Eating and Drinking in England

Englands eating and drinking scene offers a great variety of choices, especially due the diversity of the immigrants in the country and its influence in the English food. Around the country each region has its own particularity. For instance, the north of the country tends to offer more substantial and traditional food, for more reasonable prices than the south. London and the major cities offer plenty of variety of food from all around the world, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Spanish, etc. The Indian food is particularly popular and good value for money the most popular dish is the curry.

England always was distinguished for its preference for beer as the most popular and traditional drink in the country, as well as the Cider, Gin and Tea. In the last years the pubs and bars have been increasing around the country for the increment of the tourist activity and the arriving of millions of visitors.

Drinking in England

England’s drinking scene has been growing for many years there are hundreds of establishments in each city. The traditional drinking establishment is the "pub" and you can find it everywhere on city centre and suburbs. However, pubs have been fighting back by trying to make more money from food, that because with the actual regulations on drinking tolerance has affected its incomes.
In town centres, the establishments lining the main drinking streets are more of the "stylish bar" type than pubs, they are often designed for vertical drinking rather than for discussing. However, back streets still hide traditional pubs, and most towns have several "real ale pubs" dotted around, sometimes with a cluster concentrated in a small area on the edge of the town centre.

The laws allow to Pubs stay open until 23.00 and 01:00. However, in most cities and many towns, centrally located pubs and bars will stay open until 02:00 or 03:00, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Also, at public holiday times, many pubs extend their closing times, especially New Year's Eve.

The most popular beer is the bitter, although the lager is gaining more and more adepts. The whiskey is a very popular drink, especially those from Scotland and Ireland.

If it is taken with a beer half pint is called "nip and a hauf". Basically, there are two types of whiskey: single malt and grain, with oats and a small amount of brewing barley.

Blend is a mixture of both varieties. Very different others are the malt whiskies, whose quality depends on the ingredients used in its processing, as well as on the water and the oak barrels where it is aged.

Alcoholic drinks
England is home to a huge variety of alcoholic drinks. As well as wines and spirits (mainly imported, but some local), all pubs sell several beers and at least one cider. The main types of beer you will come across are lager , bitter and stout. Real Ale is not a separate classification, it refers to beer made and served by traditional methods.

Eating in England

England has a very diverse population due to the large number of immigrants that have arrived from other countries and established to live, this provoked that the food was diversified and today eating could be an excitant experience, for the variety of tastes and styles that is able to found. England’s eating scene has a lot of establishments offering from traditional English food to the most exotic dishes. There are a wide range of restaurants, cafés, pubs, gastropubs around the country for all tastes, pockets and need.

In London you can observe the great diversity of food due it is a cosmopolitan city where it possible to find all kind of food from all around the world.

England is also known for its food traditions including afternoon tea, fish and chips and especially for the great English breakfast.

Probably pubs are the best place to eat out with reasonably priced food, trying sophisticated food or the more traditional English food. More exotic dishes are now prepared in the majority of the larger pubs and specialist "gastropubs".

Vegetarian food is widely extended in England’s pubs and restaurants, offering several vegetarian dishes.

Some of the most traditional food in England are described below.

Fish and chips, is a classic, traditional national food of England, made up with French fried potatoes and the fish (cod, haddock, huss, plaice) deep fried in flour batter.

Yorkshire pudding is a traditional and popular British dish, originating from the North-east of England made from flour, eggs and milk, is a sort of batter baked in the oven and usually moistened with gravy.

Toad in the Hole is similar to Yorkshire Pudding but with sausages placed in the batter before cooking.

Lancashire Hotpot consists essentially of meat, onion and potatoes baked in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat.

English Breakfast consist of fried bacon, fried eggs, fried sausages, fried bread, fried black pudding, fried mushrooms, baked beans in tomato sauce, and toast and butter - "washed down" by a large amount of hot strong tea or coffee with milk.