🇬🇧 The food of the United Kingdom
124 dishes from the United Kingdom, best known first, across 43 cities and regions.
British cooking brings together ancient Celtic roots, Roman imports, and centuries of influence from Europe, its former colonies, and global trade. Its food is known for roasts, pies, and puddings, but also adapts dishes and spices from many cultures, reflecting a long history of migration and exchange.
- Roast dinners and full breakfasts are iconic British meals.
- Pies, both savoury and sweet, are central to British cooking.
- British cuisine includes a wide variety of cheeses, beers, and ciders.
- Trifle and scones are traditional desserts still enjoyed today.
- Immigration has led to the creation of new curries and spiced dishes.
The cooking of the United Kingdom
The food of the United Kingdom blends native traditions with a long history of outside influence. Early Celtic and Roman settlers introduced grains, cheese, cider, and a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Later, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings brought new techniques for curing meats and fish, while the Normans added French words and continental styles. Over time, British food absorbed ingredients and dishes from across the world, especially through trade and immigration from India, the Caribbean, China, and beyond. Classic British meals often feature roasted meats, pies, and both sweet and savoury baked goods. The cuisine is also known for its cheeses, beers, and ciders, and has a tradition of both simple home cooking and elaborate feasts.
Staple foods in the United Kingdom
Bread, often made from wheat, rye, or oats, has long been a mainstay, with its type reflecting social class. Potatoes, introduced from the Americas, became a key food. Meat, especially beef, lamb, and pork, is central, along with fish and shellfish. Butter, cheese, and eggs are widely used. Vegetables like carrots, turnips, and cabbages are common, as are apples and other fruits. Pies, both savoury and sweet, are a hallmark.
Breakfast in the United Kingdom 17 dishes
A traditional British breakfast is hearty and filling, often including eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, and toast. This 'full breakfast' is a well-known feature, though daily breakfasts may be simpler.
Sweets and drinks in the United Kingdom
British sweets include trifle, a layered dessert with cream and fruit, sticky toffee pudding, apple pie, scones, and Victoria sponge cake. Tea is a popular drink, as are beers and ciders. Cheese varieties are numerous and widely enjoyed.
From region to region in the United Kingdom
Each part of the UK has its own food traditions. England is known for roast dinners and pies. Scotland has its own baking, such as shortbread and scones, and is the home of Scotch whisky. Wales and Northern Ireland also have distinct dishes, shaped by local produce and customs. Coastal areas often feature more seafood, while regional cheeses and breads vary widely.
The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "British cuisine", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
Cities and regions of the United Kingdom
Pizza
🇮🇹 Italy and 4 moreFlatbread topped with tomato, cheese and baked at high heat
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
French friesVeganpommes frites
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreDeep-fried strips of potato, served hot and salted
Street food, Lunch, Dinner
Pancake
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreFlat cakes made from batter, cooked on a griddle or pan and served sweet or savoury
Main dish, Breakfast, Snacks
Fish and chipsFish or seafood
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 8 moreBattered fried fish served hot with thick-cut chips
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Pie
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreA baked dish with a pastry crust and sweet or savoury filling
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Thanksgiving dinnerMeat
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreA holiday meal centered on roast turkey with a variety of side dishes and desserts
Main dish, Dinner
Mulled wineGlühwein
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreRed wine heated with spices and fruit, served hot at Christmas and winter gatherings
Drink, Tea time, Dinner
Peking duckMeat北京烤鸭
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreCrisp-skinned roast duck from Beijing, carved and served with pancakes and condiments
Main dish, Dinner, Lunch
Pickled cucumberVegan
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreCucumbers preserved in brine or vinegar, enjoyed worldwide in many styles
Sauce, pickle or ferment, Lunch, Dinner
Chicken tikka masalaMeat
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreRoasted marinated chicken in a creamy, spiced tomato-based sauce
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Haggistaigeis
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreA savoury pudding of sheep offal, oats and spices, boiled in a casing
Main dish, Dinner
VindalooMeat
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA spicy curry of meat, vinegar and chili from Goa, now found worldwide
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Korma
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreA rich curry of meat or vegetables simmered in yogurt and spices
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
Christmas pudding
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreSteamed or boiled sweet pudding with dried fruit, served at Christmas dinner
Sweet or dessert, Dinner
Stuffing
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreA seasoned mixture used to fill meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetables before cooking
Main dish, Dinner
ColeslawVegetariankoolsla
🇳🇱 Netherlands and 5 moreShredded raw cabbage salad with a creamy or tangy dressing
Salad or side, Lunch, Dinner
Macaroni and cheeseVegetarian
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreBaked or stovetop pasta in a creamy cheese sauce, often with cheddar
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Roast beefMeat
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreBeef roasted whole and sliced, served hot or cold as a main dish or sandwich filling
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Corned beefMeat
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreSalt-cured beef, often pink, eaten fresh or canned in many countries
Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch
Baked potato
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreWhole potato baked and topped with butter, cheese, beans or other fillings
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Yorkshire puddingVegetarian
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreA baked British pudding made from a simple batter, often served with roast meats
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Shepherd's pieMeatcottage pie
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreBaked dish of minced meat under a layer of mashed potato
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Gefilte fishFish or seafood
🇵🇱 Poland and 5 morePoached patties of seasoned fish, often topped with carrot
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Christmas cake
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreCakes served at Christmas, often rich with fruit, nuts or cream
Sweet or dessert, Tea time, Snacks
Welsh rarebitVegetarian
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreToasted bread topped with a hot, savoury cheese sauce
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Deviled eggsVegetarian
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreHard-boiled eggs filled with a seasoned yolk mixture, served cold
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Roast gooseMeat
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreWhole goose roasted until the skin is crisp and the meat tender
Main dish, Dinner
Baked beans
🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreWhite beans slow-cooked in a sweet or savory sauce, often served hot or on toast
Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch
Sunday roast
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreA meal of roasted meat, potatoes and vegetables, served on Sundays in Britain and beyond
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Black puddingMeatmarag dhubh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreA sausage made from animal blood, fat and cereal, cooked in a casing
Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch
Toad in the holeMeat
🇬🇧 United KingdomSausages baked in a puffy batter and served hot with onion gravy
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
White puddingputóg bhán, marag gheal
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreA sausage of oatmeal, fat and sometimes pork, without blood, from Ireland and Scotland
Main dish, Breakfast, Dinner
Cranberry sauceVegan
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreA sweet-tart sauce of cranberries, often served with turkey at holiday meals
Sauce, pickle or ferment, Dinner
Bangers and mashMeat
🇬🇧 United KingdomSausages and mashed potato, often served with onion gravy and peas
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Cullen skinkFish or seafood
🇬🇧 United KingdomScottish soup of smoked haddock, potato and onion
Soup, Lunch, Dinner
Oxtail soupMeat
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreSoup made by simmering oxtail with vegetables and spices
Soup, Lunch, Dinner
Bread sauce
🇬🇧 United KingdomA British sauce of milk thickened with breadcrumbs, served with roast poultry
Sauce, pickle or ferment, Lunch, Dinner
Steak and kidney pieMeat
🇬🇧 United KingdomA British meat pie with beef, kidney, onion and gravy under a pastry crust
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Pasanda
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreMeat strips simmered in a creamy, spiced curry from the Indian subcontinent
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Tikka
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreChunks of marinated meat or paneer cooked in a tandoor oven
Main dish, Snacks, Dinner
Jamaican patty
🇯🇲 Jamaica and 5 moreGolden, flaky pastry turnovers filled with spiced meat or other savoury fillings
Pie or savoury pastry, Lunch, Dinner
Cawl
🇬🇧 United KingdomWelsh soup or broth with meat and root vegetables
Soup, Lunch, Dinner
Pork pieMeat
🇬🇧 United KingdomEnglish meat pie with pork filling and jellied stock in a hot water crust pastry
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Grilled cheeseVegetarian
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreMelted cheese between bread, cooked until golden and crisp
Sandwich or wrap, Lunch, Dinner
Jerk
🇯🇲 Jamaica and 5 moreMeat marinated with hot spices and smoked over pimento wood
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Steak pieMeat
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreStewed beef and gravy baked in a pastry shell, often served with chips
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Sweet and sour porkMeat
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreCrispy pork pieces tossed in a tangy, colorful sweet and sour sauce
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
BaltiMeatبالٹی گوشت
🇬🇧 United KingdomA British curry cooked quickly in a thin steel wok called a balti bowl
Main dish, Dinner
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Neapolitan pizza: Valerio Capello at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Haggis: Chris Brown, CC BY 2.0, source
- Balti: ayes, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cullen skink: Metukkalihis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chicken tikka masala: Kelly Sue, CC BY 2.0, source
- Steak pie: Alpha, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Roast goose: Jürgen Howaldt, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, source
- Oxtail soup: Alpha, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Mulled wine: JJ Georges, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pie: Peggy Greb, Public domain, source
- Fish and chips: Andrew Dunn, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Macaroni and cheese: Matt MacGillivray, CC BY 2.0, source
- Peking duck: Mr Wabu, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- French fries: Horacio Cambeiro, CC BY 4.0, source
- Korma: Miansari66, CC0, source
- Baked potato: Kjetil Ree, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pancake: Brandon Martin-Anderson, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Corned beef: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cranberry sauce: Burkhard Mücke, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vindaloo: Adriao, CC BY 2.5, source
- Jamaican patty: ritcharnd moskow, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Yorkshire pudding: Trussrod, CC0, source
- Shepherd's pie: Abhinaba Basu, CC BY 2.0, source
- Deviled eggs: Marshall Astor, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Welsh rarebit: stef yau, CC BY 2.0, source
- Thanksgiving dinner: Ms Jones, CC BY 2.0, source
- Toad in the hole: Robert Gibert, Public domain, source
- Pickled cucumber: The original Uploader was Gruepig at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Black pudding: Alexbrn, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Christmas pudding: James Petts, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stuffing: Biskuit, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Coleslaw: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Roast beef: Unknown photographer/artist, Public domain, source
- Bangers and mash: Qwerty Binary, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bread sauce: ElinorD, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Steak and kidney pie: Hellahulla ( Hellahulla ), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gefilte fish: Olaf.herfurth, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Christmas cake: Martin Belam, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Baked beans: Silar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sunday roast: by robbie jim, CC BY 2.0, source
- White pudding: O'Dea, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sweet and sour pork: Walter Grassroot, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pasanda: Miansari66, CC0, source
- Pork pie: Palladian, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Grilled cheese: Willis Lam, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Jerk: OUTography.com, CC BY 2.0, source