forget
Some dishes that tend to get overlooked are actually some of the most delicious dishes from British cuisine.
- Chip butty – this might sound like a very boring dish, but its strength lies in the simplicity. English chips are stacked between a slice of white bread and covered in brown sauce, tomato sauce, or gravy. This ‘snack’ is enjoyed throughout the day in England and is one of the best kept culinary secrets around. You can even add bacon to make things even more tasty! We get ours from LAD & DAD.
Our favourite English cuisine restaurants
If you are hungry for some British cuisine, make sure to check out the mouth-watering food at LAD & DAD, Mariners’ Corner Restaurant, or Hawkerman (Funan) for your foodie fix!
