Improve your English comprehension skills by reading these articles written specifically for English learners at a B2 level. We try to write these B2 articles about things that are traditionally British, so you can learn more about the culture while you improve your English reading skills.

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This week, our article is going to be about British food, so let’s get started.

British Food

Britain is known for lots of things; our monarchy, our terrible weather and of course our terrible food. But it’s really not as bad as it’s reputation makes out.

Some of our traditional food may seem strange to you, but if you come from a cold climate where you need a bit of stodge*, then these types of food are perfect. Let’s take a look at a few together.

Fish and Chips

The most famous British meal is probably fish and chips, which literally consists of a piece of fish and some chips (or fries if you’ve learnt American English). The chips are different from fries though because they’re not done in the same style you would find in the USA. The potatoes have been cut into thicker chunks and then deep fried in oil. As for the fish, it normally comes covered in batter but if you think that’s just pushing it a bit too far for your health, you can ask for it without. You can also add mushy peas on the side if you want to be particularly traditional.

Fish and chips wouldn’t be complete without some salt and vinegar, though if you’re not used to vinegar it can be quite a strong taste so maybe put just a bit on and if you like you can add more.

Although this is a famous British dish, it’s not something that a British person would typically eat every week, or if they did, it would be a once a week treat, for example on a Saturday night. Fish and chips tend to be a treat that you would be if you took a day trip to the coast or to the Lake District. Our day to day life does not consist of battered fish and deep fried chips because that is a very quick way to a heart attack.

*Stodge is a colloquial term to refer to food that is hearty.

Sunday Dinner

Sunday dinner is probably the most typically British meal available, but there’s no real set ingredient list, instead it depends on what meat and vegetables your house hold enjoys eating. Traditionally in the UK, on a Sunday in the early afternoon the family would all come together and eat a warm, hearty dinner. The dinner would consist of a series of vegetables that had been roasted in the oven. Roast potatoes feature on the majority of Sunday dinners, and you will also find some combination of carrots, turnip, Yorkshire puddings, sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.

Next there’s the meat. Although less important now, when families didn’t have a lot of money, it was very important for them to obtain a good cut of meat for the Sunday dinner to share with their family. Nowadays the majority of people can afford good quality meat most days of the week but when the tradition first started this wasn’t the case. Just like the vegetables, the meat chosen depends on the taste of the household, there’s no set meat that you have to include for Sunday dinner.

Finally the most important element of the meal; the gravy. Gravy features in many British meals and it if a defining food of our culture. It may not be as popular in other countries, but most British people believe that you don’t really have a meal until you add gravy to it. Therefore, if you’re ever in the UK and you get the opportunity to eat a Sunday dinner, make sure you try some gravy. And remember, the thicker, the better.

Bangers and Mash

Bangers and mash is a British classic that nearly every child in the UK consumed while they were growing up. As new foods are influencing our diets, this has become less common but it will produce a sense of nostalgia in the majority of people who grew up in the UK.

The dish is relatively simple; bangers refers to sausages, and mash refers to mashed potatoes. These are the basics of the meal but you can customise it however you would like. Most people add a gravy, often with onions. Sometimes peas can accompany this dinner, or you can go the other way and eat your bangers and mash with baked beans. If you choose this option then the gravy is not advisable.

Bangers and mash has been a popular dish in the UK for a long time but with the rise of vegetarianism and veganism there was worry that dishes like this would be replaced. Luckily, fake meat companies have kept this kind of thing in mind and have produced different ranges of delicious sausages so you can still enjoy these traditional meals as the world moves forward.

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Final thoughts

We hope you’ve found this B2 article useful for your English learning and we hope you want to try some of our delicious or not so delicious British food now.

Do you find these articles useful? If so please let us know in the comments below. And if there are any other articles that you would like us to write similarly make sure to tell us so we can cater them for your needs.

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Be sure to check out some of our other B2 English topics to help you with your reading comprehension:

British holidays

The environment

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Holidays and festivals in the UK form an important part of British culture. In the UK, holidays like Easter and Christmas are celebrated but they’re also celebrated in many other countries. In the following articles we wanted to tell you about some holidays that are particular to the UK so you can learn about British culture while you improve your B2 English comprehension skills at the same time.

Bonfire Night

Once a year on the fifth November, the people of the UK celebrate Bonfire Night. The origins of this festival come from 1605 when a group of Catholics devised a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament due to the poor treatment of the Catholic people by the then monarch King James I.

On the 5th November they laid 36 barrels of gunpowder underneath the Houses of Parliament with the intention of blowing up the King. Luckily the gunpowder was discovered and the men responsible for the plot were found and killed. The king ordered that every year after to celebrate his survival the people of the United Kingdom would celebrate with a bonfire. As this holiday became more popular it expanded to include fireworks and structures of the leader of the plot Guy Fawkes would be placed on top of the bonfire.

In modern times, Bonfire Night is still a British favourite holiday and is celebrate every year all over the country. It also remains a relatively controversial holiday with some groups of Catholics refusing to participate. Although today, the religious element to the festival is almost non existent.

As time has passed, health and safety regulations have become stricter in the UK and most bonfires are either conducted in someone’s garden or ran by professionals with a license. It’s rare for someone to be able to have a bonfire in a public space without express permission from the city council. There are also TV adverts leading up to Bonfire Night to remind people to behave safely with bonfires and sparklers.

And of course, it wouldn’t be Britain without reminding people to watch out for wildlife that might make their homes in the bonfires. The bonfires themselves are often constructed well before the actual night. These constructions often provide dry and warm shelters in a cold season and animals such as hedgehogs make their way into the bonfires to keep warm. Therefore it’s important to check that your bonfire is animal free before you set it alight and avoid making it in advance to prevent this from happening.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

The Fringe is a comedy festival held in Edinburgh throughout the month of August. It’s world famous and attracts some of the biggest stars in addition to new comers who will get their big break at the festival.

The Fringe Festival is currently the world’s biggest art festival and holds approximately 5000 acts in the three weeks that it’s on. The first festival was celebrated in 1947 and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be stopping or slowing down anytime soon.

The Fringe is beneficial to the local population of Edinburgh as it brings money into the city. Throughout August, the hotels and restaurants of Edinburgh are full and the citizens make more money in this month. This doesn’t mean that the festival isn’t also a burden sometimes. Although loved by many, the Fringe disrupts the everyday life of the inhabitants of Edinburgh, and as fun as it is, the citizens are definitely pleased when it’s over and they can relax for another year.

Notting Hill Carnival

Every year at the end of August Notting Hill celebrates Carnival. The Carnival that originated in 1966 is the biggest in Europe and celebrates Caribbean culture, food and heritage.

Close to one million people flock to the streets around Kensington to eat, dance, drink and celebrate, and not just those of Caribbean heritage. The Carnival was first introduced to help ease race relations between Caribbean immigrants and the then inhabitants of London. As London has become more diverse this holiday has become even more popularised and is the biggest celebration in London.

The Carnival is free to all, but of course you’ll need to pay for food and drinks. At the Notting Hill Carnival you should be aware of pick pocketers but the majority of people want to enjoy themselves and just have a good time.

Pancake Day

Pancake day is a favourite holiday of children all across the UK. Most Christian countries celebrate lent, where you give something up during the forty days leading up to Easter, but they don’t necessarily celebrate pancake day.

The idea of pancake day is that you clear out your cupboard ready for lent and make food with the staples that you have there; eggs, flour and water. These ingredients are used to make pancakes that you have for dinner instead of a normal meal.

Of course, in this day and age, no one in the UK cleans out their cupboard in preparation for lent but they do make pancakes. Every year on Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before lent), families all across the UK eat pancakes for their dinner and cover their pancakes with delicious toppings such as chocolate, sugar or orange.

The pancakes are more similar to crepes found in Europe than to the pancakes found in the USA. They’re light and crispy, meaning you can go back for as many as you like. Pancake Day is a true British holiday.

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Final thoughts

We hope you’re found these reading exercises useful. Reading in English isn’t always the most fun thing to do but it can dramatically increase your levels of comprehension and as a result output.

If you want to improve your English reading, then check out some of our English books. Although it’s necessary to read articles in English, it’s always more fun to improve your English reading skills through the world of fiction.