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British food may have had a bashing of late, from the US ambassador's moaning about lamb and potatoes to Professor João Magueijo who wrote a book slamming the unspeakable things we do with lard.
The reality, though, is that our capital city offers some of the best, most creative and diverse cooking in the world. And it doesn’t begin and end with London - British food is only great because it comes from the whole of the British Isles.
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So, to kickstart British Food Fortnight, Fabio Diu from Real Food Festival walks us through the top ten British foods that we can be truly proud of.
The Top 10 Foods (And Beverages) That Britain Has To Offer
Cheese(01 of10)
British cheeses are amongst the best in the world and we have over 700 varieties (compared with 250 in France and Italy). One of the most dynamic and growing sectors in the British food industry is the artisan cheese sector. Britain has always had an honorable tradition for cheese making and although industrialisation did almost succeed in snuffing it out, thankfully the days of mass-produced, bland cheddar blocks are being countered by a thriving renaissance of farmhouse cheeses. Ones to try: Farmhouse Cheddars; Stichelton (raw milk Stilton style cheese); Tunworth (a strong Camembert style cheese); Berkswell (hard sheep milk cheese); Innes Log (creamy goats milk); Stinking Bishop (maybe stinky, but mild Perry washed rind cheese) and Lincolnshire Poacher (intense cheddar style cheese). (credit:Magone via Getty Images)
Beef(02 of10)
British heritage breeds have been bred and crossed the world over. This is because their unparalleled quality, and not to mention the lush pastures of the UK, make for some of the most flavorsome beef you will taste. Most of the best beef-types will have originated from, or have been bred with, British cattle. This is because Britain’s meat is of such a high quality that breeding livestock and genetics from our native breeds have always been sought after by farmers across all continents. Ones to try: Devon Red Ruby, Dexter, Belted Galloway and beef from grass-fed animals. (credit:pilipphoto via Getty Images)
Oysters(03 of10)
Loch Ryan Scottish oysters are highly prized, Whitstable has an annual oyster festival in celebration of its bivalve mollusks and Colchester in Essex has been farming oysters since the days of ancient Rome, with which it fed the Empire. Their mineral, saline smack is widely considered to be one of the best in the world.Essex, Kent, the South West, Western Ireland and Scotland are the regions best known for their prime quality mollusks. Ones to try:Loch Ryan Scottish oysters; Whitstable natives; Colchester natives. (credit:Monkey Business Images via Getty Images)
Wine(04 of10)
With 434 vineyards and competition-winning sparkling wines to rival Champagne, English wine has matured and should be taken very seriously indeed. Wine may not be the first product that comes to mind when you think of British agricultural output, however the number of vineyards has increased from 761 hectares in 2004 to about 1,500 hectares. True, English and Welsh wine has been considered mostly as a curiosity - more a novelty than a drink of merit - though over the last few years there have been some serious wines standing their ground on the international stage and winning prestigious competitions, particularly in the sparkling wine category. Four gold medals were won at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) last year, thank you very much.Try these tipples:Neytimber in West Sussex; Camel Valley in Cornwall; Ridgeview in Sussex; Gusborne Estate in Kent and Hush Heath in Kent. (credit:Valentyn Volkov via Getty Images)
Apples(05 of10)
With over 2,000 varieties of apples, and a fine tradition of cider and perry, Britain’s heritage fruits and agricultural traditions should be treasured. Who needs a Pink Lady when you can have a Red Pippin? As well as soft fruits, pears and plumbs, Britain has an astonishing range of apples. Over 2,000 varieties are grown in the country, according to Brogdale - who collect and protect heritage varieties. Visit Brogdale in Kent, the ‘Garden of England’, to amble through their orchards and try over 4,000 varieties of apples, pears, plums, cherries, cobnuts, currants and quinces. (credit:Michael Marquand via Getty Images)
Beer(06 of10)
With a strong history of beer culture and brewing expertise, today the UK is at the forefront of the international craft beer movement. Lately, the craft beer scene seems to have gone crazy with micro-breweries opening up and down the country. There are now over a thousand microbreweries in Britain and CAMRA’s army of beards and sandals may have been replaced by beards and tattoos. The palpable whiff of pretension does occasionally mingle with the herby aroma of hops, but largely these are great beers made with a single-minded intent on quality and flavour. Ones to try:Meantime Brewing in Greenwich; Kernel Brewery and Camden Town Brewery in London; BrewDog and Black Isle Brewery in Scotland; Redchurch Brewery, Brodie’s and Brixton Brewery in London; Summer Wine Brewery in Yorkshire; Bristol Beer Factory in Bristol. (credit:Adermark Media via Getty Images)
Street food(07 of10)
The ‘street food revolution’ has certainly captured people’s imagination and there's no doubt as to the swagger and culinary creativity that some new traders are bringing to the scene. However, the good old classics are still hard to beat. Traditional street food generally evolves as a wholesome meal-in-one that you can handle and eat on the go. That’s why fish and chips wrapped in yesterday’s news, hearty Cornish pasties, proper pork pies or soft-yolk scotch eggs will always hit the spot. (credit:raphotography via Getty Images)
Gastropubs(08 of10)
In their best form, the Gastropub is a place where you can find an authentic expression of contemporary British cooking that respects seasonality, local ingredients and tradition in a relaxed, convivial atmosphere. While Italy has its Trattorie and France has its Bistros, we have our Gastropubs. Taverns have historically always provided food, drink and board to weary travelers though it wasn’t until the 1990’s that pub grub gave way to restaurant quality food in pubs and today many even hold Michelin stars. Of note:The Eagle in London; The Hand & Flowers in Marlow; The Harwood Arms in London; and The Star, Harome and the Sportsman in Kent. (credit:Owen Price via Getty Images)
Maldon sea salt(09 of10)
The world famous natural sea salt from the marshlands of the Essex coast can be found in Michelin starred kitchens across the globe. The flat tide-washed marshes and low rainfall along the Essex coast give the water a high salinity that is ideal for salt making. As such, Maldon, in Essex, has been a site for salt making for at least 2,000 years, when seawater would have been partially evaporated and then heated in clay pots over open fires. The process hasn’t much changed since then. Maldon is the last of what used to be a thriving business of salt makers along the Essex coast and with a little help from Delia, and a Royal Warrant awarded on its 130th birthday in 2012, it is becoming one of our most iconic British culinary products. (credit:OlgaMiltsova via Getty Images)
Artisan distilleries(10 of10)
Drawing on the UK’s considerable heritage, across the country individuals and small companies are producing exciting hand-crafted whiskies, gins, vodkas and rums in small batches. Britain is well known for its spirits, with whisky being one of its most important exports. The Scottish malts remain iconic but across the country individuals and small companies are producing exciting and innovative hand-crafted whiskies, gins, vodkas and rums in small batches and which appeal to their heritage. Look out for:Cotswolds Distillery in Gloucestershire; Sacred’s Gin, The London Distillery Company and Butler’s Gin, London. (credit:Jag_cz via Getty Images)