ENGLAND FOOD AND DRINK
England is fast shedding its reputation as a
culinary no-man’s land to become one of best destinations in the world for
gourmands. Over the past couple of decades, with the rise of TV chefs and
national campaigns for quality food, cooking has become cool, and the flurry of
excellent restaurants opening up in the capital and beyond is the proof in the
pudding. Michelin-starred restaurants, many using good local and seasonal
ingredients, are spreading throughout the country from gastro pubs in Yorkshire
to fish restaurants in Cornwall. Of course, for every locally sourced partridge
dish there is a plate of over-boiled vegetables and bland meat, but the range
of acceptable options outside of formal fine-dining has widened considerably,
and with a little research, you can eat very well indeed.
London and the larger cities offer every type
of ethnic food imaginable, with Asian food such as Indian, Chinese and Thai
being particularly popular and value for money. Indeed, Birmingham is generally
held to be the curry capital of Britain, whilst the Chinese stir-fry won a
recent poll to find the UK’s favorite dish. Other influences include Americana
in the form of burgers and fries, whilst the trend for small plates can largely
be put down to the growing popularity of Spanish tapas.
• Traditional Sunday roast (roast beef and
vegetables, served with Yorkshire pudding and gravy, usually served on Sundays.
Beef can be exchanged for lamb, pork or chicken).
• English cream tea, particularly in south coast seaside resorts (scones, jam,
butter, clotted or double cream and, of course, tea).
• Spotted dick (suet pudding with currants and raisins).
• Regional varieties of baking such as Bake well pudding (pastry base covered
with jam, almond filling and topped with icing), and breads of all description.
• English cheeses such as Cheddar, Wensleydale, Lancashire and Stilton.
• Fish and chips (battered and deep fried).
Table service in restaurants is usual, but
there are self-service snack bars. No need to leave a tip when buying a drink,
but it is common with a meal. Bars are common in cities and towns, often having
a 'happy hour' (when prices are reduced) in the early evening. Pubs are
typically open Mon-Sat 11:00-23:00, though many now stay open later, and Sun
12:00-22:30.
A service charge (usually 10-12.5%) might be
included in the prices stated on the menu, but it is more likely to be added to
the bill at the end. This is technically an optional charge. Where 'service is
not included', a tip of at least 10% is expected. Check the bill thoroughly, as
tipping is not expected on top of a service charge.
• Beer (bitter and lager are the most popular,
but stout, pale ale and brown ale are also widely drunk. Local microbreweries
and craft beers are increasingly popular).
• Cider (widely sold and can come in different flavors. Perry, an alcoholic
beverage made with fermented pears is a sweeter alternative).
• Tea (the nation’s favorite drink, black tea is commonly taken with milk and
sugar. A biscuit is optional).
• Gin (spirit usually mixed with tonic water. Popular brands include Gordon’s
and Hendricks).
• Pym’s (gin-based drink, usually mixed with lemonade, fruit, cucumber and mint
is especially popular in summer).
• English sparkling wine (quality wines made in the southeastern counties of
England and the Channel Islands).
Isle of Man Food and
Drink
Food on the Isle of Man is generally good,
with the emphasis on a blend of seafood and local game. As the emphasis shifts
to better quality, sustainability, organic and local food, the Isle of Man has
started to garner a bit of a foodie reputation for itself; there’s even an
annual Food & Drink Festival celebrating the quality and variety of local
produce.
With its rolling hills, fertile land and
clear, clean surrounding seas there is much to choose from and all of it packs
a flavor punch. Most farms sell garden produce such as milk and eggs, whilst
there are a number of grocers, fishmongers, butchers and farmers markets around
the island specializing in local fare. Alternatively stop at a country pub,
quayside café or fine restaurant to enjoy the rich pickings.
The island has a host of its own local
products and ingredients to show off, from local bread, flour, full-flavored
cheeses and luscious lamb to 60 flavors of creamy, rich Manx ice cream. The
same people who make the ice cream, Davison’s, are also responsible for
producing delicious local chocolates. Another local favorite is bonnag, a type
of crumbly, fruity cake not dissimilar to a scone.
Perhaps the island’s most famous food though
is the Manx kipper, which has been a tradition since the late 1800s; herrings
are caught locally in the Irish Sea, then cut, salted and smoked with oak chips
to give them a unique flavor. Smoked salmon is a specialty here as well. Look
out too for Manx Queenies, queen scallops served with a white or cheese sauce.
Crab and lobster are commercially fished. Cod, ling and mackerel are often
fished for the table and freshwater trout and salmon can be taken from the
local rivers and lakes.
Specialties:
• Queen scallops.
• Spuds and Herrin (boiled potatoes and herring).
• Manx kippers (smoked herring).
• Bonnag (a flat loaf of bread).
• Davison's ice cream, made in Peel.
• Chips, cheese and gravy somewhat like Quebec's poutine.
Things to know:
Pubs usually open Mon-Thurs 10:00-23:00, Fri-Sat
10:00-24:00. On Sunday, pubs open 12:00-23:00. These times can vary according to
individual pubs, as 24-hour licensing is now permitted. Special opening hours
apply to the Easter and Christmas/New Year periods.
Tipping:
In hotels, a service charge of 10 to 12% is
usual, which may be added to the bill. 10 to 15% is usual for restaurants; if
this has already been added to the bill, a further tip is not required.
Regional drinks:
The island’s brewery, Okells is the sole
authorized Manx brewery; the ales and lagers they produce are served in pubs
all around the island. The Isle of Man also benefits from a law saying that
beer can have no ingredient other than water, yeast, hops and malt, meaning
that the finished product is typically very tasty. Manx Ale is indigenous to
the island; matured in oak casks, it’s imbued with a distinctive flavor and
aroma.
• Real Manx Ale.
• Manx whiskey, gin and vodka.
• Kellan whiskey.
Northern Ireland Food
and Drink
With its rich agricultural land and winding
coastline, it's no surprise that Northern Ireland has a good quality of fresh
meat and plentiful fish. Eel is used in dishes around the Lough Neagh area.
Hearty stews, specialty bread and sticky cakes are specialties across the
province. Look out for good independent bakeries where you can try distinctive
local breads such as puffy soda farls or the flatter potato farls. Portion size
tends to lean towards the massive, so you shouldn't go hungry. A hearty
breakfast is a must at least once, when the traditional Ulster Fry, including
bacon, eggs, sausages and soda bread, will set you up nicely for the day.
Northern Ireland is presently the only country
in the United Kingdom without any Michelin-starred restaurants. It has had them
in the recent past, however, and the fact is far from indicative of there being
a paucity of good places to eat. Belfast and Derry/Londonderry are particularly
strong when it comes to ‘casual’ fine dining, with an emphasis on fresh local
produce and some genuinely inventive menus to choose from. The Good Food Guide
– a rival to Michelin – has been particularly glowing about several Northern
Irish restaurants.
Specialties:
• An Ulster fry - eggs, sausages, bacon
rashers, mushrooms, beans, fried tomato, sometimes with further components.
• Shellfish.
• Homemade vegetable soups.
• Irish stew.
• Dried seaweed.
Things to know:
Pubs are open all day Mon-Sat 11:30-23:00 and
Sun 12:30-22:00 with half an hour 'drinking-up' time. Pubs in Belfast often stay
open Thurs-Sat until 01:00. As elsewhere in the UK smoking is banned in pubs and
restaurants.
Tipping:
There’s a similar attitude to tipping as there
is in other parts of the UK, with 10 to 15% a typical amount if you’ve enjoyed
a meal out and been pleased with the service you’ve received. When eating in
basic cafes or drinking in pubs, tipping is not generally expected.
Regional drinks:
• Guinness (a dark heavy stout with a creamy
head).
• Bush mills (Irish whiskey distilled in County Antrim; the distillery itself
can be toured by visitors. Bush mills Original is sometimes referred to as
‘White Bush’ due to the white label).
• Hilden Brewing Co (Ireland’s oldest independent brewery produces a number of
craft ales at Lisburn).
You must be 18 to legally purchase alcohol in
a pub. 16-year-olds are able to drink with a meal if the drink is purchased by
an adult.
Scotland Food and
Drink
Scottish cuisine has a fearsome reputation for
strong flavors, interesting ingredients and a burgeoning stable of celebrity
chefs. Inspiration often comes from traditional Scots ingredients – oats,
whisky, salmon, Aberdeen Angus beef and game. In-season pheasant, grouse and
partridges make a hearty mouthful. Of course, Scottish smoked salmon has long
been celebrated, but other fish are also worth trying, such as langoustine,
mackerel or haddock. You can find fish and chip shops in every town. In
Edinburgh chips are traditionally served with salt and ‘sauce’, a mixture of
brown sauce and malt vinegar.
Berries are a feature of summer dishes – try blueberries,
tayberries and most famously, raspberries. If you’re driving in the
countryside, look out for ‘Pick your own’ signs and gather pun nets of fruit to
take away. Stock up on Scottish jams, preserves and honeys too. Local cheeses
from artisan cheese makers are increasingly available – try Crowdie or Bishop
Kennedy. Tasty regional bakery goods range from Selkirk bannocks to Aberdeen
butteries to for far birdies.
When it comes to eating out, visitors have a
multitude of options, from high-end Michelin-starred dining and gourmet rural
restaurants to stylish vegetarian cafés, farm shops and traditional pub
lunches. In Scotland’s cities, you’ll come across a huge assortment of
international cuisine; Glasgow in particular is famed for its first-rate curry
houses. The Edinburgh and Glasgow areas are both home to sizeable Italian
populations, with top-notch pizza and pasta restaurants, fine delis and
wonderful ice-cream parlors to match.
Scots won’t deny that they’re prone to the odd
sugary temptation – for a good old-fashioned boiled, jaw-breaking sweet, try
Moffat toffee (actually a lemon-centered treat), Hawick balls (buttery and
minty) or sour plooms (green and supposed to taste of sour plums). Similar to
fudge, but more crumbly, Scottish tablet is sensational.
As for innovative use of a deep-fat fryer, the
Scots are ahead of the game. From the traditional fish and sausages through
pizzas to the infamous deep-fried Mars bar, there are few foods which have not
had their day in the fryer.
Specialties:
• Porridge (a traditional Scottish breakfast
made from locally grown oats and either milk or water).
• Haggis (chopped oatmeal and offal cooked in the stomach of a sheep), neaps (turnips)
and tatties (potatoes).
• Cullen skink (fish soup).
• Smoked salmon.
• Partan Bree (crab with rice and cream)
• Arbroath smokies (smoked haddock).
• Stornoway black pudding.
• Cranachan (whipped cream, whisky, honey, raspberries and oatmeal).
• Clootie dumpling (traditional Scottish steamed pudding cooked in a
cloth).
• Tunnock’s teacakes (soft marshmallow on a biscuit base coated in milk
chocolate).
Things to know:
Licensing hours vary; basic hours are
11:00-23:00, but many pubs have extended hours, particularly in cities. Smoking
is banned in all enclosed public places, including restaurants and pubs.
Designated hotel bedrooms are exempt.
Tipping:
10-15% is typical
Regional drinks:
•Whisky.
•Beer (from the ubiquitous Tenant’s lager to craft beers such as Arran
Ale).
•Irn Bru (rusty-colored carbonated soft drink said to be made from
girders).
•Cabbie’s alcoholic ginger beer.
•Drambuie (whisky-based liqueur).
Wales Food and Drink
Wales' gastronomic stock is rising, as more
and more visitors discover that it's laced with edible pleasures for foodies.
The old joke runs that Wales has more sheep than people, and it's true that
lamb is never off the menu for long but there's more to Wales than its luscious
lamb. The shores around Wales are homes to a great variety of fresh fish and shellfish.
Mullet and brown shrimps are common on the Gower peninsula, as well as cockles,
whilst several producers have awards for their crab and smoked fish. These
producers have attracted a legion of new fans that care about provenance.
Farmers' markets and food festivals dotted around the country are gaining in
popularity, whilst a growing number of celebrated chefs work from the Welsh
countryside.
In terms of eating out, the majority of
restaurants are mainly concentrated in major cities such as Cardiff and
Swansea, and though most local pubs will sell food too, this tends to be more
rustic fare. Foreign cuisine hasn't made great in-roads into the Welsh palate
(apart from the ever-popular curry house and Italian restaurants) but the
country certainly has some gems tucked away, with Michelin-starred The Walnut
Tree setting the standard. With this flourishing enthusiasm for produce and
heritage, it seems the image of Wales as being somewhat lacking on the culinary
front is truly out of date.
Specialties:
• Welsh rarebit (cheese on toast).
• Cockles.
• Caerphilly and goat’s cheese.
• Salt-marsh lamb (lamb raised on salt marshes to graze sapphire and sorrel,
usually served with rosemary).
• Bara birth (fruit loaf made with tea-soaked raisins and
currants).
• Laver bread (bread made with seaweed).
• Welsh cakes (scone-like small flat sweet pancakes made with sultanas or
currants).
• Welsh cawl (a meat and vegetable broth).
Tipping:
A service charge (usually 10-12.5%) might be
included in the prices stated on the menu but it is more likely to be added to
the bill at the end. This is technically an optional charge. Where 'service is
not included', a tip of at least 10% is expected. Diners should check the bill
thoroughly, as tipping is not required on top of a service charge. Tipping is
not expected, but is welcomed, in bars and pubs if ordering at the bar.
Regional drinks:
• Cider (popular drinks include Orchard Gold
and Perry Vale).
• Beer (Purple Moose, Brains and Felinfoel are popular Welsh brands).
• Merlyn (cream liqueur similar to Irish cream).
• Penderyn (single malt whisky).
