A couple of Britain’s major culinary destinations
Chicken and leek pie
It is rather unfortunate that the view of British food in the minds of many is of something bland and heavy, steak-and-kidney pies and soggy fish and chips; now to the defense of this view, that used to be true, some centuries ago, but modern British menus are free from the food blandness spread by the Industrial Revolution, and we’ll talk about some of the most interesting gastronomic destination that the United Kingdom has to offer to present-day visitors.
London – Borough Market
While farmers markets have been increasing in number and popularity across the island in the past few years, the Borough Market has been doing its thing on or around a spot south of the London Bridge for about seven hundred years. Back then most of the trade was wholesalers, now however there are stalls featuring artisan breads and cheeses, alongside game, meats, fruits, vegetables and many other pan-global delicacies. This is a place that embodies and reflects London’s international scope and multitude of cultures.
Leicestershire – Melton Mowbray
Known as England’s “Rural Capital of Food”, Melton Mowbray is the place where the best of the iconic British foods is made, namely the simple pork pie. Considered by many to be both the best and the worst of what British gastronomy has to offer – the simple idea of seasoned meat and jelly confined in a firm case of pastry can be one of two things: either greasy and heavy or completely delicious, Melton Mowbray makes the latter. Worth to mention that this is also a centre for the production of blue-veined Stilton, the “King of Cheeses” as it is known.
Birmingham – Balti Triangle
Even though it’s not a native British dish, many inhabitants of the United Kingdom name chicken tikka masala as being their favorite dish. The spread of this Indian dish should not come as any surprise, considering the history of the British Empire and the fact that Indian restaurants can be found all across the country. However the heartland of curry in the British Isled is surely the Balti Triangle, which is in Birmingham, where you can find an incredible number of restaurants that serve up an equally incredible variety of spicy Indian dishes.
Stropshire – Ludlow
What used to be a quiet, castle-topped town, has transformed into a culinary powerhouse. The reason isn’t clear but the result are that the town is awash in Michelin Stars and AA rosettes, alongside specialist food shops, local breweries and an annual Food Festival which takes place in September.
Scotland – Dumfries and Galloway, Castle Douglas
Castle Douglas has been a trading centre and livestock market in Scotland for many years, but having been designated as one of Britain’s “Food Towns” means that it’s much more than that, and it is. It has award-winning restaurants where big-name chefs do their magic, but that couldn’t happen if they didn’t have access to very high-quality local produce, from meat to bake goods.
United Kingdom related travel links
