Ranked: the 43 GREATEST British dishes of all time

Great British foods

Britain's traditional dishes often get a bad rap, but we reckon they're just misunderstood – and their comfort food credentials are second to none. So we're celebrating British cuisine in all its quirky glory by ranking some of Britain's finest food creations, including toad in the hole, fish and chips and jam roly-poly. These classic dishes are beloved by the nation and deserve to be recognised around the world. How many have you tried?

Read on to discover our ranking of Britain's greatest dishes, counting down to the one everyone needs to try.

We've based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each dish, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.​

43. Jellied eels

In the 18th century, the River Thames was practically brimming with eels, so they were often caught and eaten as a snack – chopped, boiled and set in clear gelatine. They were sometimes served alongside another classic London dish: pie and mash. Sadly for traditionalists, only a few establishments in the East End still serve this slippery delicacy, with Barneys Seafood in Billingsgate being one of the best places to try it.

42. Beef olives

A slow-cooked Scottish dish, beef olives are made by wrapping thinly sliced steak around sausage meat, stuffing, black pudding or even haggis. The parcels are then braised in gravy with onion and vegetables for a couple of hours while you go and work up an appetite. It’s comfort food at its finest – with no actual olives anywhere in sight.

41. Stargazy pie

This strange and magical pie from Cornwall is traditionally baked and eaten in the coastal village of Mousehole on 23 December each year. It features chopped eggs and bacon in a creamy, herby sauce... with whole (gutted and boned) herrings and pilchards with their heads gazing through the pie crust. Not many people have tried it, but those who have, love it.

40. Black pudding

Similar to French boudin noir, black pudding is a sausage made from blood (usually pigs' blood), plus fat and oatmeal. It’s normally cut into slices, fried and served as part of a hearty breakfast, but it can also be crumbled over soups, stirred into stews or used as a stuffing. It’s very divisive, but it still has enough fans to be sold at butchers all over Britain.

39. Scotch egg

Despite the name, Scotch eggs aren’t Scottish in origin. It’s believed they were first widely produced at fancy London department store Fortnum & Mason in 1738 and sold to travellers heading west from Piccadilly. Perfect picnic food, the portable snack is made by coating a cooked egg in sausage meat and breadcrumbs, then deep frying to perfection.

38. Kippers

Kippers are herring that have been sliced in half, salted or pickled, and then smoked. The dish became popular in England during Victorian times, when the cheap, oily, pungent-smelling fish were eaten for breakfast or as an after-work meal by the working class. These days, they’re much less common, but you’ll still find kippers on toast and kipper omelettes in old-school restaurants.

37. Bubble and squeak

Anyone who hadn't heard of this dish would struggle to guess from the name alone. Bubble and squeak was invented as an ingenious way of using up leftover vegetables. It usually features the likes of cooked onion, carrot, cabbage, swede or kale, plus lots of mashed potato to bind it all together. It’s fried in a pan – sometimes with a little bacon or leftover meat added – in small patties or as one big potato cake. It's delicious with a fried egg on top.

36. Eton mess

Eton College is a famous private boarding school in Windsor that was once attended by Princes William and Harry. Eton mess is a classic dessert that people say was invented at a cricket match on college grounds in the 19th century when a dessert was accidentally dropped on the floor. Whether the story's true or not, Eton mess remains a firm summer favourite in Britain to this day. It's made with fresh strawberries, broken meringues and whipped cream.

35. Bread and butter pudding

This frugal dessert features layers of buttered stale bread and raisins, baked in creamy custard. One of the earliest printed recipes for bread and butter pudding appeared in 1728, and the dish hasn't changed much since then. Stodgy and comforting, it’s still served in homes throughout the UK – often with a dollop of cream or ice cream on the side.

34. Potted shrimp

Potted shrimp is made from the small brown shrimp found in the waters around North Norfolk and Morecambe Bay, as opposed to prawns, which are larger and can be found throughout the British Isles. The sweet shellfish are boiled, shelled and preserved in butter spiced with mace, nutmeg, pepper and cloves, making a great spread to slather over warm toast.

33. Haggis

An iconic Scottish dish, haggis is made from minced sheep's heart, liver and lungs, plus oatmeal, onions, suet and spices. It used to be stuffed into a cleaned animal's stomach for cooking, but nowadays synthetic casings are often used. It’s traditionally eaten alongside neeps and tatties (mashed turnip and potatoes) on Burns Night (25 January), to celebrate the life and works of poet Robert Burns.

32. Marmite

'You either love it or hate it' is Marmite’s slogan – but most people in Britain tend to be in the 'love' camp, slathering the salty spread onto buttered toast every morning. Made from leftover brewers' yeast, it was invented by German scientist Justus von Liebig in the UK in 1902. It's been popular ever since and was even included in soldiers' rations during World War I.

31. Pease pudding

Pease pudding is traditionally enjoyed in northeast England, where it's been a savoury favourite since the 1820s. Dried yellow split peas are boiled with veggies, herbs and vinegar until you get a filling, paste-like meal. It's traditionally served with thick slices of ham or gammon alongside a healthy glug of parsley sauce. Alternatively, the more adventurous might use it to make a ham and pease pudding sandwich.

30. Cottage pie

Cottage pie and shepherd's pie are easily confused, but cottage pie should be made with minced beef, not lamb. This beefy creation is the elder of the two dishes, dating all the way back to the late 1700s. It's stood the test of time simply because the combination of rich, slow-cooked beef and fluffy mashed potato will always make for a delicious winter warmer.

29. Eccles cake

Perfect for enjoying with a cup of tea, Eccles cakes are golden, buttery pastries not to be confused with Christmassy mince pies. The disc-shaped sweet treats are rounds of flaky pastry filled with currants and spices – hence the rather unappetising nickname 'squashed fly cakes'. They hail from the town of Eccles, part of Greater Manchester, but they're eaten all over the UK.

28. Cullen skink

Cullen skink was originally a broth made with beef scraps, but it evolved over time to include the distinctive flavour of smoked haddock. This happened in the early 1890s when the townsfolk of Cullen, in northeastern Scotland, replaced the expensive meat with smoked haddock, which was cheaper and more readily available. The soup is a hearty dish still served today, best enjoyed with a chunk of crusty bread.

27. Steak and kidney pie

The filling of a traditional steak and kidney pie is a simple but flavourful combination of diced beef steak, onion and kidney stewed in a rich brown gravy. This hearty stew is placed inside a shortcrust pastry crust and baked until golden and delicious. The comforting dish dates back to the 1800s and is still popular at old-school pubs and traditional butchers across the UK today.

26. Champ

Champ is Northern Ireland’s most popular mashed potato–based side – potentially even beating out regular mash. If you want to be historically accurate, you should make champ using potatoes, milk, butter and stinging nettles. But these days, most people leave out the nettles and use spring onions in their place. It’s been a comfort food classic for generations.

25. Kedgeree

A dish of flaked, smoked haddock, hard-boiled eggs and spiced rice, kedgeree has been a go-to brunch dish since Victorian times. Brought back from India by British colonisers, it’s thought to have been inspired by a dish called khichuri, which sees rice and lentils paired with fried fish. Originally, kedgeree was only flavoured with salt, pepper and cayenne, but these days other seasonings such as curry powder, turmeric, cardamom, chilli, garlic and cumin are added.

24. Welsh cakes

The simplest ingredients – flour, butter, sugar, egg, milk and currants – combine to make the wonderful Welsh cake. These little round treats were traditionally cooked over an open flame, but you can easily recreate them at home in a frying pan. The result is somewhere between a scone and a teacake, and they've been part of Welsh culture for almost 200 years. Enjoy them plain or with butter and jam.

23. Shortbread

Shortbread lovers can thank two very different people (who were around hundreds of years apart) for raising the biscuit's public profile. The first was Mary, Queen of Scots, who apparently loved a type of shortbread called petticoat tails. The second is Ted Lasso, the title character in the popular Apple TV series. Lasso's shortbread became a fan obsession for the large role it played throughout the show's run.

22. Pork pie

Brits love a savoury pie – and the pork pie, which is eaten cold, makes for a quick and easy lunch. The best pork pies are handmade, with hot water crust pastry (made with lard, boiling water and flour), seasoned pork and stock jelly. They hail from the Midlands, where several tasty varieties are still made today.

21. Trifle

A quintessential English dessert, trifle has played a starring role at banquets and birthday parties since the 18th century. It’s usually served in a glass bowl to show off its different layers: sponge, fruit, jelly, custard and cream. Two trifles are rarely the same, as each layer can have so many different variations.

20. Lancashire hotpot

No prizes for guessing where this comforting classic comes from. It originated in Lancashire during the cotton industry boom in the 19th century, and rose to prominence after being featured in The English Cookery Book in 1859. The recipe called for stewed mutton and root vegetables, finished off with a topping of sliced potatoes and baked until golden. The dish has changed very little over the years, and Lancashire hotpot is still an easy, affordable and filling meal.

19. Bara brith

This rich fruit loaf has a long history dating back centuries. Bara brith translates to 'speckled bread', and that should give you an idea about its ingredients. The yeasted dough is dotted with dried fruits and finished with mixed spice to make a delicious teatime treat enjoyed across Wales. To make the most of it, slather slices of bara brith with salted butter and pair with a cup of tea.

18. Banoffee pie

Banoffee pie may seem like a distinctly American dish, but it was invented in 1971 by Nigel Mackenzie, owner of The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex. He was experimenting with a coffee-flavoured pie, but decided to substitute the coffee for, well, banana. A British classic was born, featuring a biscuit base, sticky caramel sauce, whipped cream and fresh banana slices.

17. Shepherd’s pie

The ultimate comfort food, shepherd’s pie is an easy dish that pairs a meaty minced lamb sauce with a mashed potato topping. Chopped carrots, onion, wine and Worcestershire sauce usually go into the sauce for flavour. The dish has been around since at least the 1850s and has been a popular dinner across the UK ever since.

16. Battered sausage

A fast food favourite, battered sausages are made in the same way as crispy fish: by dipping them in batter, then deep frying them in hot oil. It's the go-to menu option for fish-phobes when the Friday night chip shop order is being put in, and tastes wonderful with a side of chips and curry sauce.

15. Chicken tikka masala

One of the most popular curries in Britain, chicken tikka masala features juicy chicken chunks in a rich, mildly spiced tomato sauce. Although many people consider it to be an Indian dish, it was likely first invented at a curry house in Glasgow in the 1970s. The story goes that chef Ali Ahmed Aslam created the sauce from a tin of condensed tomato soup when a customer complained that their chicken was too dry.

14. Sausage roll

A picnic and party platter essential, sausage rolls are made by encasing sausage meat in puff pastry, then baking it in the oven. Miniature, jumbo-sized, hot or cold, this snack has been enjoyed by Brits for centuries, so they were justifiably horrified when US store Trader Joe’s claimed to have invented a suspiciously similar dish called 'puff dogs' in 2017.

13. Welsh rarebit

Basically a fancy version of grilled cheese on toast, Welsh rarebit is a dish that's been cooked since the 18th century and, despite a similar-sounding name, has nothing to do with rabbit. Grated Cheddar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and spices are added to a béchamel sauce – and the rich, cheesy, spicy mix is then poured all over toasted bread.

12. Jam roly-poly

A sweet, stodgy British dessert, jam roly-poly is made by spreading jam on top of suet pastry, rolling it up like a roulade and then steaming it. Although jam roly-poly is not as popular today as it once was, home cooks still make their own family recipes, including versions stuffed with mincemeat (the sweet, fruity kind).

11. Pigs in blankets

In America, pigs in blankets are frankfurters wrapped in croissant dough – a bit like the British sausage roll. But in the UK, they’re something entirely different. Served almost exclusively at Christmas, pigs in blankets are made by wrapping chipolatas in bacon and baking them in the oven. Combining two of the country’s favourite pork products, the bite-size appetisers are juicy and crispy at the same time.

10. Beans on toast

Too tired to cook? Beans on toast is the answer! Every Brit knows how to make this classic, zero-effort dish: simply toast two slices of bread, heat up a tin of baked beans, then pour them over the toast. If you're feeling fancy, sprinkle some grated Cheddar over the top. It’s a fail-safe, nationwide staple that's been around for nearly as long as canned baked beans have.

9. Scones and clotted cream

A British cream tea is an afternoon ritual featuring scones, jam, clotted cream and a pot of tea. Clotted cream is different from double cream in that it’s thick enough to spread. Tea rooms in Devon and Cornwall specialise in serving these, but you can find the sweet treat all over the country. The big debate is whether to add the cream or the jam first...

8. Bangers and mash

Bangers and mash, or sausages with mashed potatoes, is a favourite meal for many Brits. The reason they're called bangers apparently goes back to World War I when sausages used to pop – or bang – while being fried in a pan because of their high water content, due to meat rationing. Sausages rarely bang these days (unless you've done something seriously wrong), but they still make for a beautifully filling meal. For the best possible version of bangers and mash, serve it with onion gravy.

7. Chip butty

Originally a popular working-class lunch, the chip butty’s origins can be traced to a chip shop in Oldham, Lancashire, in the north of England in the 1860s. It was traditionally made with a barm cake (a soft, round bread roll), though these days it’s just as common to see fat chips stuffed between two slices of buttered white bread and covered in ketchup.

6. Sticky toffee pudding

Saucy, spongy and sugary, sticky toffee pudding is one of the richest desserts you can eat. To make it, a golden sponge cake filled with chopped dates is cut into squares and served with a ladle of caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. While some might think this British dessert dates back centuries, it was first served at the Lake District’s Sharrow Bay Hotel in the 1970s.

5. Toad in the hole

A much-loved dish of sausages baked in batter, toad in the hole was a school dinner favourite and staple midweek meal back in the day. To make it, you pour a mixture of flour, eggs and milk into a searingly hot pan of cooked sausages and fat, then bake until it’s puffed up and crispy. It’s basically a giant Yorkshire pudding and often comes served with a side of mashed potato and gravy.

4. Roast dinner with Yorkshire pudding

Many countries have their own tasty takes on roast meat, so what makes a British roast dinner so unique? First of all, for many people, it's a weekly tradition. This home-cooked meal is shared with the family, usually on a Sunday, and enjoyed on special occasions such as Christmas Day. Whether you serve chicken, lamb, pork, beef or a vegetarian alternative, seasonal vegetables, roast potatoes and gravy are always essential.

3. Full English breakfast

The hearty fry-up is one of England’s most ubiquitous dishes, found on menus everywhere from home kitchens and casual cafés to fancy restaurants. Its contents can vary greatly, though it usually features bacon, sausage, fried, scrambled or poached eggs, baked beans and a side of toast. However, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding, hash browns and fried bread are all common additions.

2. Cornish pasty

The lunch of choice for 19th-century miners, Cornish pasties were easily portable; the crust could be used as a handle and would be thrown away after the pie was eaten. Made from shortcrust pastry and crimped down one side, traditional pasties contain minced beef, potato, swede, onion and seasoning. Although pasties are made and eaten throughout Britain nowadays, a true Cornish pasty must be made to the west of the River Tamar in Cornwall.

1. Fish and chips with mushy peas

This classic pairing dates back to the 19th century. To make the dish, white fish (such as cod or haddock) is coated in batter and deep-fried until crunchy. It's traditionally served with thick, fluffy chips and drenched in salt and vinegar. On a Friday night, families all over the nation pick up this British delicacy from their local chippy. A side of mushy peas is also a must!

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Last updated by Luke Paton.