Gastronomy in England

WHAT’S NEW, TRENDY & BACK IN STYLE

England, a country of tea cosies, egg cups and umbrellas, is no longer a country of bad food and it’s citizens no longer have bad teeth! The inhabitants have a history of drinking too much alcohol and perhaps this is still true although alcohol, even a solitary beer, drops that stiff upper lip to their knees!

I love being home in Britain from my adopted America and although life in California has many merits, not the least of which is sunny weather, in England there is always the element of surprise when you wake up in the morning.

A LITTLE WEATHER TALK

Despite a well qualified and very earnest weatherman or woman extolling the virtues of future weather patterns it is often without merit and pulling back the blinds is the only way. What would the Brits discuss with perfect strangers if not the potential of rain showers?

All my friends leave home for work in the morning with countless layers of clothing, cardigans, sweat shirts, and the inevitable umbrella or “brolly” as we call it. How boring the day would be if the weather did not change at least three times during your lunch break.

AMAZING FOOD IN ENGLAND

The food is now amazing. In the 20 years I have been returning as an expat, the explosion of famous and elite chefs that have congregated in the UK cannot be counted. Because of the diverse nature of the population, the eateries are also as diverse.

In particular, the Londoner knows exactly where to go for the best Lebanese, Ethiopian, Turkish, German and of course Indian and Chinese which are almost, if not more popular than Fish and Chips or Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding.

COUNTRY PUBS ARE A JEWEL

The real jewel in the crown is the country pub. Since the DUI laws have been stricter, the Englishman cannot prop the bar up all night and then tip into his car and wend his way through the narrow winding roads home hoping he will not hit a tree or wind up in a ditch.

The laws are severe and prosecution expensive so most lovely country pubs have hired a decent chef and are serving a very sophisticated menu in order to supplement their revenues.

They are large establishments with log fires in the winter and lovely beer gardens and kiddie playgrounds in the summer. Many serve different ales, “real ale” and cider as well as the Brewery owned choices.

ALLERGY, VEGAN & VEGGIE-OH YES

Another thing I noticed is the advent of fabulous vegetarian and vegan food to say nothing of whole menus dedicated to respecting your allergy. I had the most delicious gluten free smoked salmon fishcake yesterday without even knowing it.

The choice of allergy free dishes is now huge; GF for Gluten free appears several times on most menus along with Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy free, soy free, wheat free etc. Allergies are not only catered to but made an example of! Menus request that you let the waiter know if you have any quirky allergy or forbidden ingredient.

SCOTCH EGGS ARE BACK

Last night I went to the Crown at Hardset in the Suffolk countryside and had a wonderfully light and tasty Smoked salmon Scotch Egg as a starter. It sounds contrived but Scotch eggs are a wonderful thing.

Said to have been invented by the gourmet London food store “Fortnum and Mason” in the 18th century, they lost popularity for many years but in the contemporary world of snacking, tapas and eating on the run, the Scotch egg has had a resurgence.

First it is not Scottish. It is a medium boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, a few spices, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried. Served with salad or eaten on its own, if made correctly, it is simply delicious.

It is a favorite of the working man as it is almost entirely protein and can be eaten with a mug of tea or a pint of beer! I had never had the smoked salmon version before, it was light, tasty and I wished I had ordered double as my main course.

MAIN COURSES & DESSERT

For my main course I tackled a Goats cheese and beetroot tart with herb potato salad and heirloom tomatoes. I was too full for dessert but my friend indulged (the only word for it) in a dish called Eton Mess.

It is a traditional English summer dessert usually found when the soft fruit is cheap and plentiful. It consists of crumbled meringue, thick cream and flaked almonds all mixed together with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and a little lemon curd to taste and fresh mint for garnish.

The dish has an amusing history. In the 1920’s when the boys at the posh Eton College (where Prince William went to school) took a picnic to the afternoon cricket match, it consisted of fruit, cream and meringue. A pupil’s Labrador trampled the container and squashed the contents thereby rendering it a ”mess”! It has been known as an Eton Mess ever since.

The menus in the country pubs are getting more and more sophisticated. Often noted chefs serve “farm to table” produce. Locals don’t mind paying extra knowing the eggs are from the farm down the road and the veggies from a nearby market garden. The pubs also include live music at the weekends and quite famous musicians have been known to frequent these venues to “jam” just for the hell of it!

FINAL THOUGHTS

So if you are driving around the UK get the Good Pub Guide and indulge yourself in fantastic food, real ale, live music and some local history; the local characters will be only too glad to show off! Keep watch here for my next blog on various adventures from the UK! Until then…

Best,

Jenny

Jenny Kirsch is an expat living in Palm Desert. She travels extensively each year when she returns to the UK and guest blogs about her experiences and tips. You might want to read other blogs by Jenny. Follow her on Instagram

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