A culinary adventure in the UK has one unavoidable stop, the pub. Pubs are a British institution and they are a respite for road weary travellers. The 'local' can be a place to find lodging, raise the wrist, have a good meal and make a few friends.
Loyal regulars will turn up at their pub, even on Christmas Day. They are a place for friends and families to gather and socialize. Children are typically welcome during food service hours.
Pubs have a unique atmosphere, much of which is established by the blend of staff and clientele. They are generally privately owned and so, take on the personalities of their owners and their regulars. They tend to be quirky, jovial, relaxed places. It's little wonder tourists love them so much.
Pubs throughout the UK are wonderful resources for affordable, high quality food. Each pub is unique and the menu selection varies widely from one to the next. Certain dishes, or types of dishes, however, are quite standard in most establishments.
Standard Pub Fare
Tourists may want to sample the sort of food they associate with Great Britain, and pubs are the place to do it. Pub menus will frequently offer dishes like roast beef and Yorkshire pudding or bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes). There will always be a meat pie of some sort, whether it’s steak and kidney pie, steak and ale pie or cottage (shepherd's) pie. It is essentially home cooking for those who are not inclined to cook at home.
Curry
It may surprise some travellers to learn that Brits are crazy for Indian fusion and all the delicious curries that obsession entails. It stems back to the days of the Raj, when India was a British colony. Curry powder, also called Masala powder, was developed by the British during that period and it is used throughout the UK, with reckless abandon.
Any pub worth its bar mats will have a curry, of some description, on the menu. Probably the most common curry dish is a basic chicken curry. The meal typically consists of sliced or shredded chicken and vegetables, served with rice and bathed in a fragrant curry sauce.
Mixed Grill
There's nothing better than a pint with a side of meat and, as such, it's not uncommon for a pub's menu to feature an awe-inspiring platter called the mixed grill.
A traditional mixed grill can include any or all of the following: rump steak, ham steak, pork chop, lamb cutlet, sausage, lambs liver, lambs kidney, chevap (spiced ground meat), grilled tomato, bacon and onion, chicken breast, fried egg, black pudding, chips, onion rings, mushrooms and peas. It's a little over the top and should only be consumed on a dare or as a suicide attempt.
An evening at the local pub will give travellers an opportunity to take a glimpse into everyday British life and try a sampling of the variety of food the country has to offer, but don't let the adventure end there. A stop at a chip shop and a meal from an Indian restaurant are also essential to round out a culinary tour of the United Kingdom.
