Cooking in Britain Today
Worksheet A – Brainstorming: National Dishes
Think of as many national or typical English dishes as you can.
Discussion Questions
Have you tried any of these dishes? Which ones? Did you like or dislike them?
What is your favourite food? What is your least favourite?
What is the strangest food you have ever eaten? Did it taste good or bad?
Do you like trying new foods?
Are there any foods that you wouldn’t eat as a child that you eat now?
Do you prefer your own country’s food or other kinds of food? Has your country
‘adopted’ many foods from other countries?
If you were living abroad, which food would you miss most from this country?
Worksheet B – Food Vocabulary Exercise
In pairs think of a food to match each adjective.
Tastes Textures
Adjective Example Adjective Example
sour soft
sweet hard
salty chewy
bitter crunchy
bland crispy
strong smooth
hot creamy
spicy flaky
CLUES
This food is soft and it tastes sweet. It is made from cream, sugar and fruit or
chocolate. It is eaten very cold, usually in summer.
This food is crunchy and it can be salty or sweet. It is often eaten in the cinema.
This food is hard on the outside, but usually soft in the middle. It is very versatile
and is used to make lots of sweet and savoury dishes. In the UK people also eat it
on its own for breakfast or in a sandwich.
This food is usually hard and crunchy, and it is red or green in colour. People often
use it to make desserts, eg pies.
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Worksheet C – British Food Quiz
In pairs try to guess the right answer for each question.
1. Which of these do the British eat most of in Europe?
a. crisps and chocolate
b. fresh fruit and vegetables
c. sausages
2. What is the most popular food in Britain?
a. fish and chips
b. pizza
c. curry
3. What is ‘haggis’?
a. a cocktail made from whisky and fruit juice
b. a type of fish eaten in Scotland
c. a Scottish dish made from sheep’s stomach and innards
4. Stilton, cheddar and double Gloucester are all kinds of:
a. apple
b. pig
c. cheese
5. What do most British people have for breakfast?
a. toast and cereal
b. cappuccino and croissant
c. fried eggs and bacon
6. Who invented the sandwich and why?
a. The Earl of Sandwich – he wanted food which he could eat with one hand while
gambling
b. Lord Sandwich – he wanted food which he could take for a picnic in the
countryside
c. Queen Elizabeth I – she wanted food which could be prepared quickly for guests
7. What is a ‘kebab’?
a. a type of pub
b. Turkish fast food
c. A hot drink
8. Which of the following ingredients would not be a possible ingredient of a British
pudding?
a. pig’s blood
b. chocolate
c. lettuce
9. Which of these do you find in a pub in Britain?
a. lager
b. cider
c. bitter
(trick question)
10. What is ‘chicken tikka masala’?
a. a type of salad
b. a type of Chinese food
c. a curry
11. How many vegetarians are there in the UK today?
a. 3-4 thousand
b. 300-400 thousand
c. 3-4 million
12. Where do people eat deep-fried chocolate bars?
a. Scotland
b. Japan
c. Wales
13. When are toffee apples eaten in the UK?
a. Christmas
b. Halloween
c. Easter
14. What is the difference between these things?
a. ‘chips’ and ‘French fries’
b. ‘crisps’ and ‘chips’
c. ‘fizzy drink’ and ‘soda’
15. When did the first curry house open in Britain?
a. 1809
b. 1919
c. 1969
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Worksheet D – Reading Task 1
Read the following article about cookery programmes and their effect on British
cuisine.
Are Brits becoming more adventurous in the kitchen?
What comes into your mind when you think of British food? Probably fish and chips, or a
Sunday dinner of meat and two vegetables. But is British food really so bland and
uninteresting? Despite a reputation for less-then-spectacular cuisine, Britain is producing
more and more top class chefs who dominate our television screens and whose recipe
books frequently top the
best seller lists.
It’s thanks to these TV chefs rather than any advertising campaign that Britons are turning
away from meat-and-two-veg and ready-made meals and becoming more adventurous in
their cooking habits. It seems that TV programmes have the power to bring a higher profile
to cooking and are wielding real influence on what people cook at home.
According to a new study from market analysts, 1 in 5 Britons claim that watching cookery
programmes on TV has encouraged them to try different food. Almost one third say they
now use a wider variety of ingredients than they used to, and just under 1 in 4 (24%) say
they now buy better quality ingredients than before. One in four adults say that TV chefs
have made them much more confident about expanding their culinary knowledge and skills,
and young people are also getting more interested in cooking. With an increasing number
of male chefs on TV, it’s no longer ‘uncool’ for boys to like cooking. The UK’s new
obsession with food is reflected through television scheduling. Cookery shows and
documentaries about food are broadcast during prime time evening slots.
Many of the new celebrity chefs promote modern ‘fusion cuisine’, which blends classic
‘British’ cooking with international and exotic influences. Even the chefs themselves are
younger, more beautiful and much more experimental, such as Nigella Lawson and Jamie
Oliver. Jamie Oliver was only 23 when he first appeared on British television screens. More
than 4 million people tuned in to his popular show ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’. The show began as an
experiment and turned into a phenomenon. Jamie gave himself nine months to take a team
of unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds, with virtually no previous experience of cooking, and
transform them into top class chefs to work in his new restaurant in East London, ‘Fifteen’.
Jamie left school himself without formal qualifications and believes that with a passion for
food, anyone can become a good cook. ‘Fifteen’ has become a hit in London and is booked
up months in advance.
Jamie Oliver has proved to be a huge inspiration for British people. The recent survey finds
that the number of those sticking to a traditional diet is slowly declining and around half of
Britain’s consumers would like to change or improve their cooking in some way. There has
been a rise in the number of students applying for food courses at UK universities and
colleges, such as those offered by the School of Culinary Art at South Trafford College.
Having been ridiculed for centuries for its mediocre cuisine, is Britain now competing with
countries such as France and Italy in the field of culinary excellence?
Decide whether the following statements are true or false:
1) Britain is starting to get a reputation for bad cuisine.
2) Advertising campaigns are encouraging British people to try new foods.
3) The most popular TV chefs in Britain are younger and more charismatic than
they used to be.
4) ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’ is a TV programme about ordinary people who set up their own
restaurants with no cooking experience.
5) Jamie’s restaurant ‘Fifteen’ will be opening in several months time.
6) The traditional British diet may be dying out.
Questions for Discussion
Apart from popular cooking programmes, can you think of any other reasons
why people may be changing their cooking and eating habits in Britain?
Think about the following factors:
- Travel
- Health
- Vegetarianism
- Ingredients available
- Have there been many changes in your country? Are there any ‘new’ foods?
- Do you ever cook? If so, what do you like to cook?
- Would you like to train to work in Jamie Oliver’s restaurant, ‘Fifteen’?
Why/why not?
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Worksheet E – Reading Task 2
Read these reviews written about a variety of restaurants in London. Write down
any new vocabulary or phrases which can be used to describe restaurants.
The Ritz
Food: traditional British or fusion cuisine
Price per person: £80
This spectacular palace-style dining room is famous as one of London’s most
luxurious, romantic restaurants. It’s hard to resist splashing out on the exquisite 5-
course menu. The staff are discreet and extremely polite. It’s hardly surprising that the
clients are a mixture of celebrities, business executives and wealthy tourists. Come
here for a memorable dining experience, which will certainly do damage to your bank
account!
Yo sushi!
Food: Japanese
Price per person: £10-15
The best known sushi place in town. This restaurant is great both for its raw fish and
its kitsch Japanese décor. Service is efficient and speedy. You can eat delicious sushi
for a few pounds, serve yourself unlimited beer, select food from a conveyor belt and
even have a relaxing head massage! Sometimes there are karaoke nights here. This
restaurant is bright and unromantic butgreat fun.
Amaretto
Food: Italian
Price per person: £15-20
A family-owned restaurant that has faithful clients coming back again and again.
Amaretto offers classic Italian food in warm and friendly surroundings. Whatever time
you come here, this restaurant is always busy and lively. The pizzas and pasta dishes
are well recommended as being tasty and excellent value for money. Great for
families or big groups of friends.
Levant
Food: Lebanese/Middle Eastern
Price per person: £20-30
An exotic Middle Eastern restaurant which is perfect for a romantic evening. The
atmosphere is moody and intimate, with lots of candles, soft cushions and coloured
glass lanterns. When you find the entrance, hidden away down a small street, you are
greeted by luscious plants and the smell of incense and exotic perfumes. The menu
offers a feast of authentic Lebanese food for people who like to try something new
and unusual. If you stay late, you will even be able to watch a belly-dancing show!
The George Inn
Food: traditional British pub food
Price per person: £5-10
A dark and smoky pub, which was built in 1780. Come here if you want to taste
traditional English fish and chips or steak and kidney pie in a lively atmosphere. The
food isn’t great, the service is slow, but this pub serves a good range of beers and
ales.
Food for Thought
Food: vegetarian
Price per person: £5-10
This tiny colourful vegetarian restaurant and takeaway offers food free of chemicals,
pesticides and preservatives. The food is good and the menu changes every day, but
this place is also great if you just want a coffee. Don’t come here at busy times if you
want a slow, leisurely meal.
Café Sol
Food: Mexican
Price: £20-30
Café Sol is a great place to go at any time. Enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine at
lunchtime (watch out for the chilli!) or go for a drink and a dance when it gets dark.
The atmosphere is always buzzing and vibrant, and the food is reasonably priced. On
a Saturday night, the young crowds in Café Sol are usually very loud and merry after
sampling the extensive list of tequilas!
The Hard Rock Café
Food: Tex-Mex and burgers
Price per person: £10-20
A genuine celebration of rock ‘n’ roll! This is the original Hard Rock Café, here since
the 1970s, and it’s the first ever theme restaurant. The queue to get in is legendary.
You can’t make reservations and you will find a queue almost all day long, every day
of the year. But this actually adds to the memorable experience. Once in, there’s good
food and a great atmosphere, created by rock music, dim lighting and walls covered in
rock memorabilia.
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Worksheet G – Food Proverbs and Quotes
Read the quotes and proverbs about food and answer these questions:
What is the meaning or implication of each proverb/quote?
Which proverbs or quotes do you agree with?
Are there any which you disagree with?
Which is your favourite?
Do you have any proverbs in your own language which refer to food or diet?
Food Proverbs
‘To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.’
La Rochefoucauld
‘Stomach: A slave that must accept everything that is given to it, but which avenges
wrongs as slyly as does the slave.’
Emile Souvester
‘Part of the success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.’
Mark Twain
‘The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of
a new star.’
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
‘When diet is wrong medicine is of no use.
When diet is correct medicine is of no need.’
Proverb
‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’
Proverb
‘You are what you eat.’
Proverb
‘Hunger is the best sauce in the world.’
Cervantes
‘Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody.’
Samuel Pepys
‘Kissing doesn’t last: cookery does.’
George Meredith
‘Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.’
Harriet Van Horne
‘Fish, to taste right, must swim three times – in water, in butter and in wine.’
Proverb
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