British Food: 10 Traditional Recipes

Traditional British grub at its finest, from bread and butter pudding to crispy fish and chips

British cuisine is undeniably hearty, featuring plenty of seasonal vegetables and meat, alongside a lot of rich and indulgent puds. It’s thrifty too, often relying on taking leftovers and using them in innovative ways. Although British cooking has come a very long way since the days of suet puddings, with a host of dynamic modern influences, we’ve still got a soft spot for its hearty traditional dishes! There’s nothing better than an epic Sunday roast with a rich gravy, or Friday night fish & chips. These recipes showcase the ultimate traditional British comfort foods.

Steak & Kidney Pudding

The steak and kidney pudding is a dish that has been around since the 19th century, if not before. One of the first recipes for this classic British dish came from Mrs Beeton. The outside is made of suet, which is then steamed, cooking the steak and kidney filling inside so it’s lovely and tender. A more modern twist on this is the steak and kidney pie, which is topped with puff pastry instead.

See Steak & Kidney Pudding Recipe

Sticky toffee pudding

One of our favourite traditional dishes is sticky toffee pudding, a sponge cake enriched with dates and other dried fruits, then served with an utterly decadent butterscotch sauce. We like it with vanilla ice cream or clotted cream.

See Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Lamb Hotpot

Lamb hotpot - or Lancashire Hotpot - is a rustic dish made of stewed lamb topped with sliced potatoes and baked in the oven. It’s a great way to use up any lamb leftover from your Sunday roast too.

See Lamb Hotpot Recipe

Traditional Summer Pudding

This summer pudding recipe is perfect for outdoor entertaining. It’s a traditional British dessert that really evokes summertime, and is made using little more than sliced bread and British seasonal berries.

See Summer Pudding Recipe

Cornish Pasties

Cornish pasties traditionally consist of a peppered steak, potato and carrot filling, wrapped in thick pastry. They were originally eaten by Cornish miners; the thick pastry rim meant they could be conveniently held, and could be discarded if their hands were dirty. These days, Cornish pasties are synonymous with trips to the Cornish seaside and picnics on the beach.

See Cornish Pasties Recipe

Sunday Roast

A high point of British food culture is one of the country’s most traditional dishes - the Sunday roast. It consists of roasted meat, roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and lots of brown gravy. When it comes to a roast, the detail is in the sauces and trimmings on the side. Lamb is traditionally accompanied with mint sauce or redcurrant jelly, while beef comes with Yorkshire puddings and horseradish sauce. Meanwhile, pork is often accompanied by tangy apple sauce and lovely crunchy crackling!

See Sunday Roast Recipe

Welsh Rarebit

Despite the name, this dish didn’t originate in Wales! It’s been around since at least the 17th century, and consists of cheese sauce on top of crusty bread, which is then grilled. Miguel Barclay’s version of Welsh rarebit adds caramelised onions to the mix.

See Welsh Rarebit Recipe

Fish and Chips

A lynchpin of British food culture is a Friday night takeaway of fish and chips. Crispy fish coated in batter, chunky chips and mushy peas is a classic (although the jury’s out on the latter). If you’re looking for a true carb fest you can opt for a chip butty, which is chips sandwiched in a soft white roll and slathered in tomato ketchup.

See Fish and Chips Recipe

Toad in the hole

While the name might not be appealing, the dish is delicious! Toad in the hole consists of chunky sausages enveloped in batter (similar to Yorkshire pudding) and baked in the oven. This recipe is served with a rich gravy made with porcini and onions.

See Toad in the Hole Recipe

Bread and Butter Pudding

Bread and butter pudding epitomises British cooking. Leftover bread is covered in homemade custard, sprinkled with sugar and raisins, and then cooked. These days, bread and butter pudding is still a popular dish, as it’s endlessly customisable with all sorts of flavours. We like ours with chocolate chips, fresh raspberries and soft brioche bread. Meanwhile, sour cherry, rose and cardamom flavour Diana Henry’s bread and pudding recipe.

See Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe