English Cuisine

The Tudor and Stuart periods established many iconic English dishes: roast beef, pies, puddings, and the tradition of afternoon tea that would become a global institution. The British Empire, at its height spanning a quarter of the world, brought Indian spices, Chinese tea, Caribbean sugar, and ingredients from every continent into English kitchens.

Indian cuisine became so deeply embedded that chicken tikka masala is often called England's national dish. The post-war period saw a nadir of English cooking quality, but the late twentieth century brought a dramatic renaissance led by chefs who championed local ingredients, seasonal cooking, and the rediscovery of forgotten English traditions.

Malt vinegar (essential to fish and chips and pickles), Worcestershire sauce (a fermented anchovy-based condiment invented in the 1830s), English mustard (Colman's, sharp and nose-clearing), HP Sauce (the brown sauce that defines the English breakfast table), and clotted cream (the thick, golden cream essential to cream tea).