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Love in disguise, spotted dick, and other dishes to try during British Food Month
One of the UK's most popular and recognizable dishes: fish and chips. Marks & Spencer
While we immediately think of fish and chips when we’re craving British cuisine, there’s actually so much more to food from the United Kingdom than what we might be familiar with.
Many British dishes have playful monikers: toad in the hole (sausages in Yorkshire pudding); singing hinnies (currant cakes); Cullen skink (thick soup made from haddock, potatoes, and onions); angels on horseback (grilled oysters wrapped in bacon); bubble and squeak (leftover vegetables and potatoes), bacon butty (bacon sandwich), and love in disguise (stuffed calf’s heart), among others—and some of these are on offer at British Food Month, ongoing until February 9.
“We will show you that British cuisine is not just fish and chips, although fish and chips feature very strongly in recognition of what Britain actually is,” said British Ambassador Asif Ahmad during the food festival's launch last week.
'A huge variety of flavors'
The food festival aims to show the world that British food—from street food to pub grub to afternoon tea—is better and tastier than its reputation.
“There’s a huge variety of flavors and dishes. What we’ve also done is adapt to foreign influences. We picked up what was good in our immediate neighborhood, be it France, Italy or elsewhere,” explained Ahmad.
“There is at times nothing better than going to provinces of United Kingdom and having what I call hearty meals,” he added.
“The one thing I’m absolutely sure of is that if people in Britain and Filipinos have one thing in common, it is the love of food.”
At the sidelines of the launch, Ahmad told GMA News Online that his favorite British food is fish—not just fish and chips, but other seafood dishes like scallops and crab cakes.
A modern British favorite with a strong foreign influence, in this case South Asia: the Chicken Tikka Masala. Marks & Spencer
Afternoon tea: Not just a cuppa
Most non-Brits also associate British cuisine with tea time—afternoon tea and high tea.
Afternoon tea is a small meal served at 4:00 p.m. and includes tea, coffee, sandwiches, and pastries.
The more substantial high tea, served between 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., consists of sweet and savory foods.
Cakes and pastries are an important part of British cuisine and they have special ones for certain occasions: Simnel cake (light fruit cake with two layers of marzipan) on Mothering Sunday (their name for Mother’s Day); soul cake (usually filled with nutmeg, cinnamon, and other sweet spices), and Christmas pudding (boiled pudding with dried fruit).
Great British activities
Pinoys now have the chance to try British cuisine at four hotels: EDSA Shangri-la in Mandaluyong; and Dusit Thani, Intercontinental Manila, and Mandarin Oriental in Makati.
At Intercontinental Manila, Gambrinus Bar and Sol Y Sombra will feature pub grub such as Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas and Burgers and Mash (with prices ranging from P250 to P650).
From February 3 to 9, Mandarin Oriental Manila will be offering a British-themed business lunch at The Tivoli.
EDSA Shangri-la will be hosting High Tea during The Great British Afternoon Affair at their new Lobby Lounge, and offering The Great British Feast by British executive chef Warren Brown at Heat.
And on all Sundays of January, the Dusit Thani will be holding a Great British Carvery Brunch, its special menus prepared by visiting British chef Derek Quelch.
'This is GREAT Britain'
British Food Month is part of the “This is GREAT Britain” campaign, a five-month celebration of UK culture and business.
Its aim is to celebrate "the best of British business and culture," British Embassy senior trade and investment manager Joyce Tolentino told GMA News Online.
"During those five months, we’re doing various events on education, culture, and entrepreneurship."
The other activities for the GREAT British campaign are:
For now, event organizers hope that the British Food Month will pique the public's interest in the best of British culture and flavors.
"Food is something that the UK and the Philippines have in common, a very important part of the culture of both countries," said Tolentino. "We both love to eat and drink—and hopefully through this promotion, the UK can share more of what it loves with the Philippines in terms of cuisine." — BM, GMA News
Most non-Brits also associate British cuisine with tea time—afternoon tea and high tea.
Afternoon tea is a small meal served at 4:00 p.m. and includes tea, coffee, sandwiches, and pastries.
The more substantial high tea, served between 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., consists of sweet and savory foods.
Cakes and pastries are an important part of British cuisine and they have special ones for certain occasions: Simnel cake (light fruit cake with two layers of marzipan) on Mothering Sunday (their name for Mother’s Day); soul cake (usually filled with nutmeg, cinnamon, and other sweet spices), and Christmas pudding (boiled pudding with dried fruit).
Great British activities
Pinoys now have the chance to try British cuisine at four hotels: EDSA Shangri-la in Mandaluyong; and Dusit Thani, Intercontinental Manila, and Mandarin Oriental in Makati.
Dusit Thani's visiting British chef Derek Quelch. Dusit Thani Hotel
From February 3 to 9, Mandarin Oriental Manila will be offering a British-themed business lunch at The Tivoli.
EDSA Shangri-la will be hosting High Tea during The Great British Afternoon Affair at their new Lobby Lounge, and offering The Great British Feast by British executive chef Warren Brown at Heat.
And on all Sundays of January, the Dusit Thani will be holding a Great British Carvery Brunch, its special menus prepared by visiting British chef Derek Quelch.
'This is GREAT Britain'
British Food Month is part of the “This is GREAT Britain” campaign, a five-month celebration of UK culture and business.
Its aim is to celebrate "the best of British business and culture," British Embassy senior trade and investment manager Joyce Tolentino told GMA News Online.
"During those five months, we’re doing various events on education, culture, and entrepreneurship."
The other activities for the GREAT British campaign are:
- British Fashion Month (February 9 to March 9)
- Education and Business Training Trade Mission (February 14 to 15)
- Great British Festival (March 7 to 9)
For now, event organizers hope that the British Food Month will pique the public's interest in the best of British culture and flavors.
"Food is something that the UK and the Philippines have in common, a very important part of the culture of both countries," said Tolentino. "We both love to eat and drink—and hopefully through this promotion, the UK can share more of what it loves with the Philippines in terms of cuisine." — BM, GMA News
