Just how bad is English food?

Posted on 19 May 2024 by pws

There’s a YouTube video by a man with a ponytail who does travel guides. Rather, there was, we can’t find it now, which tells you something.

In it, he was in London and made two remarks – we think he called them ‘shocks’ (we paraphrase):

  • if you go out of London and don’t understand what people are saying, then don’t worry, no-one does
  • there is some English food that it actually edible and you may be able to find something that you actually like

Well, London is a big, international city. There are restaurants, cafes, eating holes with just about any style of food and at any price and quality. It’s no better or worse than anywhere else in the world.

London is expensive, but it’s not the most expensive city in the world. By many lists it’s not even in the top ten. Yes, you can pay hundreds of pounds for a fancy meal and it will be an experience, or you can go cheap and have slop. But it’s the same everywhere in the world.

There are plenty of good quality, sensibly prices restaurants all round London. Want a steak? No problem. Vegetarian? Nearly everywhere does that. Fish? Lovely fresh fish (we’re not far from the sea). Mexican? You bet.

There’s a huge variety, and you can’t just dismiss English food with “you may actually find something you like”.

You can tell us your favourite British food here: https://www.pwsanders.uk/opinion-polls/3/

What do we do well?

Breakfast

The English breakfast will set you up for the day. Eggs, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms… perfect.

Prices can vary, and so can the quality of the ingredients, but tell me a place where that isn’t true.

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English food patterns

Posted on 18 May 2024 by pws

Here in England, traditionally, we eat breakfast in the morning. It can be cereal, toast and tea (ie a cuppa). The ‘traditional English breakfast’ is rarely eaten at homes as it’s complicated and an effort. You are more likely to eat it out.

At the end of the morning/beginning of the afternoon we have dinner. It’s a cooked meal. At weekends it’s a Sunday dinner with roast meat and vegetables. You would never call this a lunch.

In the late afternoon/early evening it’s tea. This ‘tea’ is not to be confused with ‘tea’ as in cuppa, the drink, though you may have tea with your tea. You would find people leaving work and going home ‘to have my tea’.

If you are eating out, it’s ‘dinner’. You would never go to a posh restaurant for your ‘tea’. You could go to a tea room for ‘afternoon tea’ and that would be cakes, sandwiches and a cuppa. It is something of a tourist/day out thing.

In the late evening, before bed time, it’s supper. This could be anything. If it’s early, it could be a fish supper ie fish and chips.

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Scams and spam

Posted on 17 May 2024 by pws

I’ve suddenly started getting spam e-mails, fake sms and dodgy telephone calls. The calls are either machines or dead lines. Ring them back, and the number is not recognised. Of course not. They can spoof something that looks like a real number so easily.

I got a spam e-mail this morning asking for a favour for a friend. Ignore it.

I guess I’m getting 20 things a day right now. It seems I am on someone’s list and it will go on for a time.

If you respond to text messages saying you can opt out of something you never opted into, be careful. It could be £5 a text.

You didn’t win lottery you didn’t enter.

One caller asked me if I was the main owner of the Internet. Sadly no…

If the bank ‘security’ rings, or Amazon Prime or whatever, don’t engage. Check your accounts, then you ring them on an official number. The bank or whoever will not mind that at all.

Don’t answer these things. If they know you are there they will never stop.

Some of them are very believable, but treat everything with suspicion. If you are getting fake calls on a mobile, block the number. It won’t help much, but it helps. Report it to your provider.

Use good spam detection for e-mails. Most e-mail systems have something. Teach it what is good and what is not. Things will still get through, but it helps.

Treat everything with caution, even if it appears to come from your best friend. If it’s genuine, they will come back.

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