British Meals and Foods

Meals and Meal Times

Some people have their biggest meal in the middle of the day and some have it in the evening, but
most people today have a small mid-day meal - usually sandwiches, and maybe some crisps and
some fruit. Traditionally, British people have three main meals every day: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
But they are not the only meals.
 Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00
Someone also calls it brekkie, but not commonly. It is usually the same everywhere even if the
contents of breakfast can vary. Both Britain and Ireland are famous for their cooked breakfast
which is known as "full breakfast".
 Elevenses: This is known around the world as the morning coffee or tea break. The term comes
from the industrial revolution in Britain which saw the rise of factories in Britain and tea became
the drink of the workers (formerly it had been gin and beer).
 Lunch (also dinner) - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.
This is considered a more working-class term. School lunches in the mid 20th century were
always called "School Dinners" and it is felt this is where the confusion came from. The traditional
Sunday lunch is also often called Sunday dinner or a Sunday Roast.
 Tea - anywhere from 5:30 at night to 6:30 p.m.
Traditionally eaten around three to four in the afternoon, and even if popular since the 18th
century, it went into decline after World War II. The popularity of it is now back, though more for
holidays and weekends than a daily event.
When meaning dinner and not the drink, it is considered a mainly northern working-class term. In
this context, it is eaten early evening and it is often the main meal of the day when people returns
home from work.
 Dinner (also called Supper) - Eaten anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m.
The main meal, it is the evening meal. It is eaten from early to the late evening, used in the same
way around the world.
 Sunday roast - On Sundays the main meal is often eaten at midday instead that in the evening.
This meal usually is a Roast Dinner consisting of a Roast Beef or roast meat, Yorkshire Pudding
and two or three kinds of vegetables.

BREAKFAST
Most people around the world think that a typical English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages,
fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans all eaten with a cup of coffee. Now-a-days, however, a
typical English breakfast is more likely to be a bowl of cereals, a slice of toast, orange juice and a cup
of coffee.
 Many people, especially children, in England will
eat a bowl of cereal. They are made with different
grains such as corn, wheat, oats etc. In the winter
many people will eat "porridge" or boiled oats.

The traditional English

breakfast consists of eggs,
bacon, sausages, fried
bread, baked beans and
mushrooms. Even though
not many people will eat
this for breakfast today, it
is always served in pubs,
hotels and guest houses
around Britain.

LUNCH
Many people at work will have a 'packed lunch'. This typically consists of a sandwich, a packet of
crisps, a piece of fruit and a drink. The 'packed lunch' is kept in a plastic container.

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Sandwiches are also known as a 'butty' or 'sarnie' in some parts of the UK.
My favourite sandwich is prawn and mayonnaise. I also love tuna and mayonnaise and ham and
pickle sandwiches.

In British schools, children can usually choose between a hot or cold lunch provided by the school or
a packed lunch taken from home. Some children can have a free school dinner, but most children pay
for theirs.
The lunch break is from 12.15 to 13.15 and children may have a school meal or bring a packed lunch.

AFTERNOON TEA
Afternoon tea is not common these days because most adults go out to work. However, you can still
have Afternoon tea at the many tea rooms around England. It became popular about 150 years ago,
when rich ladies invited their friends to their houses for a cup of tea. They started offering their visitors
sandwiches and cakes too.
This is a small meal. Traditionally it consists of tea (or coffee) served with freshly baked scones served
with cream and jam (Known as a cream tea), afternoon tea sandwiches - thinly sliced cucumber
sandwiches with the crusts cut off, or assorted pastries.

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DINNER
The evening meal is usually called 'tea', 'dinner' or 'supper'.
A typical British meal for dinner is "meat and two veg". We put hot brown gravy, (traditionally made
from the juices of the roast meat, but more often today from a packet!) on the meat and usually the
vegetables. One of the vegetables is almost always potatoes.

The traditional meal is rarely eaten nowadays, apart from on Sundays. A recent
survey found that most people in Britain eat curry Rice or pasta or pizza dishes are
now favoured as the 'British Dinner'.
Vegetables grown in England, like potatoes, carrots, peas,
cabbages and onions, are still very popular.

THE SUNDAY ROAST DINNER

Sunday lunch time is a typical time to eat the traditional Sunday Roast.

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Traditionally it consists of roast meat, (cooked in the oven for about two hours), two different kinds of
vegetables and potatoes with a Yorkshire pudding. The most common joints are
beef, lamb or pork; chicken is also popular.
Beef is eaten with hot white horseradish sauce, pork with sweet apple sauce and
lamb with green mint sauce. Gravy is poured over the meat.

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Pub Grub (Food)
Pubs sell food either in the bar area or in their restaurants.
Light Meals
Sandwiches
Chicken and Bacon Club £5.25
Triple deck Toasted Brown Bloomer, stacked with Roast Chicken, Smoked Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato
and Mayonnaise
Steak and Onion Ciabatta £5.25
Prime Rump Steak, grilled and topped with sauteed onions served on a crisp light Ciabatta with a
Salad Garnish
Sausage and Onion Sandwich £4.25
Grilled Old English Pork Sausages with sauteed onions served in your choice of Brown or White
Bloomer Bread
Mature Cheddar and Chutney Sandwich £3.50
Mature Cheddar cheese and a Plum and Apple Chutney, served in your choice of Brown or White
Bloomer Bread
Jacket Potatoes (Served with a Side Salad) £4.50 - Additional Filling £0.50
Tuna Mayonnaise
Cheese and Bacon
Prawns with Seafood Sauce
Brie and Red Onion
Chilli and Cheese
Cheese and Coleslaw
Omelettes, Cooked to Order and Served with Chips and Salad or Beans
Prawn Sausage Mushroom Bacon £4.50
Spanish Omelette Served with Sauté Potatoes and Salad £5.95
Extras
Garlic Baguette £1.95
Chips, Curly Fries or Straw Fries £2.00
Topped with Cheese £2.75
Cheese and Bacon £3.00
Chilli and Cheese £3.05

Main Meals
Starters
Soup of the Day (A selection of home-made soups served with a freshly baked baguette) £3.50
Breaded Mushrooms (Deep fried and served with a garlic dip) £3.75
BBQ Spare Ribs £4.50
Crispy Coated Camembert (Deep fried and served with Cranberry sauce) £4.25
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Chicken Yakatori (Tender skewers of chicken marinated in a Japanese Yakatori sauce) £4.25
Prawn Cocktail (Served in the traditional 60's way) £4.25
Garlic Bread £2.10 (or topped with melted Mozzarella cheese £2.30)
Main Course
Fish
Beer Battered Cod with Chips & Peas £7.95
Breaded Scampi with Garden Peas & Chips £7.95
Meat
Steak and Kidney Pudding (A traditional English classic, prime steak and kidney in a suet case.
Served with fresh vegetables, sauté potatoes and gravy) £8.75
Steak and Guinness Pie With Mash (Tender Steak and Smoked Bacon slowly cooked in a rich
Guinness gravy, with Puff Pastry lid and served with Seasonal Vegetables and creamy Mashed
Potatoes) £8.95
Bangers & Mash (Three of the finest Cumberland pork sausages served with creamy mashed potato
and a rice mushroom and onion gravy) £9.95
Gammon, Double Egg & Chips £7.95
Individual Lasagne with Garlic Bread £7.95
Lamb Henry (A large joint of shoulder of lamb, slow roasted with red wine and fresh garden mint)
£9.75
Chilli Con Carne (With Rice, Sour Cream and Tortilla Chips) £6.50
Cheese and Bacon Burger with Chips (6oz 100% Beef burger, topped with Mature Cheddar Cheese
and Crispy Bacon, served with a Salad Garnish and Chips) £6.50
Chicken Kiev (Breast of chicken stuffed with garlic butter, served with ratatouille and fries) £8.95
Cholesterol Special (Home cooked ham or Lincolnshire sausage with a fried egg, chips and peas or
beans) £7.75
8oz Rib-eye Steak and Chips (Pan fried to your preference, with Horseradish butter, Sautéed
Mushrooms, Seared Cherry Tomatoes, Petit Pois and Chips) £9.25
Chasseur Chicken Supreme (Grilled Chicken Breast with Mashed potato and French Beans, topped
with a rich Chasseaur Sauce) £8.75
Pasta
Pasta Bake with garlic bread (Mediterranean vegetables and pasta cooked in a delicious wine, cream
and ratatouille sauce, topped with melted Mozzarella cheese) £7.75
Pasta Pepperoni or Chilli Beef (Pasta bake but spiced up with pepperoni or chilli beef added) £7.95
Cauliflower Cheese with garlic bread (Cooked in a mature cheddar sauce and then topped with
Mozzarella cheese) £7.75
Wild Mushroom Risotto (A medley of mushrooms and Arborio rice, in a white wine and cream sauce,
with Wilted Rocket Leaves and Parmesan Cheese) £8.95
Egg
3 Egg omelette served with chips and salad garnish
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Cheese £3.75
Cheese and ham £4.00
Cheese and mushrooms £4.00
Cheese, ham and tomato £4.25
Cheese, ham and mushrooms £4.25