People around the world have long made fun of British food, calling it “tasteless”, “overcooked”, and “swimming in gravy”. But any visit to the nation’s capital, London, will prove these perceptions are woefully out of date.
Modern British food is joyful and creative, taking inspiration from the diverse food cultures. British cuisine reflects the UK’s multicultural present and, for better or worse, its imperial past. However, unlike styles such as the nouvelle cuisine of 1970s and 1980s France, or the New Nordic movement of the 2000s, Modern British has never been defined.
Instead, there are restaurants that loosely adhere to the philosophy of using seasonal and local ingredients, excellent fresh produce, a relatively minimalist approach, and dishes based on traditional British food but reinvented — often with international influences in cooking technique or ingredients.