British Food: Best in the World
Why the Great British Cuisine Is No Longer a Laughing Stock
Jun 12, 2009
"You cannot trust people who have such bad cuisine," said the then-French President, Jaques Chirac, in 2005 on the eve of the G8 Summit. "It [Great Britain] is the country with the worst food, after Finland."
The famous British journalist and novelist, George Orwell, wrote: "It is commonly said, even by the English themselves, that English cooking is the worst in the world."
"Britain is the only country in the world where the food is more dangerous than the sex,." opined American comedian Jackie Mason.
It is indeed such a popular assumption among foreign visitors that British food is particularly bland and unispiring, that many come to our shores with this pre-conceived idea firmly etched into their minds. They subsequently complain, in many cases, about the "terrible" food before they've even had a chance to try it.
London: The New Culinary Capital of the World
These ideas now appear to be a thing of the past. London in 2009 can proudly boast 43 Michelin Star restaurants, eight with two stars and one, Gordon Ramsey's, with three. The variety of different culinary delights on offer puts the rest of Europe in the shade and has contributed to an upturn in fortunes for the British restaurant industry. British food itself has also undergone something of a resurgence, due in part to it being 'spiced up' by outside influences.
"This country has a huge amount to offer. Nowhere except New York comes close to London in terms of the diversity of restaurants we have here," says Derek Bulmerand, editor of the Great Britain & Ireland Guide. "We have more stars in differing categories than anywhere else in the world, with Michelin-starred pubs, Indian, Japanese and Thai restaurants alongside those serving French and British food."
Great British Pub Food
Pay a visit to any pub in London, or indeed Great Britain, and you will generally notice far more of a variety than one would expect to find in the average French or German bar. Dishes from around the world sit proudly among the more standard traditional British fare of Shepherd's Pie, Fish and Chips and Steak and Kidney Pie.
The Fat Duck Restaurant: An Example of British Culinary Excellence
In 2005, the year that Jaques Chirac famously criticised British food, Restaurant magazine compiled its annual list of the world's 50 best restaurants. The Fat Duck, in Bray, Berkshire, owned by self-taught Englishman, Heston Blumenthal claimed the coveted top spot, finishing one better than it had managed the previous year.
Nearly 600 international chefs, journalists and restaurant owners voted in the poll, a poll which included 14 British restaurants in the top 50 and four in the top ten. France, for so long one of British food's harshest critics, could only manage eight restaurants in that year's top 50.
The Eating Habits of Modern Britons
As more and more people from around the world continue to settle in Great Britain, British food will continue to develop new ideas and evolve.
British people are becoming more adventurous in their eating habits, and the days of the standard meat and two veg being served on an almost daily basis, are long gone. Indian, Italian and Chinese are currently the most popular dishes in the United Kingdom and ideas and ingredients from these cuisines have been used to 'spice up' traditional British dishes. Celebrity chef, Ainsley Harriet's curry-fied Shepherd's Pie is a good example.
Mr. Chirac and countless others around the world may think that British cuisine continues to be one of the worst on the planet, but recent evidence would suggest otherwise.
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