British food?

[gavroche]

I have travelled to many foreign countries over the years and I must say that British food is really bland and so predictable compared to our neighbours. Just come back from Zante a few days ago and the food there was so good and so varied. I have lived in the UK since 1970 and first came to the UK in 1966. Back then, the food was really awful, tasteless and very limited for choice. Since then, things have improved a lot and there is a greater variety in the shops now but it still doesn't rival the Continent, despite numerous cooking programs and expert advice. I think the problem lies with the fact that the British are lazy cooks and don't like spending time cooking. They tend to embrace the American culture which is to buy ready made meals. Also, when you go to pubs, they all seem offer the same menus as most of them are part of a chain of retailers.
On the Continent, each restaurant owner has his own way of preparing food which is far more attractive and so varied.
Of course, there are some British people who like cooking and make good meals but I feel they are few. I am saying this to pre-empt some of you who have wives/partners who can really cook but who are still in the minority compared to the rest of Europe where food is highly regarded, respected and enjoyed.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Eating out over here is often at the mercy of the big food / brewery chains....pub restaurants generally suck imho if they are part of such outfits. There is however a lot of choice here in terms of multi cultural food when eating out.

But having said that british food done well is as good as any other nations ...its just not often done well.

 

[gbb]

Yeah, but no, but...
Like you, ive travelled and and can say I've really enjoyed trying new foods, appreciated new tastes etc etc. But..ive seen the other side as well. Uruguay, some of the most bland uninspiring food Ive EVER tasted, it was the same wherever I went, from the hotel, to a restuarnt we frequented while at work...even to the Hilton hotel in Montevideo on the return leg. I was REALLY looking forward to that meal..and while it was better, it wasnt that good either. so bland and uninspiring, I lost a stone in weight while there.
Egypt, not the touristy food, but regular meals they eat in the citys and at work..the WORST looking and tasting food I ever ate. Bleauchhh.
I'm sure in both countries there are fine dishes..but I didn't see any of it.
Cyprus..fabulous food..again, not the touristy stuff..proper local food, one of my favourite places.

But, Cyprus, Spain, wherever, you can appreciate the different tastes, but eat there all the time and I guess it'd become , not boring, but just ..normal, pretty much like our home cooking.
]Its true though, so much of our food is now factory made, I think we've lost the appreciation of proper food, be it home made pies, etc etc.
Some of my favourite British food is the very simplest. Good potatoes, swede, veg in general, stuff like bacon hotpot, shepherds pie, when made well is delicious.

 

[TVC]

If you think British food is boring try German, Swiss, Austrian. Pork, cheese and potatoes in any combination.

 

[Piemaster]

Brazilian food. Meat. Lots of meat. Every meal is like being at a barbecue.
Either that or rice and beans. Gets very repetitive very quickly.

 

[Arch]

I am saying this to pre-empt some of you who have wives/partners who can really cook

Oi! What about those of us who can really cook for ourselves!

Bad British food is, by definition, not good. But neither is bad food in any cuisine.When I went to Mexico to a conference, we had some great meals out, but the official conference dinner at a swanky venue was terrible - not inedible, just bland and dull.

As gbb says, simple food can be delicious. Good sausages and mash for example. Even a simple bag of chips, done right...

 

[Arch]

Also, define 'British' food. We've been borrowing cuisines and ingredients since for ever. We've put our own stamp on dishes from around the world - not necessarily bettering them, but adapting and diversifying them. Curry being a prime example, I think.

 

[dellzeqq]

this is a country with great vegetables (especially roots and brassicas), great meat (one need look no further than Aberdeen Angus beef, Large White pork and salt marsh lamb), great cheeses (stilton and, yes, cheddar), great beer, fabulous fish (and great oysters), wonderful abundant fruit and some seriously good cooks.

 

[Globalti]

Dell's right; Britain actually has some of the most diverse and interesting food ever, when we bother.

If you eat out in pubs and restaurants you're likely to be eating frozen food made in controlled portions in a factory and delivered in an anonymous white refrigerated van. Brakes, Food Service, 3663 and Ribble Valley Farm Foods are the ones we see around here. The menus are always so predictable.

Lebanese food is the way forward for me; healthy and delicious and only prepared from fresh ingredients.

 

[gbb]

Brazilian food. Meat. Lots of meat. Every meal is like being at a barbecue.
Either that or rice and beans. Gets very repetitive very quickly.

Oi! What about those of us who can really cook for ourselves!

Bad British food is, by definition, not good. But neither is bad food in any cuisine.When I went to Mexico to a conference, we had some great meals out, but the official conference dinner at a swanky venue was terrible - not inedible, just bland and dull.

As gbb says, simple food can be delicious. Good sausages and mash for example. Even a simple bag of chips, done right...

Interesting South Americal similarities...
We went to barbeque in Urugauy...Jesus H Christ, I never saw so much meat, such a lot of charcoal, such a big barbeque. There weren't even that many guests.
And dull, as Arch says. I did wonder if salt doesnt get used much. Mealtimes became a chore, it wasnt the food was visually unappealing, it looked ok...just completely bereft of taste. Seriously, it affected my desire to eat so badly, it took me a few months to regain the weight.

 

[oldfatfool]

Last year I was quite upset that France seemed to be going the same way, Pizza places everywhere and with the exception of a regional dish on the menu (in some cases, not all) what seemed to be a pretty generic menu.

 

[Saluki]

I like cooking and will happily cook from scratch. I don't like packaged food or ready meals. I am not sure how to cook bland, boring meals but if someone will post a recipe, I'll give it a go.

German sausages are the wurst!

 

[Lullabelle]

Thankfully farmers markets have become popular again so that we can buy good local produce. Supermarket stuff can be very lacking sometimes. Bad meals are just bad quality food and chef. Here in Leicester good fish can be hard to come by, the fish market isn't all that good and again supermarket stuff isn't too brilliant.

 

[Lullabelle]

I like cooking and will happily cook from scratch. I don't like packaged food or ready meals. I am not sure how to cook bland, boring meals but if someone will post a recipe, I'll give it a go.

German sausages are the wurst!

Same in this house

 

[s7ephanie]

Last year I was quite upset that France seemed to be going the same way, Pizza places everywhere and with the exception of a regional dish on the menu (in some cases, not all) what seemed to be a pretty generic menu.

I have been here over 4 years and yet to find a decent resturant