English Food: An Attempt at Rehabilitation

British cuisine’s reputation as some of the worst in the world arguably lingers on. But to reduce English cuisine to this would be to give in too readily to common prejudices. After all, the British have helped to write important chapters in the history of good food. The decisive, decades-long work of Auguste Escoffier, the most important chef for modern kitchen culture, in the London luxury hotels Ritz, Savoy and Ritz-Carlton is one indication of many. But it is also true that the British have always had to bring kitchen expertise into the country from outside. Even fish and chips, a much loved national dish, can be traced back to Sephardic Jews.