If you were to ask any other nation on our little planet to name the best cuisine in the world, we’d bet good money that the answer would not be British.
Our nation is better known for importing and adopting foreign cuisine than innovating it. After all, England’s national dish is Chicken Tikka Masala.
If you look elsewhere across the home nations, the scene isn’t much brighter - at least for traditional dishes. Some might believe this characterisation to be too harsh and indeed, the UK is also home to world-class restaurants, developed and headed by the brightest lights in the chef world.
Both truths can exist at the same time: brilliant, British food beyond fish and chips, bangers and mash, and pies with mushy peas exists if you know where to look.
We’re a historically arable nation, made up of rolling pastoral hills and a topsy-turvy topography which makes living off the fruits of the land incredibly convenient. Consistent bouts of rain and the odd dash of sunshine make for prosperous crops, no matter the season. As such, some of the most delicious and quintessentially British food comes from farm-to-table innovation.
From new and exciting, healthy, organic combinations to contemporary twists on classic stews (with the help of a few imported spices) – true British cooking is evocative of an inherent connection to land and sea. To prove it, we’ve rounded up a selection of recipe compendiums by some of the best British chefs of all time.
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A Year of Good Eating by Nigel Slater
One of Britain’s most preeminent food writers, a cookbook by Nigel Slater isn’t just a collection of recipes, but a veritable literary delight. A Year of Good Eating is the third in his beloved Kitchen Diaries series, it’s filled with the cook’s characteristically simple yet wholesome weeknight recipes, seasonal suggestions and insightful thoughts. Recipes include speedy baked eggs, salmon pie with herb butter sauce, asparagus and blue cheese tart and roasted summer vegetables with sausages.
Buy now £23.72, Amazon
Tender Vol. I by Nigel Slater
It’s a wonder that Slater has been able to consistently produce 500-page cookbooks filled with mouth-watering and exciting recipes throughout his busy career. If you’re able to get your hands on both volumes of his renowned Tender series, prepare for a life-changing lesson on slow, sustainable farm-to-table cooking. The first book delineates Slater’s blooming relationship with his vegetable patch, while the second is focused on fruits. Both contain over 400 recipes each.
Buy now £24.93, Amazon
The Ballymaloe Cookbook by Myrtle Allen
The founder of modern Irish cooking, Myrtle Allen was an Irish Michelin star-winning head chef and co-owner of the restaurant The Yeats Room at her rural Ballymaloe House in Shanagarry, County Cork. What began in 1964 with a sign hanging from Allen’s gate inviting people to dine in her home became the origins of true country house cooking made possible by using the best possible local produce.
This revised and updated version of the iconic cookbook features forewords by the likes of Yotam Ottolenghi and the founder of The Ballymaloe Cookery School (and daughter-in-law to the late chef) Darina Allen.
Buy now £24.99, Amazon
The Secret of Cooking by Bee Wilson
Crafted for the home cook who is constantly stretched for time, Bee Wilson shows us how to get delicious, simple and beautifully flavourful meals on the table no matter the occasion. Beloved by the likes of Nigel Slater and Nigella Lawson, The Secret of Cooking is a veritable kitchen bible which reveals the surprisingly simple truths behind maintaining an active, clean and delicious kitchen, as told by someone with a lifetime of experience.
Buy now £20.99, Amazon
Rick Stein's Simple Suppers
“These are my simple suppers. Recipes that are straightforward and informal - yet effortlessly delicious,” says Stein demonstrating his efforts to democratise simple yet moreish and delicious evening meals. Chapters include suppers for one, suppers for two, suppers with friends, fast suppers, one-pot suppers and even veggie suppers. What’s more British than supper anyway?
Buy now £14.00, Amazon
The Pig: 500 Miles of Food, Friends and Local Legend by Robin Hutson
The Pig is a hotel collection across the UK which has become synonymous with wholesome yet opulent farm-to-table cooking. This compendium has eight bustling chapters, one for each of The Pig hotels scattered from coast to coast across southern England. It shines a spotlight on the many, varied local artisans, farmers, fishermen and foragers who work tirelessly to grow and collect the fresh produce which makes cooking at each of The Pig locations so unique.
Buy now £23.15, Amazon
Nose to Tail Eating: A Kind of British Cooking by Fergus Henderson
At Fergus Henderson’s St John, the emphasis is firmly on meat. Exemplified by the restaurant’s logo and by the fact that its original location is a former smokehouse near Smithfield Market. Henderson pioneered a re-interest in all things offal – the meat which is often discarded or forgotten about, especially the internal organs. Nose to Tail Eating celebrates the transformation of discarded innards into delicious and sophisticated meals, with an introduction by the late and great Anthony Bourdain.
Buy now £17.45, Amazon
The British Cookbook by Ben Mervis
We don’t think it’s an accident that Ben Mervis’ British cookbook cover resembles a classic Keep Calm and Carry On poster. Celebrating the varied national cuisines of the British Isles, this collection of over 550 recipes contains dishes from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Island.
Described as ‘part cookbook, part cultural history’, it’s as much for chefs as it is for anthropologists and historians. Recipes include Shepherd's Pie, Welsh Rarebit, Scottish Crumpets and lesser-known dishes like Bonfire Night Black Peas and Dublin Bay Prawns.
Buy now £28.92, Amazon
How to Eat by Nigella Lawson
The cookbook that launched Nigella Lawson’s seismic career, How to Eat was first published in 1998 and has been described by renowned chefs and critics across the globe as one of the best cookery books ever written. It’s your favourite cook’s favourite cookbook, filled with Lawson’s signature witty writing, and a veritable passion for food which radiates from every page. No glossy photos in this one, we told you it was a classic.
Buy now £23.83, Amazon
Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson and Lindsey Bareham
‘The most useful cookbook of all time’ reads the tagline of this 1999 classic, and we can’t help but agree. Unpretentious and entirely utilitarian, there’s not a single recipe by Hopkinson and Bareham that you won't feel compelled by and capable of trying. Its chapters are even split into handy alphabetical order, with dedicated sections on parsley, parmesan and peppers, as well as lamb, leeks and liver.
Buy now £22.00, Waterstones
The Hand & Flowers Cookbook by Tom Kerridge
Tom Kerridge’s The Hand & Flowers is the only pub in the UK with two Michelin stars. Delve into the wonderful world of pub cooking at its finest with a selection of British classics which have been reimagined for 21st-century eaters.
Recipes include favourites from the pub’s menu, such as roast hog with salt-baked potatoes and apple sauce, smoked haddock omelette, as well as slow-cooked duck breast with peas, duck-fat chips and gravy.
Buy now £30.74, Amazon
The Farm Table by Julius Roberts
One of the most exciting new British chefs on the scene, Julius Roberts’ The Farm Table tells the tale of a man who traded in his city slicker lifestyle to become a first-generation farmer. Following a stint as a chef at Noble Rot, Roberts found himself yearning for self-sufficiency in the Suffolk countryside instead.
With immense emotional intelligence and a tangible adoration for seasonal foods, Roberts makes clear the steep learning curve associated with taking on a rural lifestyle while singing its praises. The book is divided into seasonal recipes, demonstrating how self-sufficient farmers adapt according to their changeable local environments.
Buy now £15.00, Amazon
For the Love of Food by Paul Ainsworth
Despite being awarded a Michelin star in 2013, For the Love of Food (2024) marks Paul Ainsworth’s first foray into the cookbook world. An instant best-seller filled with comforting classics and exciting dishes to impress your friends with, it features a foreword from one of his former employers, Gordon Ramsay.
Solid recipes, fresh ingredients and cooking with love are the cornerstones of Ainsworth’s brilliant compendium which features recipes like BBQ Mackerel Bruschetta with Pesto Mayonnaise, Brown Butter Pumpkin Tortelli with Parmesan, Sage and Biscotti and Toad-in-the-hole Ainsworth-style.
Buy now £19.12, Amazon
