Classic British menu ideas

Full English

Firstly, we couldn’t not mention a full English. The key to a great full English is choosing quality products, such as our British Olde English sausages (03509). As well as quality, offering choice is just as important to ensure you cater for all, so make sure all options have that quality throughout.

Crumpets

Next up, let’s talk crumpets (97582). Traditionally best served drenched in butter but we are all about adding toppings and giving crumpets the wow factor. Go sweet with clotted cream and jam, or stick to savoury and top with breakfast and brunch favourites like avocado, bacon and egg.

Porridge

On to porridge (64955). Probably chosen as a healthier breakfast option. When thinking about adding porridge to your menu it’s all about what you add to it, think preserves, fruit, nuts and seeds. How the dish looks when served is also really important too so think about the colours you are adding and the presentation.

Ploughman’s

Perfect for sharing or as an individual platter, a ploughman’s lunch is traditionally based around bread, cheese and onions, usually accompanied by butters and pickle. Additional items are sometimes added such as ham (76883), green salad, hard boiled eggs and apple. Elevate your ploughman’s by using really high quality local ingredients and shout about where each element comes from.

Fish finger sandwich

Serve the ultimate fish finger sandwich on your lunch menu. Again, it is a simple concept loved by many, but by using premium products like battered cod goujons (61280) you can really elevate it to something special.

Coronation chicken sandwich

And our final lunch time British menu idea is a classic coronation chicken sandwich. Coronation chicken is believed to be inspired by the “jubilee chicken” created for George V’s silver jubilee in 1935 and has been enjoyed on menus ever since. Make your own using chicken, herbs, spices, mayonnaise and sultanas. Alternatively use our pre-made option (37848) perfect for sandwiches but also jacket potatoes.

Fish and chips

When it comes to dinner, we have to start with fish and chips, one of the national dishes of the UK. Haddock (60936) is the fish that most chefs prefer, as it has a slight sweetness that pairs well with the buttery flavour of the batter. It’s all about premium products and ingredients when it comes to fish and chips and we have everything you need in our range to deliver this whether that’s from scratch or pre-prepared options.

Pie and mash

Pie and mash originated from the docks of London and in the beginning was seen as a working class food. Nowadays it has evolved into one of the classic British menu options. Again it’s all about using premium ingredients or products that have British provenance like our Premium Selection British steak and ale pie (61202)

Roast dinner

We couldn’t mention British dinners without including a great British roast. It’s prominence in British culture is such that is has been ranked second in a list of things people love about Britain. Beef still reigns supreme as the meat of choice so why not try our  Farmstead beef rump roast (02385).

Eton mess

A delicious mixture of strawberries, broken meringue and cream which also less commonly, used to be made with Bananas. The origins of the Eton mess has various different stories one including a cricket match and a Labrador. But all we know is that Eton mess has stood the test of time and is a much loved British dessert, especially during the summer months. More recently though we are loving how Eton mess is merging with other popular desserts like our Everyday Favourites mixed berry Eton mess gateau (61223)

Sticky toffee pudding

According to a recent poll, sticky toffee pudding was voted as one of the nations top pudding* so it had to feature in our top 3 desserts. Our Everyday Favourites sticky toffee pudding (58372) is a great option, I suppose the only question left is will you serve yours with ice cream or custard?

*TheFork, 2022 Survey

Apple crumble

And finally a true British classic, the apple crumble. Strewed fruit and spices topped with a buttery crumb. It’s one of those desserts that never fails to mark the perfect end to a lovely meal. Nowadays there are so many variations of crumbles, using different fruits and types of topping, but we are all about the classics and really recommend our Everyday Favourites apple crumble (04254) that comes in individual portions to make your life even easier.

The savoury

You can’t get much more British than an afternoon tea. There are three elements to an afternoon tea, the savoury element, the sweet element and of course the drinks.

When it comes to savoury, we love the traditional sandwich quarters or fingers and have a great range of ready-made sandwich fillings to save you some time such as coronation chicken (37848) or tuna mayo (43166) as well as a great selection of breads to choose from.

The sweet

When it comes to the sweet element, we love to add mini bites with maximum flavour such as the little afternoon tea selection (40875) that includes mini Victoria sponges, lemon drizzle cakes and fondant Bakewell’s.

The drinks

And last but not least, tea or fizz? Either way we have you covered. Our range includes every kind of tea you could think of from regular to speciality and we also have a great range of sparkling wines. But as we are talking all things British why not try the Hattingly Valley English Classic Reserve (48166) produced right here in the UK.