Due to the UK’s multicultural diversity, overseas students in the UK can enjoy different cuisines from all over the world and finding familiar food and dishes from their home country is not usually too difficult, especially in the big towns and cities.
When it comes to food; the first thing many Asian students in the UK will notice is the lack of “food culture”. In most Asian countries, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner is an important part of daily life, where breakfast is rarely if ever missed, lunch breaks often extend beyond just one hour and dinner is an important time for the whole family to sit down together, eat, chat and socialise. In the UK, many people put very little importance on food. Breakfast for many might only consist of coffee, lunches are commonly missed by employees buried under a heavy workload and many people think nothing of eating dinner alone. Note that this is a broad generalisation; there are also many people in the UK that place great importance on eating good food and ensuring meal times are never rushed, just as there are many Asians that occasionally skip meals and might regularly eat instant noodles alone, in front of the television at dinnertime. There is however, an undoubtedly large difference in people’s attitudes towards food and mealtimes in general, between Asians and Britons.
There are also many differences in diet and cooking methods between Asians and Britons.
The British eat a lot of bread and potatoes, both good sources of carbohydrates, in place of rice and noodles, which are the staple foods of most Asian countries. In addition, roasting food in an oven is a common way to cook meats, potatoes, pies and many other items, which is a cooking technique rarely used in Asian countries. The British also eat a lot of dairy products including cheese, cream and fresh milk, which is less popular in Asia.
Note that a “cup of tea” in the UK generally means dark tea mixed with milk (and sometimes sugar), which some people might call “English tea”, a very popular choice of hot drink in the UK, even more popular than coffee. This is a completely different beverage to “tea” in China and other Asian countries, so students should be aware of this if they are ever offered tea by someone in the UK.
The question; ”What is traditional / typical British food?” is a difficult one to answer. There are many regional dishes such as “Haggis” (sheep’s hearts, lungs and liver minced with onions, oats and spices in a large sausage) from Scotland, “Cornish pasties” (savoury pies filled with meat, potato, carrot and spices) from Cornwall in the South West of England and “Fish and chips” (deep fried fish fillets covered in crispy batter served with chunky potato chips) which is popular nationwide, particularly in coastal areas with easy access to fresh fish.
Typical British breakfasts;
Typical British lunches;
Typical British dinners;
Although the breakfast and lunch items listed above are fairly typical, the British have a passion for foreign cuisines, meaning that typical British dinners are likely to include dishes such as chicken curry and rice (from India), sweet and sour pork with fried rice (from China) and pizza or pasta dishes, like spaghetti bolognaise, (from Italy).
A certain level of etiquette is observed by many people in the UK whenever they sit down to eat and many of these people will expect others to act in a similar way. This is often referred to as having good “table manners”. This does not mean that everyone in the UK uses a knife and fork to eat chicken wings, instead of just picking them up and using their bare hands but it does mean that many actions which are perfectly acceptable in China and other Asian countries might be frowned upon when sitting at a dinner table or in a restaurant in the UK. The following is a brief list of do’s and don’ts;
There are many other do’s and don’ts that are not listed above that might apply, depending on where someone might be eating, the company they are eating with and the type of impression that person wants to give to others. For example, a true “gentleman” will always stand up whenever a lady sits down at the table and when she gets up to leave the table. Such table manners are very traditional and considered by many to be rather old fashioned and are therefore not followed by the majority of the UK’s population. If students are able to follow the brief list of do’s and don’ts above, it should be sufficient and they will probably never have their table manners called into question.
· Where to buy food and drinks
The majority of UK residents buy most of their groceries from supermarkets. Supermarkets can be found in every substantial residential area of the UK and are a very convenient place to buy food and drinks as well as toiletries, cleaning products, clothes, kitchen utensils and other basic household items, all under one roof. Supermarkets sell fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry and dairy products as well as many canned, boxed and frozen foods. They usually offer a wide selection of pre-prepared foods and dishes both fresh and frozen and most also have their own bakery offering freshly baked bread and cakes. Most supermarkets offer good value for money, making use of their huge size to offer their customers competitively low prices. All have ample parking facilities and most are also served by one or more local bus routes. Some supermarkets in the UK are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but most will close around 9:00 or 10:00pm on weekdays, earlier on weekends and some might be closed all day on Sundays.
Special oriental supermarkets can also be found in London and many other large towns and cities that specialise in selling Asian food and drink products. These are commonly used by local Asian restaurants but are also open to the general public.
Local outdoor markets can also be found in various locations around the UK. Local markets are often a good place to find the freshest fruits and vegetables at the lowest prices as well as offering other food stuffs.
Butchers, often found in small high-street shops are the best place to buy raw meat. Most butchers offer a wide selection of beef, lamb and pork cuts as well as various poultry and sausages at very reasonable prices. Butchers also allow customers to specify how they want the meat prepared (whole, sliced, minced, skinned, with or without bones, etc.).
Bakeries are also commonly found in small high-street shops. They typically sell a variety of sweet and savoury bread, pie and cake products, and many also serve freshly prepared sandwiches as well as soft drinks and hot drinks.
Convenience stores, newsagents and petrol stations all commonly sell a selection of sweet and savoury snacks and soft drinks. Some larger stores might also offer other food items, like a small supermarket. Many of these stores are open till late at night.
“Off-license” is the name given to shops specialising in selling alcoholic drinks. Most off-licenses are small high-street shops but some can be much larger. They usually offer a wide range of beers, wines and spirits plus soft drinks and snacks; a little like a pub or bar, except customers take their drinks home rather than drink there and off-license prices are significantly lower than the cost of drinks in pubs and bars.
The UK has a truly multicultural society, which is particularly evident in the capital city of London, as well as many other large urban areas. This has led to the availability of restaurants serving different cuisines from all over the world. The choice and variety of restaurants on offer in London must surely equal or better almost any other world city and even in the smaller towns and more rural areas of the UK, a broad range of foods can commonly be found at various eateries. The most popular cuisines amongst UK residents include Indian, Chinese and Italian. Less popular but still widespread options include Japanese, Thai, Greek, Turkish, French and off course British. In addition the UK has a plethora of well known fast food outlets such as McDonalds and KFC.
Another common type of British eatery is the “cafe”, which are similar to American “diners”. They are a popular choice for eating breakfast and lunch, mostly serving traditional British dishes, many serving “full English breakfasts” all through the day. The food on offer is typically cheap and tasty but quite unhealthy if eaten regularly as much of the food is deep fried and uses processed meats.
Overseas students are urged to try different, new foods and dishes they are unaccustomed to or may have never tried before, whilst living in a foreign country with such a wide selection of world cuisines. However, the choice of restaurant for many overseas students in the UK will depend on location and price, more so than the type and quality of the food and service provided. Naturally, not all students will be able or willing to travel long distances to seek out far flung restaurants and many will also be restricted by a limited budget. Nonetheless, students should try to embrace living in such a cosmopolitan country by trying all manner of new things, to help broaden their horizons.
Off course, those students that still need to regularly eat familiar Chinese or other Asian foods will generally have little difficulty finding one or more good quality restaurants of this type in their local area. However, students should note that many Asian restaurants in the UK serve dishes that are tailored to British tastes and may be surprisingly different to similarly named dishes students are used to eating in restaurants in their home country. One way to tell is to note the number of Asian diners in a particular restaurant. Listening to recommendations can also prove useful or students can simply try out several restaurants for themselves, to discover which ones are best.
With the exception of fine dining restaurants, most establishments will offer a takeaway service and there are many small outlets that only have takeaway available with no eat-in service, plus many offer free delivery services to the local area.
Note that it is customary, although completely optional, to leave a tip of about 10% of the bill when eating in a restaurant, although many restaurants will add a service charge to the bill automatically, so always check the bill first before leaving a tip. Students should only leave a tip if they were satisfied with both the food and the service provided by the restaurant. If the quality of either the food or the service was disappointing then diners should reserve the right to tip.
Note that smoking in restaurants is forbidden in the UK, except if they have an outdoor dining area.
Large towns and cities in the UK have hundreds if not thousands of Public Houses (Pubs) and bars scattered throughout them and pubs can even be found in the smallest of rural villages. Local pubs and bars are used by many UK residents as centres for socialising, celebrating and relaxing. Hence many pubs and bars will have a number of “regulars” who frequently patronise one establishment and are commonly known by the staff as well as other regulars. Going to a local pub or bar in the evenings is an important part of British social life in general. Even for those that do not drink alcohol it can be a good place to meet with friends or make new acquaintances, somewhere people can celebrate a special occasion or simply relax after a long hard day.
Student union bars within universities are popular with students as they often serve relatively cheap drinks and are a good place to meet fellow students. Some student union bars as well as local pubs might have live music bands or other types of entertainment and some even double up as night clubs that stay open late in to the night.
Pubs and bars serve a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Most will serve a selection of different beers, wines and spirits. The more up-market bars typically have a cocktail menu too. Different drinks are popular in different regions of the UK. For example; “Bitter”, a dark, heavy, flavoursome and not too fizzy type of beer is more popular in the North of England than in the South.
Many pubs and bars also serve food throughout the day. The standard of food on offer varies drastically although some pubs are famous for serving excellent, often typically British, food. Pub food is generally basic but fairly priced, offering good value for money. If nothing else, pubs can be a decent place for overseas students to sample typical British dishes.
The majority of pubs and bars in the UK are open from 11:00am to 11:00pm daily. Some may have a late night license and stay open beyond midnight on certain nights of the week (typically Friday and Saturday nights). Students must be aged 18 or over to be legally allowed to purchase alcohol. Students might be asked by bar staff to show some form of identification if they are suspected of being under 18.
Note that smoking in pubs and bars is forbidden in the UK, except if they have an outdoor seating area.
Coffee shops are now a standard sight on most high-streets and every shopping mall and main train station across the UK. The majority of them belong to a branded chain of outlets such as Starbucks, but many independent coffee shops can also be found. Customers can typically order various types of hot or cold coffees, teas and various other drinks plus a range of light snacks, cakes and sandwiches.
The prices of coffees and other food and drinks at coffee shops can be very expensive, especially when compared to other eateries such as cafes. However, most coffee shops provide a warm and comfortable interior that creates a calm and relaxing atmosphere that many people enjoy and therefore don’t mind paying the premium for.
Note that smoking in coffee shops is forbidden in the UK, except if they have an outdoor seating area.
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