At least in England

[FrankScribe]

Compared to German food it is.

Czech food ain't that great either - unless you like dumplings with your pigmeat.

I quite like Cypriot food though .......

[EddieC]

To stray back on topic for a moment, the late great Ian Dury penned these fine words:

There are jewels in the crown of England's glory
And every jewel shines a thousand ways

Frankie Howerd, Noël Coward and garden gnomes
Frankie Vaughan, Kenneth Horne, Sherlock Holmes
Monty, Biggles and Old King Cole
In the pink or on the dole
Oliver Twist and Long John Silver
Captain Cook and Nelly Dean
Enid Blyton, Gilbert Harding
Malcolm Sargeant, Graham Greene (Graham Greene)

All the jewels in the crown of England's glory
Too numerous to mention, but a few
And every one could tell a different story
And show old England's glory something new

Nice bit of kipper and Jack the Ripper and Upton Park
Gracie, Cilla, Maxy Miller, Petula Clark
Winkles, Woodbines, Walnut Whips
Vera Lynn and Stafford Cripps
Lady Chatterley, Muffin the Mule
Winston Churchill, Robin Hood
Beatrix Potter, Baden-Powell
Beecham's powders, Yorkshire pud (Yorkshire pud)

With Billy Bunter, Jane Austen
Reg Hampton, George Formby
Billy Fury, Little Titch
Uncle Mac, Mr. Pastry and all
Uncle mac, Mr. Patry and all

allright england?
g’wan england
oh england

All the jewels in the crown of England's glory
Too numerous to mention, but a few
And every one could tell a different story
And show old England's glory something new

Somerset Maugham, Top Of The Form with the Boys' Brigade
Mortimer Wheeler, Christine Keeler and the Board of Trade
Henry Cooper, wakey wakey, England's labour
Standard Vanguard, spotted dick, England's workers
England's glory

[Pinto]

Shame on you, Pinto. Shouldn't you have been tucking into a big plate of bacalhau? That's a bit like when Franco said he quite liked pizza from Pizza Hut. It's ruined all my illusions.

Bacalhau is great to eat at other people's houses or portuguese restaurants.
It stinks when in dry cured form, takes ages to prepare for cooking, and the good recipies can be quite involved.

At home we do cook mediterranean style most of the time. My english wife has taken to it and cooks italian and portuguese, although her english stuff is excellent.

No, it won't be the diet that will kill me, although I should drink less wine

[Rebecca Loos]

what a lot of tripe

British food can be good but very few people are bothered. Yes the best restaurants in the world are in the UK but only 1% of the population care enough and has enough money to eat in them.

It's not 3 or 4 good regional products like cumberland sausage or cornish party that will make British's regional food compete with Italian, Spanish or French local produce.

The problem for me is the average Brit attitude to eat - it's a function, something that has to be done x times a day, like sleeping or p*ssing, in betwen rounds of horrible lager.

When was the last tiem you got invited at a friend's place and his/her mum cooked you something really nice? That used to happen a lot when I was in NZ, almost never here.

Many US fast food chains (McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, Taco Bells, KFC) prosper in the UK while I have never seen anything other than McDonalds in Italy or le McDo & Quick in France. I have certainly never ever seen a Burger King, Wendys or KFC in France for example.

On top of that many produce in England are tasteless - take tomatoes for example, even the best ones at Waitrose would not stand comparison with the cheapest one found in any Italian market.

Rebecca in "certainly didn't come here for the food" mood!

[n5gooner]

I didnt see any Canadian Smoked Beaver.

..

I've had beaver in France, unfortantly some of it was somking after.....the event, I seem to recall they were good events as well......

[Francko]

Shame on you, Pinto. Shouldn't you have been tucking into a big plate of bacalhau? That's a bit like when Franco said he quite liked pizza from Pizza Hut. It's ruined all my illusions.

Oh well, I said they improved a lot, didn't say it's great pizza.

[The Lone Gunman]

what a lot of tripe

British food can be good but very few people are bothered. Yes the best restaurants in the world are in the UK but only 1% of the population care enough and has enough money to eat in them.

It's not 3 or 4 good regional products like cumberland sausage or cornish party that will make British's regional food compete with Italian, Spanish or French local produce.

The problem for me is the average Brit attitude to eat - it's a function, something that has to be done x times a day, like sleeping or p*ssing, in betwen rounds of horrible lager.

When was the last tiem you got invited at a friend's place and his/her mum cooked you something really nice? That used to happen a lot when I was in NZ, almost never here.

Many US fast food chains (McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, Taco Bells, KFC) prosper in the UK while I have never seen anything other than McDonalds in Italy or le McDo & Quick in France. I have certainly never ever seen a Burger King, Wendys or KFC in France for example.

On top of that many produce in England are tasteless - take tomatoes for example, even the best ones at Waitrose would not stand comparison with the cheapest one found in any Italian market.

Rebecca in "certainly didn't come here for the food" mood!

Beccy darling, we are not discussing the plebs attitude to food, we are discussing the fact that England DOES have quailty food.
It is unfair to pick such things as tomatoes to compare when we dont have the climate to produce them, but some of the ones I raised in my greenhouse would stand up to any Italian ones I have had.
It is not 3 or 4 regional products, I was only using examples. If you would allow me the British Islaes and not just England I could have suggested Manx Kippers or Scottish Smoked Salmon, how about Melton Mowbray pies.
There are a terrific number of quality foods in the UK to be sampled.
I have eaten in a number of establishment around Europe and have had some tulipe served up in some of the best countries. In recent memory the best and worst meals I have had were both in Verona! The piazza around the ampitheatre doesnt have a decent eating place (you cant call them restaurants FFS) in it, yet 200 yards away we had the most exquisite local menu.

BTW. Almost forgot. Nice pun on the tripe!

[AlfredJPruffock]

I've had beaver in France, unfortantly some of it was somking after.....the event, I seem to recall they were good events as well......

LG .. Stafford Cripps ... never heard of them ?

PS NG careful laddie with those beavers, some have been known to bite.

PPS Pinto As the good book instructs A little Wine for thy stomachs sake

[Francko]

[CUT]

On top of that many produce in England are tasteless - take tomatoes for example, even the best ones at Waitrose would not stand comparison with the cheapest one found in any Italian market.

Rebecca in "certainly didn't come here for the food" mood!

Well said Becca. It takes another foreigner to admit that.

Now, shall we talk about plastic peppers and/or latex aubergines?

[Phoenix]

Rebecca in "certainly didn't come here for the food" mood!

I blame the Government, Schools, younger generation haven't got a clue.
Fast food is all they know. Meat comes in neat cling film rapped white plastic trays. Get a real piece of meat out to prepare, maybe even skin a Rabbit and they sh*t themselves. I would be able to survive (at a push) of the land, I doubt millions would be able .......