Food
Traditional British
Britain has some excellent traditional food: lamb from Wales, shellfish and fresh salmon from Northern Ireland, fresh or smoked fish from Scotland, cheeses from England and Wales.
Unfortunately, good British food can be difficult to find. Only a few restaurants in London serve British food. There are many more Italian, Chinese and Indian restaurants.
British food tends to be either very expensive and found in luxury hotels or restaurants, or mainly fried food served in cheaper cafés. Most pubs now serve good value hot and cold meals. They often have family areas where people under 16 can sit and eat.
Fast food
People in Britain are more likely to eat fast food than to go out to eat in a posh restaurant. A hamburger and French fries is the most popular fast-food meal in Britain, but not all fast food is American. The traditional British fast-food meal is fish and chips. Kebab houses, often run by Greek or Turkish Cypriots, are also very popular. Customers choose from chicken or lamb kebabs, served with salad in bread. People also like to eat baked potatoes filled with cheese and other fillings and pizza with lots of different toppings.
People spend less time cooking now. An increasing number of people eat convenience food in the evenings. Convenience meals are already cooked - all you have to do is heat them up in the microwave or the oven.
Vegetarian food
About seven per cent of British people are vegetarian. If you are vegetarian, eating out is quite easy in Britain because there are vegetarian restaurants. Vegetarians and many other people are worried about genetically modified food and the effect it can have on the environment. They try to eat organically grown food.
1
Do you think convenience food is fast food?
2
a Which of the dishes mentioned in the text can you find in your country?
b How different is British food from the food in your country?
c Do you think eating habits in your country are healthy?
Michael Vaughan-Rees, Geraldine Sweeney, Picot Cassidy: In Britain. 21st Century Edition, Cornelsen Verlag, 2000, page 44 f.