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Similar to the American food thread, what about British food? ?

(85 Posts)
nanna8 Wed 10-Dec-25 00:22:54

We sometimes have international days with a group I am in . Apart from the savoury things like Lancashire hotpot can you tell me any easy to make sweet things ? I know about Welsh Girdle cakes and have made those. Eccles cakes are a bit too hard I think!

Allira Thu 11-Dec-25 16:22:55

No-bake cheesecake?
You could top it with raspberries or strawberries.

I know they are supposedly American but that is the baked kind (imo).

Bakewell Tart or Bakewell Pudding.
Eton Mess (very easy).
Yorkshire Parkin
Scottish shortbread.

SiobhanSharpe Thu 11-Dec-25 16:15:13

I have several books of English cookery by people like the redoubtable Jane Grigson and she enthuses about less popular food items such as kippers, other smoked foods, savoury meat pies, baked apples, sussex pond pudding, summer pudding, kedgeree (yes, I know it’s Anglo-Indian but it’s a wonderful dish that deserves not to lapse into further obscurity) and many more. She and Elizabeth David did much to reawaken interest in traditional English and British food in the 50s and 60s.
And as a point of interest a fair few years ago I belonged to a French conversation group here which did exchange visits with a similar group in France — le crumble was much admired even then and I believe is now very popular in France. (Along with Marks and Spencer clothes.)

Freya5 Thu 11-Dec-25 15:40:31

vegansrock

I wouldn't make a hot steamed pudding for an Australian buffet - wouldn't get many takers methinks. Noone eats them anymore in the UK do they? A trifle or a jelly ( yuk) might be better or a plate of digestives . Lets face it, most British food doesn't travel well, most people here would rather have a curry or sushi rhan a hotpot these days.

Most people, rather an assumption there. We eat steamed puddings, yes treacle, jam, hot with glorious thick creamy custard, even spotted dick. Nothing like it on a cold wet and windy day. We are traditional eaters, although some like a curry, it's not my first choice of meal, too spicy, apart from korma, and the cooking smells last longer than my cooked fish!! As for sushi, well if you like tasteless food, go for it.

PamelaJ1 Thu 11-Dec-25 12:13:22

I know you want sweet things nanna8 but I will just have to tell you that we wanted a gammon at Christmas last year (NSW) and couldn’t get one anywhere. Apparently there is a butcher in Melbourne who sells them. Just in case you want to be ready for next year!
The excellent butcher in Sussex Inlet had never heard of one!

Allira Thu 11-Dec-25 11:31:34

Your raisin bread is delicious, nanna8, perhaps you could use it to make that bread and butter pudding that Bluebelle suggested.

Allira Thu 11-Dec-25 11:29:35

CariadAgain

If you're thinking along cake lines - then a West Country cream tea. Very easy - provided you can get the clotted cream component.

What I know is Cornish-style cream teas - so that means the scone (and no - it is NOT with sultanas in!), spread with butter, then spread with jam and the clotted cream goes on top. I've tried a couple of "cream teas" since I moved to Wales and thought "What the heck - there's sultanas in the scones!!!!". So yep a West Country proper cream tea - and the Cornish way (correct one imo) is the cream gets dolloped on top. The Devon way is cream on top of the scone (seems to be instead of butter?) and then jam on top of that. T'aint right that way I tell 'ee....it's got to be that cream on top (as per what one does with puddings).

Yes, this!!

But no butter. And absolutely no dried fruit in the scone.

Are you from Devon, CariadAgain, yet you like your jam on first? 😲

Ps so is DH and he likes jam first 😀
He did say the other day that I am not a great scone maker so he'll have to go out for a cream tea.

British sausages and mash with onion gravy; sausages probably available from a butcher as Australian sausages are generally quite different.

Witzend Thu 11-Dec-25 11:02:20

25Avalon

Apple Crumble is a traditional British sweet dish that came into being at the end of the war. Easy to make and tasty. Serve with cream or custard.

I’ve often made various crumbles while staying at a BiL’s place in France - very popular with neighbours who come for dinner!
Another BiL - a bilingual ‘foodie’ who spends much of the year in Paris recently told me that just about every bakery there now sells ‘le crumble’.
(He may be exaggerating just a bit…).

Caleo Wed 10-Dec-25 14:27:29

I bought a new style bread loaf from Tesco which is very healthy, a lot more expensive than usual supermarket bread , and it got universally rave reviews.
When my shopping arrived Tesco has substituted their new style bread with a top quality Hovis obviously as the new style loaf was sold out. This makes me think that there is a tremendous market for really good bread that ticks all the boxes.

25Avalon Wed 10-Dec-25 14:10:39

Apple Crumble is a traditional British sweet dish that came into being at the end of the war. Easy to make and tasty. Serve with cream or custard.

Maremia Wed 10-Dec-25 14:03:05

A girdle is a Scottish/Irish flatplate, similar to a girdle.

teabagwoman Wed 10-Dec-25 13:12:54

How about Eton Mess? Easy to make and good for hot weather.

Whitewavemark2 Wed 10-Dec-25 13:00:57

Scones and butter and jam✅
Scones jam and cream✅

Splits are a soft sweet bread that were made into buns cut (split) across the top with cream and jam stuffed into the split.

CariadAgain Wed 10-Dec-25 12:47:28

....one thing I don't think has ever been missing from any cream teas I've had - whether Cornish, Devon or here in Wales (with fruit scones!!) has been my butter.

I am a Devonian and must admit I've never had splits and don't think I've even come across them. But I do things the Cornish way because I prefer that - though my mother would have told me that was correct (just because it was the Cornish way and she regarded herself as "Cornish" - to the extent she regarded Cornwall as a country - rather than a county). Cue for me going "Mother...it's a county...you're English!!!!"

Whitewavemark2 Wed 10-Dec-25 12:43:08

cariad 😮😮 never use butter on a Cornish tea.

Devon uses splits, but it seems to have morphed into scones.

Oreo Wed 10-Dec-25 12:40:52

Cornish pasties are very yummy too.

Oreo Wed 10-Dec-25 12:40:19

CariadAgain

If you're thinking along cake lines - then a West Country cream tea. Very easy - provided you can get the clotted cream component.

What I know is Cornish-style cream teas - so that means the scone (and no - it is NOT with sultanas in!), spread with butter, then spread with jam and the clotted cream goes on top. I've tried a couple of "cream teas" since I moved to Wales and thought "What the heck - there's sultanas in the scones!!!!". So yep a West Country proper cream tea - and the Cornish way (correct one imo) is the cream gets dolloped on top. The Devon way is cream on top of the scone (seems to be instead of butter?) and then jam on top of that. T'aint right that way I tell 'ee....it's got to be that cream on top (as per what one does with puddings).

I agree that the Cornish way is best and makes more sense.😄

butterandjam Wed 10-Dec-25 12:39:32

Oh , "sweet".

:-)

butterandjam Wed 10-Dec-25 12:38:15

Steamed pudding ( golden syrup, or marmalade) .
With real custard. Mmmmmmm.

Steak and kidney pie.

Fish and chips. Cockaleekie. Lancashire hotpot, Toad in the hole. Apple pie. Shepherds pie, Cottage pie.
Fish pie. Kippers. Full cooked British Breakfast. Cullen Skink
Roast beef with yorkshire pud.

Witzend Wed 10-Dec-25 11:58:24

Oops, sorry, should have been on the other thread!

Witzend Wed 10-Dec-25 11:57:29

I can’t think of anything I’d want (I’ve never had American ‘biscuits’) except perhaps clam chowder, but even that has been nothing very special the last couple of times. Should add that most of our visits to the US have been to Cape Cod.

JamesandJon33 Wed 10-Dec-25 11:53:36

Minimoon A girdle goes round your waist, holds your stomach in and your stockings up. 🤭

CariadAgain Wed 10-Dec-25 09:08:21

If you're thinking along cake lines - then a West Country cream tea. Very easy - provided you can get the clotted cream component.

What I know is Cornish-style cream teas - so that means the scone (and no - it is NOT with sultanas in!), spread with butter, then spread with jam and the clotted cream goes on top. I've tried a couple of "cream teas" since I moved to Wales and thought "What the heck - there's sultanas in the scones!!!!". So yep a West Country proper cream tea - and the Cornish way (correct one imo) is the cream gets dolloped on top. The Devon way is cream on top of the scone (seems to be instead of butter?) and then jam on top of that. T'aint right that way I tell 'ee....it's got to be that cream on top (as per what one does with puddings).

MiniMoon Wed 10-Dec-25 08:59:31

Jamesandjohn, a girdle is scottish, a griddle is Irish, they are the same thing.
Regional cakes are lovely. Since it's Christmas time how about Grasmere gingerbread, Scottish shortbread, and you can't go wrong with a good old Victoria sandwich cake.

Grandmabatty Wed 10-Dec-25 08:40:02

I don't think that there's such a thing a British food. There are recipes specific to regions and the four countries which make up Britain but I can't think of anything British.

teabagwoman Wed 10-Dec-25 06:25:00

Bakewell tart is easy to make especially if you use readymade pastry and can be served as a dessert or a cake. A good trifle is a thing of joy.