Food Cultures of Great Britain: Cuisine, Customs, and Issues

There’s far more to British food than fish and chips. Discover the history and culture of Great Britain through its rich culinary traditions.

Part of the Global Kitchen series, this book takes readers on a food tour of Great Britain, covering everything from daily staples to holiday specialties. In addition to discovering Great Britain’s long culinary history, you’ll learn about recent trends, foreign influences, and contemporary food and dietary concerns, such as obesity and the impacts of climate change. Chapters are organized thematically, making it easy to focus in on particular courses or types of dishes. The main text is supplemented by sidebars that offer interesting bite-sized facts, a chronology of important dates in British culinary history, and a glossary of key food- and dining-related terms.

When people outside Great Britain think of British cuisine, they likely envision iconic foods and traditions such as fish and chips, a full English breakfast, and afternoon tea. But Great Britain has a much richer and more diverse culinary history. It has been shaped by a myriad of events, from invasions by the Romans, Vikings, and Normans to the emergence and expansion of the British Empire to the privations of World War II. In more recent times, Great Britain’s departure from the European Union, the global Covid-19 pandemic, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have all had a significant impact on the food landscape of Great Britain.

Victoria Williams, PhD, is an independent writer and researcher living in London.