moved to the UK about 10 years ago from France.
When discussing this imminent move with my friends and family, it was inevitably followed by:
“Make sure you bring an umbrella.” or “Oh, but the food…” – usually delivered in a tone that would not be out of place at a funeral.
You see, the Brits do not have the best of reputations when it comes to food, certainly not in France anyway! Fish and chips, roast beef, cup of tea – that’s about as in-depth as British food gets as far as the French are concerned!
Now I had already had a little more exposure to British food thanks to a South African father, however, I will admit to a slight shock when first exploring British food and the culture around it. French cuisine is full of complex, rich flavour, intricate technique and reverent celebration of produce. And so the simpler, heartier fare of British food just seemed, well, exactly that – simple, frugal, basic.
