These Are the Amazing Dishes You Must Try in the UK

An important aspect of travelling has to do with trying local dishes, tasting flavours that you might not have expected to go together or you are not familiar with. Let yourself be open to new food combinations and give them a chance. You might discover your new favourite dish, your guilty pleasure, this way. 

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Travelling in the UK means that you get to experience not only the culture and the landscapes of the cities but also their local cuisine and culinary preferences. If you have a car, you get to discover tastes from many different areas, traditional villages and vibrant cities, all around the United Kingdom. You will safely venture on this adventure by hiring a car on Enjoy Travel. This way, you will not only get to discover the perfect car for you but also complete the hiring process online. And then, you will be ready to explore the Kingdom and try amazing dishes. 

Wales

1. Welsh rarebit

Don’t let its name fool you; there is no rabbit in this dish. It’s the perfect appetiser, although it is such a simple and delicious dish that you might want to have it for all courses. It consists of a slice of toasted bread on top of which lies a cheesy sauce. 

2. Lamb cawl

This is the perfect dish for a cold winter day. It is a lamb stew with vegetables like carrots, potatoes, onions and leeks. 

Northern Ireland

1. Colcannon

Colcannon is an easy and delicious dish. It is mashed potatoes with vegetables like cabbage and spring onions. A bit of butter is added to make it even more delicious. There are some other variations of this dish, such as the champ. Besides the creativity and the freedom that is involved in cooking, this potato-based food is connected to the complex role that potato has played in Irish history. 

2. Fish 

Ireland is an island, and you can be one hundred percent sure that all the dishes that have fish are more than delicious, as cooks use fresh fish and seafood. Thus, during your time there you should definitely try smoked salmon and shellfish. 

Scotland 

1. Neeps and tatties

Translation for this dish is needed. Turnips that have been mashed are called “neeps”. “Tatties” are mashed potatoes. Then, you put all that in the same plate and magic is served. 

2. Scotch Pies

For pie lovers, this might be the ultimate dish. Scotch pie has a double-crusted base and it is filled with minced meat from lamb, sheep or some other animal. The meat chunks are mixedwith vegetables and sauce. 

England

1. Fish and Chips

Probably the most characteristic -and iconic- British food is fish and chips. Chips are what our American friends call “French fries”. As for fish, the safest option is cod. 

2. Bangers and mash

Another beloved and popular British food is bangers and mash. As you can guess, “mash” is short for mashed potatoes. Bangers are sausages. Gravy sauce and green beans usually complement this dish.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Oppo Brothers Ice-Cream Delivered

If I was to tell you that there was an ice-cream delivery service which would deliver ice-cream right to your doorstep, would you believe me? Well it is true and I have had a try of the service and can only say, if you love ice cream, then this is a service you need - Even my kitty thinks so!

The Oppo Brothers, Harry and Charlie, have made it their mission  to change the way people eat by creating amazingly tasty foods that don’t compromise on health and they launched with Oppo ice-cream into Waitrose back in 2014 with the hashtag #GoodTemptation.  Fast forward to 2020 and not only have Harry and Charlie launched into Tesco and Sainsbury's they have won awards and created new flavours, so what was left to do? Be the first major ice cream brand in the UK to launch a nationwide ice cream delivery service whereupon which, your ice-cream arrives frozen - as shown above.

Arriving in my box, I had 5 full tubs of ice-cream, which arrived by courier and all perfectly packed and frozen solid inside the box which was filled with dry ice and a lot of packaging to keep everything in one piece.  If you choose to sign up to the service which is priced at £45 for one month, £75 for two months and then £99 for three months and from there you have a whole host of flavours to choose from such as:

• Caramel Chocolate Crunch - Award winning Salted Caramel ice cream, a gooey chocolate swirl and crunchy buttery biscuit pieces. An ice cream that even millionaires would call rich. Only 199 calories per half tub.
• Simply the Zest - Simply the Zest is the perfect blend of a zingy lemon swirl and smooth, creamy lemon panna cotta flavoured ice cream combined with lemon zest. All at only 157 calories per half tub.
• Double Salted Caramel - Introducing our hero flavour: Lucuma. Known as 'gold of the incas' in Peru, it's a fruit shaped like a melon, with golden flesh and a naturally smooth caramel taste. Even better it’s known for being rich in antioxidants, iron, zinc, vitamin B3 and calcium. Only 178 calories per half tub
• Vanilla Pecan Praline - Creamy Vanilla ice cream generously swirled with a caramel sauce and caramelised pecans. Extra virgin coconut oil is used to give a smooth and rich texture. Only 198 calories per half tub.
• Colombian Chocolate & Hazelnut - A decadent Colombian Chocolate & Hazelnut ice cream, studded with finely chopped, lightly toasted hazelnuts. Full of flavour and the highest-quality natural ingredients, but with up to 70% less sugar and calories than traditional ice cream. Only 195 calories per half tub

These are just some of the flavours currently available and if those descriptions don't tempt you, then I don't know what will!

We have slowly been working our way through each and every flavour and whilst each tub holds 475ml of ice-cream, which is a fair sized tube and each and every one of them tastes just divine, I have a preference for the Caramel Chocolate Crunch and the Mister has opted for the Dairy Free Simply the Zest.

If you know someone who loves ice cream, even if it is yourself then this would make such a unique gift - be it for birthdays, an anniversary, Christmas or even just because you want too. I know a few people who would just love this as an idea.  If that isn't enough to persuade you, Oppo’s ice cream containsup to 60% less calories and sugar than regular ice cream and 10% of the profits will go to the NHS as a thank you to our healthcare heroes.

You can find out more about this service due to launch in November right here via the 

Oppo Brothers site and I am struggling to find anything I dislike about this as a gift offering.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Burger and Lobster in Soho

A few weeks ago I was celebrating my birthday and we decided to go to one of my favourite places in London to eat - Burger and Lobster in Soho.  Once you arrive and tell the assistant how many people are in your party, you are then told how long your wait is likely to be - in our case we were told 20 minutes, only to be given a table 10 minutes later! You can be waiting much longer than we did depending on the time of day you arrive and in order to get your table, everyone must be present.

The drinks menu is much more in-depth than the actual food menu, so make sure you take time to have a good look at what you might want to drink, they have everything from cocktails to beer and even soft drinks.  Steve on this occasion opted for Brooklyn Lager and myself Aspall Suffolk Cider - yum!

When it comes to the food option there is essentially two choices - Lobster as a whole or Lobster roll or Burger and for me this is fantastic, no faffing over what I do and do not want, the choice is easy everytime - Lobster!  So we both opted for Lobster which was grilled and on the side it would come with garlic butter, the other options are to have it steamed and come with a lemon and herb sauce or just plain butter.  Add to that a garden salad and fries and you have what I consider to be meal perfection!  

Whichever option you order the price is £20 plus your drinks and that is an absolute bargain and one that leaves you feeling really full and a meal enjoyed.

The food is exceptional and for me worth the hype of going.  The Lobster was perfectly cooked, it was moist and didn't really need anything adding to it, but the garlic butter was more than delightful.  The lobster is helpfully cut in half to allow easy access to the meat, but there is still fun to be had when it comes to removing the meat within the claws and it takes just a small bit of pressure to release it or the use of some crackers to help you.  The salad is also really fresh tasting and crunchy where it should be with an addition of parmasan cheese and balsamic vinegar to give it something extra.  Finally the fries which are not greasy but salted to perfection are tasty and you get just the right amount.

I have been to Burger and Lobster twice now and have always found the service to be warm and friendly, everything is explained to you as you are shown to your seat and nothing is too much trouble. If you have never had lobster before, there is always someone on hand yo go through your options with you. The first time I visited Burger and Lobster I was quite interested in how it all worked and was told that the Lobsters were delivered on a daily basis and cooked to order exceptional, everyone we spoke to was friendly, warm and informative without being overbearing. My friend was feeling inquisitive and wanted to know more about the lobsters, if they were fresh and when they were brought in – note, the lobsters are brought in on a daily basis and cooked to order.

If you are looking for somewhere a little bit exquisite and a little bit different, I would urge you to try Burger and Lobster, there are six different restaurants here in London which can be found on their website HERE.

Have you ever been to Burger and Lobster?  Have you been anywhere similar? Have you ever had Lobster?

Introducing Ilumi

When I see and hear the words "Wheat Free this, Gluten Free, Low Carb and Zero Fat" my immediate reaction is eyes rolling looking elsewhere because so far all my experiences with food within this range has been tasteless mush akin to gruel.  Everywhere you look when food shopping now has big says and even their own sections pointing out that this Gluten Free or Wheat free and it has become a bit of a trend, so many of my friends have now swapped to both varieties when choosing food.

A few weeks ago I was invited down to quaint little cafe called Vozars in Brixton. Vozars is London's first Cafe that is fully wheat and gluten free and my reason for being there was to try a gluten free dinner with Ilumi. Most of you, like me probably will have never heard of Ilumi, but they are a cooking brand who make gluten, wheat, dairy and nut free products suitable for home cooking. With home cooking in mind, the Ilumi food is sold is pouches which can be quickly heated in the microwave, and can also be heated on a hob if the contents are transferred to a saucepan first or you can heat the pouches by immersing them in boiling water. So already this is a simple form of cooking that anyone can do and if you are still unsure, all the information you need is on the pouches anyway.

Now I will be honest and say that It wasn't an event I was looking forward too, I didn't think I would enjoy myself and fully expected to leave hungry, after all my taste buds so far had been almost killed off with trying gluten and Wheat free foods and nor was it something I would ever opt for out of choice. 

Ilumi state:

"At ilumi, our absolute guiding principle is to make food that tastes great for everyone to enjoy. Nut-, gluten- and milk- free shouldn't mean free from taste - and with ilumi, it doesn't".

Hmm well okay, I was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt and go to the event with an open mind.

At the time of the event, Illumi had just launched their Asian flavours range, and to go with each course there was a specially chosen wine which also happened to be gluten free (the mind boggles) or a beer which guess what - also gluten free!.  

The first course we sat down with was Sweet Five Spice and Chilli Pork with some rice and it is described as follows:

The spicy aromatics of this dish come from the Chinese 5 spice, with hints of star aniseed, cinnamon, fennel, cloves and black pepper - these combine with the honey to give a dish that is powerfully fragrant & spicy but subtly sweet.

With this, I was surprised to find that actually I really liked it, it was full of flavour, you could see the pork and it wasn't very cardboard like in flavour.

The second dish was Beef in Black Been sauce and again as with the first course, it was full of flavour, had different textures and the meat most clearly present. 

Described as follows:

" The unique slightly salty, bitterness of the fermented black beans gives a caramelised note and a depth to this Asian dish much as an ale does to a classic beef stew! The beef is cooked in a sauce made from the black beans, along with chili, garlic, soy, vinegar, and a touch of sugar...a great balance of salt, sweet, sour and heat!"

The third dish was Chicken Laska which is described as follows:

The wonderfully aromatic ilumi Laksa uses a wonderful coconut base sauce, to which we add our marinated chicken, and many aromatic ingredients including lime leaves, ginger, tamarind, red chilli and turmeric. This dish is truly warming, perfect balanced with a kick of chilli.

Well it was a lot creamier than the previous two dishes but again full of flavour, a bit of a kick from the chilli and again you could see the meat and so far my favourite dish of the three we had tried so far.  

The final dish was vegetable biriyani, not something I would ever choose out of choice, if I am choosing a meal there will always be a meat in there somewhere but I was surprised at how filling it was and how tasty it was.  Described as follows:

"The biryani dish originates from Persia before making its way to India and establishing itself as an Indian favourite. There are many variations of biryani and our delicious ilumi version adds one more to that long list! This mild aromatic rice dish is full of flavour from spices such as cardamom, cloves, coriander and cumin, and includes lots of fabulous vegetables!"

If that wasn't enough, at the end of all these dishes there was a beautiful platter of cakes presented to those present and placed in the middle of the table and yeah I know what you are all thinking, were they also gluten free, well the answer is yes they were and they had been made by Vozars themselves. Now I love cake, I am not going to lie, show me cake and my pupils dilate with excitement, I love it, but a gluten fee version, hmmm that is either going to be stodgy and tasteless or a mixture if the two right? No totally wrong, infact they were absolutely tasty, full of flavour, quite light and airy and not at all stodgy.

The experience was something I did enjoy and the Illumi team being on hand to answer all the questions my mind had going round was really helpful.  Outside of my own world and existence there are people who simply need food that is wheat and gluten free and the fact someone has come up with something that is so simply to use and tasty is amazing.  As we left, feeling very full and slightly surprised that I enjoyed the food so much and with an amazing goody bag too. 

Whether you are a fan of Gluten free food or whether you have simply not tried it because like me you judged a book by its cover before trying it, I really would recommend Ilumi products to try and if you are feeling a tad more adventurous and are in and around Brixton pop into to Vozars for a brew and some cake, like me you will be surprised!

www.Vozars.co.uk

Unit 26 Brixton Village

London

SW9 8PR

The Hubby was also at this event and his review can be found over at www.beautykinguk.co.uk

Dirty Burger - The best burger ever?

It's not often I get excited about visiting a fast food shop, I live opposite a McDonalds, KFC, Wimpy and have so many other eateries such as Italian and Greek Restaurants that I could, if I could afford to, eat out every night of the week. But thankfully I don't live too close to Dirty Burger because I would become the size of a house. 

Introducing Dirty Burger...

I first came across Dirty Burger when my Hubby became obsessed with people tweeting pictures about it saying how good it was and for weeks we kept saying we would go and see what all the fuss was about and try it ourselves. Well since that fateful day, now all I want is another Dirty Burger.

Source

Situated in Kentish Town in London, you need to know the exact location before you leave home to find it or you might wonder up and down Highgate Road for hours looking for it. Infact when you do come across it, chances are you will walk right past it into the LA Fitness Gym which is just next door because Dirty Burger is not like Wimpy or McDonald's, it doesn't stand out on the high-street with a big golden 'M', infact when you do realise exactly where it is, you might look twice because it is a little wood shack at the back of another restaurant called Chicken Shed (similar to Nando's). Once inside you can see the look of confusion on the faces of those (like myself) visiting for the first time when it comes to wondering how it works. There is one big table in the middle of the shack with seats and then around the outside there are benches with stools scattered about, it isn't designed to be a place where you sit and chat for hours over the days events, you go in, get your burger, eat it or take it away - no fuss, no hassle.

Sometimes lack of choice is a good thing

Ordering, well again there are a few options to choose from. This place is open from 7am and until 11am there is a breakfast menu known as the 'Dirty Breakfast' which consists of Sausage and Egg or Bacon and Egg bun with bottomless tea and coffee for £3.50. Then from 11am you can have a Dirty Burger which is a cheeseburger and then there is an option of Crinkle Cut Fries and/or Onion Fries. You go to the till, place your order, take your receipt with a number on it and simply wait for them to call your number. Having retrieved your food, the fun starts.

The food is exceptionally immense, in all my time living in London; I have never loved a burger so much. The patties (as they are called) are so juicy and flavoursome they melt in your mouth when you bite into the burger, they use several cuts of beef including rib eye and bavette beef. As your burger cooks on the grill, you see the chef flipping it, adding cheese, pouring over some stock, covering it with a dome shaped lid, adding cheese, pouring more stock over it, adding the bun and repeating the process until the beef is cooked right through. Then added to the burger are gherkins which are so fresh they crunch as you bite into them, tomato, lettuce and an array of condiments including mayonnaise, all adding to the texture and taste of this amazing burger. The Crinkle cut fries are crunchy and tasty but for me even better than fries are the Onion Fries, deep fried in a cider tempura batter comes red onion in all its glory, they are a taste sensation but share them with someone because they are so filling. Your food is wrapped in a Dirty Burger wrapper once you unwrap it the smell that its you is amazing, the fresh burger smell, not like those nasty street vendor things that hide behind the scent of fried onions, no this burger smells fresh and as you take your first bite and some of it dribbles down your chin, you will be hooked. I am yet to read a review or see a tweet from someone not liking the food from this place. 

Drinky poo

There is also a drinks menu and a choice of water, tea, coffee, coca cola and so on but they also serve the best milkshakes ever with a choice of Vanilla, Strawberry or Chocolate. They are thick, rich, creamy and fruity and worth every penny of the £4 they cost, my favourite being Strawberry. If you have the burger, fries and onion fries it will cost you £10.50 but worth absolutely every single penny you pay for them. 

I simply Love It

I love Dirty Burger. The menu is simple, there is no choice and I like that, I know exactly what I am going to get and even now, having been back on more than one occasion, the food tastes just as good as it did the first time, though I am yet to try the breakfast menu. The food is freshly cooked whilst you wait, so you know that when you bite into it, it won't be cold in the middle or have that 'sitting on the hot plate' taste about it. Whenever I have been to Dirty Burger, it has been full of people eating, just eaten or waiting to eat and there are people from all walks of life in and out of there from the old to the young, to the office workers to the builders, it seems to attract everyone and you only have to Google the place, read the reviews and looks at the photos of the food to find out why.

If you live in London and haven't tried it, try it, you won't regret it. Dirty Burger does have its own website and everything you need to know can be found there and it also has a Twitter feed and a Facebook page.