British food has the reputation of being uninspired and bland. It isn’t a sought-out cuisine that tourists flock to. Yet the pallets of UK citizens stretch far beyond the countries’ borders.
Cultural diversity continues to grow in the UK, which is clear through the increasing available cuisine options.
An example of this can be found in the small town of Rotherham in South Yorkshire. Located in an area that has been predominantly populate by the White-British, recent decades have shifted the cultural scene, which is celebrated in many ways. In 2023, Clifton Park Museum held their ‘Dishes of Rotherham’ exhibition which showcased the range of Rotherham’s cooking culture. Dishes from Britain were presented next to ones from Ukraine, Yemen, Sudan, and more.
Local Rotherham resident from Nordic decent, Mrs Jane Bates, believes the UK is getting better at embracing foods from other cultures.
She said “I was a child in the 70s and 80s and I remember food shopping and even eating out, it was quite a limited choice.
“I think there was almost a distrust of foreign food, and quite often a tendency to anglicize recipes that originated in other countries.”
In their 2024 Food and Drink Trends report, Bidfood found that 76% of UK consumers find dishes and ingredients that have provenance within the UK very/somewhat appealing. The preference for familiar local foods may remain, but there is an interest in expanding menus is persisting.
Mrs Bates continued, “I think it’s got to the point now where a lot of European recipes have almost been adopted into the British eating culture. If you look in a lot of British recipe books they’ll include your pasta recipes, your paellas, things like that. And it doesn’t even seem strange that these originated in a different country.”
But do professionals in the food industry share the same beliefs?
The Great British Bake Off 2021 winner Giuseppe Dell’Anno is no stranger to recreating authentic Italian foods wherever he goes.
He said “for me, the most important factor when trying to recreate foreign food in general, and Italian food in particular, is to make sure that the source of the recipe is reliable and reputable.
“I have been in wat too many (allegedly) Italian restaurants that offer chicken pasta or pineapple pizza on their menu… and when you check their kitchen you find that, unsurprisingly, there is no Italian in sight!”
This style of experimental dishes has been given the name ‘British fusion’. Bidfood’s report found that 35% of UK consumers find British fusion appealing as it is a way of trying new flavours in a format, they are comfortable with, while 45% liked the idea of mixing different cultural influences together.
Mr Dell’Anno continued, “I have nothing against experimenting with food: if you want to put cream in your carbonara, be my guest, just don’t call it carbonara!”
Ranging cultures in the UK population isn’t the only factor in the embracement of other cuisine. Individual passion for food is a significant driving force in the availability of ingredients and recipes.
Patrick Martinez, CEO and founder of The Tinned Fish Market, discussed what influence him to set up his store.
He said “we started in 2018 in a market in Liverpool. At that time, good quality tinned fish was not available in the UK. We travelled to Porto and were lucky enough to meet with some of the best artisan canneries. We had a budget of £300 and came back with two suitcases full of tins.
“There are new tins that are doing very well (herring, trout), because they are flavours the British consumers are familiar with (smoked, pickled).”
So what cuisines are gaining popularity in UK?
Returning to Bidfood’s 2024 Food and Drink Trends report, they named Eastern European dishes as rising in demand. In their report, Bidfood stated “travellers are discovering these foreign delicacies that have familiar UK formats and want to experience them at home.” They found that 32% of consumers have either tried or are interested in Romanian cuisines, while nearly half are engaged or interest in Hungarian food.
Alongside this, 44% of consumers are interested in trying Caribbean cuisine, with 18–24-year-olds being the most engaged. Caribbean dishes are vastly different from British, containing ingredients such as goat, oxtail, and scotch bonnet chili. Chain restaurant Turtle Bay may be a part of this influence, with over 50 establishments across the UK.
Finally, the third main cuisine on the rise is Mexican. Bidfood found that 44% of UK consumers have already tried Mexican cuisine and want to elevate their passion for it further. The familiar ingredients of corn, avocado, and beans make the exploration of home cooked Mexican dishes less intimidating.
Although there is clear evidence that the UK has developed its relationship with foreign foods over the past few generations, there is still an issue of favouring those that are similar to British foods through ingredients and format. To truly embrace international cuisines, Brits need to be brave and step away from their comfort zones to appreciate the world’s flavours.
You can find Bidfood’s 2024 Food and Drinks Trends Report here: https://www.bidfood.co.uk/food-and-drink-trends-2024/