Travelore Report, Monthly In Print Since 1971: London for foodies

Showing posts with label London for foodies. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

There's More To British Food Than Tea And Biscuits...

WRITTEN BYHANNAH STUART-LEACH
From top-notch local produce to an incredible array of global cuisines, there’s plenty in Britain to please a foodie visitor. Belgian food photographer and author, Regula Ysewijn – known on her blog as Miss Foodwise, tells us what she loves most about eating in Britain.

Tell us about your first experience of British food?

A British food lover in vintage dress with cherries on, holding an open book in her left hand and smiling at the camera, next to a pile of British cookery books.

It was when we started travelling to Britain as a family, when I was 8 or 9. It was a whole new world of food. Back in Belgium we didn’t have Indian food, for example, so trying that first chicken curry with poppadums and mango chutney was a revelation in flavour.

What do you think is unique about British food?

Fisherman on a boat holding a freshly caught herring.

British food is fusion by nature, but still it has a clear identity. The honesty of the food is what I think defines it – Britain has outstanding produce.

Have you noticed anything that stands out about British eating and drinking habits?

English afternoon tea laid out on a wooden table, with blue teapot, cup and jugs, with tiered plate of scones, cakes, strawberries and cream.

The need for tea, for instance – there is a constant need for tea at any given occasion! Someone always asks if you would like a ‘cuppa’, and everyone partakes in the ritual. It doesn’t matter if you’re an accountant, artist or builder – everyone stops for tea.

[For an affordable afternoon tea experience, try Lutyen’s Lounge, London.]

What’s your favourite foodie destination in Britain?

British food fan in vintage dress outside Bloomers Bakewell pudding shop, holding a Bakewell Pudding.

I don’t want to sound obvious, but London is definitely the foodie destination because of its diversity. It’s something we don’t have in Belgium.

I also like Bakewell in the Peak District for its Bakewell pudding, and I love eating crab sandwiches on the quay in Boscastle, Cornwall.

What’s the most underrated British dish?

Multiple Melton Mowbray pork pies laid out on a tray.

Pies and puddings, they are both versatile and wholesome. I dived into the history of the British pudding and discovered such a rich and intriguing history that I spent 2 years writing a book about it.

The result is Pride and Pudding: The History of British Puddings, Savoury and Sweet, which will be published by Murdoch Books on 7 April 2016.

What’s your favourite meal of the day here?

Typical English breakfast on floral plate, with glass of orange juice to the left, including 2 rashers of bacon, 3 fried tomatoes, 1 has brown, 1 poached egg and some mushrooms.

The iconic English breakfast. My husband and I have a favourite – in the B&B we have stayed in for many years in Rye, East Sussex. [The couple love the pretty town so much they even got married in the Town Hall.]

Yvonne, the landlady, is the master of the ‘fry up’. She uses eggs from next door’s honesty box, bacon and sausages from the local farm shop and vegetables from her garden. Often people have a final slice of toast with marmalade afterwards, a bit like a breakfast dessert. How can you not be fond of that?

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Beyond Perception..London Has Become A Great Destination For Foodies

Contributed by Clifton Wilkinson
Lonely Planet

Cheeses for sale at Broadway Market (London Fields).

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Gone are the days when London’s food scene left more than a little to be desired. These days the British capital is recognised as one of the world’s great foodie destinations, where Michelin-starred restaurants battle it out with inexpensive ethnic eateries, where food markets are the new rock ‘n’ roll, and where just about everybody likes to think of themselves as some kind of culinary expert. Here we give our expert opinion on why London is great for food lovers and where to sample the best on offer in the capital.

A-Y of cuisines

OK, so it doesn’t quite stretch from A to Z, but London’s range of cuisines comes pretty close. From authentic Afghan food at the Afghan Kitchen in Islington, to yummy Yemeni dishes at the Queen of Sheba in Paddington, via Ethiopian eatery Lalibela in Kentish Town, Georgian grub at Bethnal Green’s Little Georgia, and Peruvian delights at Ceviche in Soho, you can take your taste buds on a gastronomic world tour without leaving the city.

Best of British

While celebrating the wonderful mix of international cuisines on offer, London also provides food lovers with some great options for sampling classic British dishes. Rules, in Covent Garden, is the city’s oldest restaurant (215 years and counting) and the best place to try traditional desserts like sticky toffee pudding. St John, in Clerkenwell, famously pioneered nose-to-tail dining, in which every part of an animal is considered meal-worthy – the roast marrow salad is famous. Great Queen Street, in Covent Garden, is a superior and stylish gastro pub with a menu of seasonal British fare. And Albion, in Shoreditch, is a contemporary cafe-style place where the breakfasts, English wines and local London beers deserve your attention.

Stars in their eyes

London, with over 60 Michelin-starred restaurants in 2013, offers plenty of opportunities for splurging on quality cooking. You can’t go wrong with the innovative Chinese food at Yauatcha, perfect pasta at Locanda Locatelli, or the classic French cooking at three-star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. But you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy top class dishes – some of the best food you’ll eat can be had at inexpensive ethnic options that showcase the city’s multicultural cooking scene. Indian food in Whitechapel (try Tayyabs), Turkish food in Dalston (try Mangal Ocakbasi), Chinese food in Chinatown (try Jen Café) – all come with high standards and low prices.

Restaurants and diners in Chinatown. Image by Cultura Travel/Alex Holland/Getty Images.

Do-it-yourself

Food markets have become some of London’s most popular attractions. Borough Market has been feeding the city’s citizens since the 13th century and is now busier than ever, providing picnic essentials for the thousands who flock here at weekends. Alternative (but no less tasty) options include super-cool Broadway Market in Hackney, and small-but-perfectly-formed Spa Terminus Market, in and around the railways viaducts near London Bridge train station. More upmarket shopping can be had in the amazing food halls in Selfridges and Harrods department stores. Big enough to get lost in, they’re gourmet wonderlands where you’re guaranteed to discover something you’ve never heard of but suddenly feel the need to try.

Fishmonger at Borough Market. Image by Tony C French/Getty Images.

Tastings, tours and events

Such is the enthusiasm for food these days that specialist tours and events take place across London. One of the biggest is the Taste of London Festival, held annually in Regent’s Park (in June this year) and part of a global celebration of food. To burn off some calories (and make room for some more), the people at Foodie London have monthly walks around the city, focusing on different neighbourhoods and sampling local favourites.

British cheeses have never been so popular (fact: there are more varieties in the UK than in France) and several wonderful shops across the city specialise in them. Neal’s Yard Dairy, tireless promoter of homegrown cheddars, stiltons et al for over 30 years, has excellent tasting sessions where you can try some of the tastiest cheeses around while learning about how they’re made.

Anyone with a soft spot for chocolate is spoilt for choice, with numerous specialist chocolate makers throughout the city. But if you really want to satisfy your cravings then artisan chocolatier, Montezuma’s, offers Indulgence Evenings for adults, along with kids’ parties for younger fans.

And if you’d like a good red or white to accompany all these gourmet delights, then Vinopolis on the South Bank has wine tours that provide an exploration of all things viticultural, with free samples to add to the enjoyment.

For a rundown of the latest pop-up food outlets, cooking classes and top supper clubs, where a local will prepare a meal for you in their own home, check out Ms Marmite Lover’s The English Can Cook website, which is packed full of useful information and mouth-watering recipes.

After an amazing year, the magic continues in London. Come celebrate everything the capital has to offer and see for yourself just how special London is: www.visitlondon.com