Wine and Food of Formula 1: 10th Race – British Grand Prix, Silverstone, England

Big Ben in London, England

This is the tenth in the series of articles to help provide a taste of the world of Formula One for those new to it and for those that have been fans all their lives.  It is about the racing venue cities, in this case Silverstone in Towcester, England in the county of Northamptonshire. I write an overview of travel info, a bit of history, culture, and its wine and food to wet your appetite to travel to the regions of the world covered. Perhaps take a liking to Formula One racing, pick up some knowledge of the area’s wine and food, and hopefully learn something new. All articles are in the same order: (1) recap and stats of prior race, (2) opinion and news on upcoming race, (3) overview of history, culture, economy, and travel information of racing venue’s region, (4) the wine of the region where the race is held, (5) the food of the region the race is held. There will also be links to other websites of interest and video playlists.

What I mainly write about is wine and food and as this article is an overview of several topics around the Formula One racing circuit, I will come back with more extensive articles on wine and food regions of the world over time.

Recap and Thoughts of Last Race: European Grand Prix, Valencia, Spain

(link to prior European Grand Prix article) 

1st Place:  Sebastian Vettel (DEU), Fastest Lap:  1:39.141, Team: Red Bull Renault (AUT), Start Position: Pole 

2nd Place: Lewis Hamilton (GBR), Fastest Lap: 1:39.156, Team: McLaren Mercedes (GBR), Start Position: 3rd 

3rd Place: Jenson Button (GBR), Fastest Lap: 1:38. 766, Team: McLaren Mercedes (GBR), Start Position: 7^th

Team domination. This will mark Red Bull Renault’s 4^th win. McLaren already has 4 wins for the season as well. This means of the nine races so far, it has been between Red Bull Renault and McLaren bringing home the wins.  

There has been only one race of the nine so far won by a team other than McLaren or Red Bull Renault and that was in the first race of the season in Bahrain where the win went to Ferrari with Fernando Alonso taking the win.

From the start there was plenty of excitement. Vettel took the lead from the pole position barely, with Hamilton taking second over Vettel’s teammate, Mark Webber who started in 3^rd place. It was actually an unusually terrible start for Webber as Hamilton’s move pushed him back to 9^th place on the first lap where he was battling Heikki Kovalainen for position. Michael Schumacher had a very nice start moving up four positions to 11^th place from his terrible starting position after a not so great qualification the day before. Fernando Alonso, now in 3^rd. Not much change happened from the 2^nd lap to the 8^th lap. 

On the 8^th lap, a horrific accident between Mark Webber for Red Bull Renault and Heikki Kovalainen for Lotus happened (see video below). In what appeared to be Kovalainen trying to be a nice guy, he moved over for the faster Webber but both cars actually took the same path. When Webber went to pass, this is when his front end clipped Kovalainen. This flew Webber up into the air like a rocket at take off and landing upside down, flipping over, then into a wall. Webber the trouper that he is just got out of the car and acted like nothing happened! He has had some experience in horrific crashes though. In his earlier days as a driver, and before F1, he was racing in the 24 hour LeMans when his car took a similar lift off and landed over an embankment. He came out of that one just fine too and this was before many of the safety measures were implemented – so this guy is tough as nails. When you see the video below, this will give you some idea how dangerous this sport really is and how light these cars actually are. Unfortunately though, this accident took Webber out of the race as well as Kovalainen. The safety car came out and there was a mad rush by most all of the teams to the pits for tire changes. A few stayed behind however, most notable Schumacher and Kamui Kobayashi.

On lap 12, while the safety car was still on the track, Schumacher was called in for his pit stop. On his way out of a really good pit stop, he was met with a red light (meaning to come to a stop before leaving the pit lane). This went on, as timing is everything, because the safety car was still on the track but did not pass pit lane yet and because of this, there is a rule that states that no cars can leave pit lane ahead of the safety car. This was just bad strategy on the part of the Mercedes GP team and this put Schumacher all the way back to 24^th – last place. The safety car came in on the 16^th lap when Alonso came in for a pit stop, as did his teammate Felipe Massa, both for Ferrari,  when Alonso came out of pit lane he was now in 9^th and Massa in 17^th.

After his pit stop, Alonso cried foul and claimed that Hamilton jumped past the safety car earlier in the race and claimed he stuck by the rules while still in 3^rd place and did not pass. The stewards reviewed his complaint and found that Hamilton was wrong and deserved a drive through penalty (this is going through pit lane at the required reduced speed through the pits), this would normally have caused Hamilton to drop at least 4-5 positions, from his 2^nd place position he was in, once completed. However, low and behold, it appeared that Hamilton has a bit of blooming luck as he was so much faster than Kobayashi who was in 3^rd place. Kobayashi, who still did make a pit stop yet, was holding off Jenson Button for third place and was slower as well. The result was that Kobayashi did not pass pit lane by the time Hamilton came out. Therefore, there was no change in position and Hamilton still held 2^nd. This in essence meant that this penalty imposed on Hamilton had no affect, except perhaps in needed time to catch Vettel for first. This made Alonso furious! But, I say those are the brakes – so to speak, this was the stewards call. Other cars also appeared to be guilty driving too fast behind the safety car earlier and they were being investigated with a penalty to be imposed, if found guilty, after the race. These drivers included: Button, Kubica, Liuzzi, Barrichello, Hulkenberg, Petrov, Sutil, di La Rosa, and Buemi. On the 51^st lap, Nico Hulkenberg had mechanical failure and his car came to a complete stop. This was unfortunate as he was in position to gain more championship points and was racing one of his best races of this season.

After the race, the stewards did find the nine drivers above guilty of driving too fast under safety and they were all imposed time penalties. This did have some affect on the outcome for a few in championship points, but did not change Button’s position. His fastest speed left enough room for the penalty to not change his position from 3^rd place. When all was said and done, it was a fantastic race and Kobayashi never did make a pit stop which was amazing – the Sauber team should be very proud of that and his driving his best race of the season.   

For latest championship standings please follow this link Championship Standings, for the latest points to date for all drivers and constructors. Presently, McLaren Mercedes leads the pack with 248 points for the World Constructor’s Championship and Lewis Hamilton of the McLaren team, and a prior World Driver’s Champion, leads the World Driver’s Championship with 127 points with a close second held by his teammate, last year’s World Driver’s Champion, Jenson Button with 121 points.  

British Grand Prix, Silverstone, England

The Race

We are now halfway through the season with only nine more races to go after this one.

This race will be held at the historic Silverstone Circuit. It started as a WWII airbase in 1943, after the war in 1945 the Royal Automobile Club was seeking a venue for automobile racing as the British tracks at the time, such as Donington Park and Brooklands, were in disrepair or still being used by the military. Although France was the first to have Grand Prix racing in the late 1800s, followed by the United States, the United Kingdom began to make its mark on Formula One racing for years to come. Silverstone had its first Grand Prix race in 1948, but in 1950 it was the first course to host the inaugural F1 world championship grand prix that is the Formula One racing series we know today. That first race was won by Italian Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo. Although there are other British race tracks that have alternated F1 races throughout the years, there is a lot of history at Silverstone and is a premier racing circuit for drivers, teams, constructors, and most of all the loyal fans.

There will be many loyal fans present and is one of the highest attended races of the year. There is good reason, the Brits love auto racing and their contributions to the sport is so extensive they are nearly impossible to list. Great Britain teams and constructors by the names of: Lotus, Benetton, McLaren, Jordon, Jaguar, Williams, Cooper, Tyrrell, Arrows, Brabham, BRM, Stewart, and more. Over 150 F1 drivers came from Great Britain, many of whom made great contributions after driving in engineering, as F1 commentators, in management, ownership, and much more, among them: Derek Bell, Mark Blundell, Martin Brundle, Peter Collins, Mike Hawthorne, Johnny Herbert, Graham Hill, Damon Hill, David Hobbs, Johnny Herbert, James Hunt, Eddie Irvine, Nigel Mansell, Stirling Moss, John Surtees, John Watson, among many others. Then there is Colin Chapman who only raced one season in 1956 but made his contribution in many ways from designing and building cars to racing them and selling them. He put up the initial seed money to start Lotus Engineering in 1952 and is in a class all his own. For many U.S. racing fans, he actually was responsible for bringing rear engine technology to the Indy 500 cars.

The United Kingdom also produced some great drivers from Scotland such as: Jim Clark who was the driver for Team Lotus under Colin Chapman and won two championships and 25 wins, Jackie Stewart who won three championships and 27 wins, and David Coulthard with 13 wins. 

Great Britain can also claim the most winning teams and drivers in the history of the FIA World Championship as well.

As for those currently in F1 from Great Britain, we have: Lewis Hamilton, the youngest driver to ever win the World Championship in 2008 after joining McLaren only one year before. He currently leads, as of this writing, in this season’s World Driver’s Championship points. Hamilton’s teammate Jenson Button is also from Great Britain and is racing for the first time for McLaren. Button, who has been racing in Formula One since 2000, is the 2009 World Driver’s Champion and is currently, as of this writing, in second place in points behind Hamilton. 

There have been 11 winners from Great Britain of the British Grand Prix: James Hunt, Peter Collins, Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, John Watson, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert, David Coulthard, and Lewis Hamilton.

The teams and constructors currently racing this season under the British flag are: McLaren, Williams, and Virgin Racing. Quite a few teams are headquartered in Great Britain as well, even though they are racing under other country’s flags, they are: Force India (India) as it was once the Great Britain Jordon team that was based in Silverstone and is still headquartered there, Mercedes GP (Germany) of which is owned by Ross Brawn from Great Britain.  Red Bull (Austria) is also based in Milton Keynes, England and Renault (France) has its factory in Oxfordshire. Lotus is now racing under the Malaysian flag, but still has its roots firmly planted in Britain. Cosworth engines are also a UK based company. They are the constructor for the following teams: Virgin, Williams, Lotus, and HRT (Hispania Racing Team).

All I can say is — F1 and Great Britain are so intertwined they are joined at the hip.

The Silverstone circuit has quite a few driving experiences for those wanting to do more than observe. You can take a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Aston Martin out on the track as part of a driving experience. It is quite popular and what a way to test drive your next car — kidding of course, well maybe! You can go several laps around the course, but better carry great insurance. Other packages are with single-seater racing cars (like the F1) and even motorcycles for you to reserve if you are game that is. Just be prepared to give your name, rank, and serial number and the experience is yours for a price. For more information, click the following link: Silverstone Driving Experiences

This course was redesigned this year and the British Grand Prix will be 52 laps and is 3.66 miles long. It added a few corners as well and drivers will now have to prove their cornering ability over 18 turns. There are several straights that will help pick up speed and passing, however the turns are very tight as well and a lot can be lost there. It will now be one of the fastest F1 courses after Monza. The track record is still held by Michael Schumacher, who also won at Silverstone three times.

TUNE-IN:

Friday, July 9, 2010 – Practice. Practice runs are mainly to fine tune the cars and drivers by testing the track, crew, and the cars. If in the United States, this will be live on Speed Channel at 8:00 am ET/5:00 am PT. 

Saturday, July 10, 2010 – Qualifying. This will determine the starting grid for the race and will determine pole position (inside 1st row) in the final round. The starting grid this year will have twelve rows of two cars each. There are three qualifying rounds. The first round eliminates seven drivers/teams from moving forward to the next round. The second qualifying round will do the same, taking out the bottom seven drivers/teams, leaving the fastest ten. The third and final qualifying round will take the final ten drivers/teams and will determine the first five row of the starting grid. It is a little more complicated than just fastest lap speed and there are situations where it is possible that a driver with a faster lap could end up in the back seven rows. In the United States, this will be live on Speed Channel at 8:00 am ET/5:00 am PT.

After qualifying, the first five rows for the race are (there are an additional 7 rows):

1st Row: Sebastian Vettel (Germany), Pole Position, Fastest Lap 1:29.615 racing for Red Bull Racing Renault; and Mark Webber (Australia), Fastest Lap: 1:29.758 racing for Red Bull

Note: Red Bull Renault’s drivers have won pole position now for nine of the ten races so far this season. This will mark Vettel’s 5th pole position (Webber has had 4 pole positions). This will also be the 4th time that both drivers have started from the first row together.

*The above stats have been revised and are now correct. A draft prior to the final article was published rather than the final copy with only the above stats needing to be updated.

2nd Row: Fernando Alonso (Spain), Fastest Lap: 1:30.426 racing for Ferrari; and Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) Fastest Lap 1:30.556 for McLaren Mercedes

 3rd Row: Nico Rosberg (Germany) Fastest Lap: 1:30.625 racing for Mercedes GP; and Robert Kubica (Poland) for Renault F1 Team, Fastest Lap 1:31.040

4th Row:  Felipe Massa (Brazil) for Ferrari, Fastest Lap 1:31.172; and Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) for Williams, Fastest Lap 1:31.175 

5th Row:  Pedro de La Rosa (Spain), Fastest Lap: 1:31.274 racing for Sauber-Ferrari; and Michael Schumacher (Germany) for Mercedes GP, Fastest Lap 1:31.430 

NOTE: Jenson Button (Great Britain) failed to make it past the 2^nd qualifying round and will start in mid pack. 

Sunday, July 11, 2010 – RACE DAY. In the US, Speed Channel will not be covering this, will be aired instead live on the Fox Broadcast networks at 12:00 pm ET/9:00 am PT.

Updated 7/11/2010 1:00 p.m. – Race Results:

1^st  Place – Mark Webber (Australia) for Red Bull Renault.  This is Webber’s 3^rd win for this season. He started in 2^nd position and quickly overtook his teammate Vettel for 1^st and there was no stopping him from that point forward. It is Webber’s 5^th podium finish of the season. Webber is now in 3^rd place with 128 World Driver’s Championship points. Great driving and a man with on mission.

2^nd Place – Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) for McLaren Mercedes. This is Hamilton’s 6^th podium finish of the season. He started from 4th position and he and Webber were one-two for most of the race. Hamilton also showed his great driving skills today and with his 2^nd place in this race, gathered enough championship points to still be in the lead for the FIA World Driver’s Championship with 145 points.

 3^rd Place – Nico Rosberg (Germany) for Mercedes GP. This is Rosberg’s ^3rd podium finish of the season. He is now in 6^th place for the World Driver’s Championship with 90 points.

McLaren-Mercedes still leads in the FIA World Constructor’s Championship with 278 points, followed by Red Bull Renault with 249 points then in 3^rd place currently is Scuderia Ferrari with 165 points.

You should go to the special page I set up called Formula 1: Intro, Wine, and Foodfor more detailed information on F1, race schedule, Race Stats and Opinion for F1 2010 Season (updated 7/11/10),  2010 Formula 1 World Championship Standings (updated 7/11/10), links to all teams, drivers, racing circuits, and organizations that have websites to further your knowledge and enjoyment of the sport. You will also find a real-time television schedule of air time for the races on Speed Channel. This page will supplement the individual articles that I write and will also serve as an archive when the racing season ends and for the series of articles.

NEXT UP: German Grand Prix on July 25, 2010 (race day) at 12:00 pm ET. My article will be published on or before July 24, 2010. 

Below please find a playlist of a few videos found on YouTube: the Course Simulator with Red Bull Renault Driver Mark Webber and footage of his horrific crash in the last race in Valencia, Spain

A Brief Background on History, Culture, Customs

First Things First…

Great Britain, Britain, England, British Isles, United Kingdom are they all the same, right?? NO!!!!

Just in case you do not remember high school history or are as guilty as I am of occasionally saying whatever is expedient, these are all different.

United Kingdom (U.K.)

Originally was just the United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707, and then in 1801 was called United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until 1921 when most of Ireland, except for the Northern Ireland, became independent. Since then the official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It includes England (capital London), Scotland (capital Edinburgh), Wales (capital Cardiff), and Northern Ireland (capital Belfast) and includes the British Isles (see below) not belonging to the Republic of Ireland. The capital of the U.K. is also London.

Great Britain

This includes only England, Wales, and Scotland (Scotland has always had its own Parliament and legal system).

Britain

Is England and Wales only. Britain comes from the name the Romans gave this part of the world during their conquests called Britannia (Britannia Major). Note, the Romans gave the name of Britannia Minor to what would become Brittany, France during this same period.

British Isles

Consists of the two large islands of Great Britain (see above) and all of Ireland and over 5,000 small islands. It includes the two nations of the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland (the independent Ireland not part of the U.K.). Among the other islands are: The Isle of Man (in the Irish Sea), Hebrides (northwest of Scotland), Isles of Sicily (southwest coast of England), The Isle of Wright (southern coast of England), Lundy Island (southwest coast of England),the Channel Islands (in the English Channel), and many other islands offshore.

England

Is only one country in the United Kingdom, but where over 80% of U.K.’s population reside and is the U.K.’s capital, the seat of power. The English language originated there and is still the official language of the U.K., however in Scotland and Wales, they do have their own language, but it is the English language spoken most. The English language it originated is recognized and spoken almost universally worldwide. Countries that were once under British rule have of course gone on and developed their own form of the English language, such as in America and Australia.

British history is one of the oldest and one with profound impact. Its early history is filled with courageous and forward thinking kings, queens, religious leaders, and others, and it also has some of its worst. However, I would love to get into its history and timelines, this article is an overview of many topics around the racing venue, including the area’s wine and food. I will come back to British history and culture, and even its wine and food more extensively in future articles.

As this article is about the racing venue in Silverstone, England I will stay focused on this area and encourage you to visit the area, perhaps for next year’s F1 race!   

Silverstone, England   

Kirby Hall and Gardens, Northamptonshire

Silverstone is located in the county of Northamptonshire which is in the inland East Midlands region with a history going back to an estimated 4,000 BC. The population of Northamptonshire, as of 2008 estimates, is 685,000 and has seven districts: Northampton, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, Daventry, South Northamptonshire, and East Northamptionshire. Among Northamptonshire’s main towns, based on population or history, are: Northampton (its county town), Corby, Wellingborough, Kettering, Rushden, Daventry, and Towcester.

The county of Northamptonshire has a very long history (most of which occurred in what was then Lactodorum, now the town of Towcester) and is filled with historical sites, churches, fields of battle, castles, and other notable sites. It is estimated that in the first century BC the area belonged to a native tribe called the Belgics and it was part of the Catuvellauni territory. The Romans conquered this area around 43 AD. After the Romans left, it became the kingdom of Mercia, part of the Anglo Saxon movement, where they converted to Christianity in mid 600 AD. In the 800 AD era it was captured by the Danes. In the turbulent times of the 900 AD era, it was taken back by the son of Alfred the Great, known as Wessex King Edward the Elder, to only have it captured again by the Vikings then taken back again. To this day it has Saxon and Danish named towns, settlements, and street names.  

The district of Northampton itself goes back to the Norman Conquest in 1066 and is among the fastest growing towns in the U.K. and has many stores, boutiques, fine restaurants and cafes, is home to Market Square, one of the largest town center projects in England with its open air markets, events, stores, entertainment, and food. It also has the University of Northampton where it is said to have over 10,000 students spread over two campuses. Northampton is also the final resting place of Diana the Princess of Wales in Althorp.

Northamptonshire is home to a castle built for William the Conqueror called Rockingham Castle that is still standing and well taken care of by the Watson family that still own it from when it was granted to them by King Henry the VIII. Family members still live there, but sections of the castle and grounds are open for tours, weddings, events, picnics, and also has a couple of tea rooms open to the public for dining, enjoying beer or wine, and of course tea. Other castle of note, but no longer standing, is the Fotheringhay Castle where Mary, Queen of Scots (Queen Mary, also known as Bloody Mary) was imprisoned before being executed by her half sister Queen Elizabeth. This county saw King Henry VI captured in 1647 during the War of the Roses at the Battle of Northampton. It was also home to another captured Monarch, King Charles I (later to be executed) in 1647 after being defeated in the Civil War and held at the Holdenby House in what is now as the town of Northampton.

Northamptionshire in the 18^th and 19^th centuries became part of the industrial revolution and began to grow, it is also known for it fine leather products and shoes. It became a major steel manufacturing hub for England in the early 1900s mainly centered in Corby, which would later become a recognized town in the 1950s. Today, Northamptonshire is going through major development (in Northampton mentioned above) promising major growth with over 167,000 new homes and over 141,000 new jobs over the next 30 years. Its local economy already has many major league players of business located there, such as: Barclaycard, Carlsberg Beer, Siemens, England’s famous shoe manufacturer R. Griggs and Co, Burton Latimer the breakfast cereal manufacturer, and many more. This is on top of the auto racing teams and plants, mentioned above located in this county.

Towcester

Silverstone is a village in the town of Towcester, which is 70-90 miles from London (well, depending on how one drives), between Oxford and Cambridge, and is in the South Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire. Towcester has an estimated 10,000 people residing there in the oldest town in the county. There is also a lot of history here like most of Great Britain. It is estimated that Towcester started its Mesolithic period in 4000 BC. It suffered from plagues, epidemics, and fires and came out of all of them stronger than ever. Notables that were born in Towcester include: James Mason Hutchings the discoverer of Yosemite and Thomas Shepard (often spelled Sheppard in Britain) the Puritan minister that was instrumental in the founding of Harvard University, and only a few miles from Towcester is an ancestral home of George Washington at Sulgrave Manor. Charles Dickens spent time there and wrote about his stay at the Saracens Head (still there as a hotel and restaurant) in the Pickwick Papers, and it is said that Queen Victoria stayed while there while she was Princess.

This frontier town of Towcester was a bit of a coach stop in its past, hosting travelers on their way to and from other locales. This is apparent on the Watling Street route that was paved by the Romans who built a station there for travels to and from Chester and North Wales. While under the Romans, Towcester was called at the time Lactodorum (see above history brief). Today there are plenty of homes lining this street that were once Inns and/or Pubs for the travelers. A railway was established in 1866 that increased visitors as well as new residents. Now there are main junctions and motorways throughout the area providing easy access throughout England.

There are many quaint inns, hotels, pubs, very nice restaurants and cafes, tearooms, plenty of shopping, playgrounds, a town centre, and museums such as the Stoke Bruerne (formally known as the Canal Museum). It also hosts a variety of festivals and events throughout the year. There is also Moat Lane that has its own history, such as Bury Mount. It is also a planned development with a hotel, restaurant, shopping, and more.

As for sports I discussed Silverstone above. However, this area is into all kinds of racing. There is the Towcester Racecourse for horse racing in a beautiful setting and then there are two more motor racing courses in the county of Northamptonshire. Rockingham, like Silverstone, has racing experiences but has an oval track that is known for all types of motor racing, except for Formula One, and the other Santa Pod Raceway known for its drag racing, truck racing, and other forms of motor racing.

Cannot go on without mentioning some restaurants in Towcester or within a few miles (many are in hotels and inns that you should take note of if you ever plan to visit – Saracens Head is mentioned above):

Vine House

The Boat Inn

Murrays Restaurant

La Strada

The Folly Inn

Brave Old Oak

Little Chef

The Fox and Hounds (in Northampton)

Beefeater Grill (4 locations within 25 miles)

Prezzo (in Northampton)

Equilibrium (in Fawsley Hall in Daventry)

Rushton Hall (this is in the county of Northhamptonshire, but is a distance from Towcester, but is worth mentioning) 

Oundle Mill (this is several miles away, but it is worth mentioning and is in a historic B&B)

First, England itself does have a wine industry. Yes, I know it is not very well known here in the United States and it has had its ups and downs as far as quality wines go, but things they are a changing. Many wineries are now being recognized by international wine competitions and the distribution channels are opening up. It would be nice to try more British wines, but let’s face it they are not very well known in the United States and other areas, yet. Even in Britain, beer still seems to be favored, at least for now, by the male population. However, like many of the emerging wine producing countries, there are a lot of factors involved, such as politics, marketing, investment capital, environment/climate, and many other hurdles. Over the last twenty years or so British wine has been improving, especially in sparkling wines where many are made by the traditional mèthode champenoise, with some beating some great French champagne in blind tastings and in competitions. Several years ago, over 90% of the wine produced was white wine, but I was unable to obtain the latest statistics in time for this article to state if this is still true.

As Britain is under the European Commission, there are also roadblocks there as well in labeling and classifications. Like its grand and long history, Britain has a lot of pride and is up to the challenge, I have no doubt it will come out ahead of this game, it is only a matter of time.

As this article is about the area around the race venue, in or near Towcester, this area really does not produce much wine and has only a few wineries. Below you will find links to three of these wineries in or around Towcester and Northamptonshire that have websites I was able to locate. This is such a fantastic and historically significant area to visit that you should also plan for a little wine tasting and visit the wineries in this area as well.

Fleur Fields

New Lodge Vineyard/Earls Baron

Welland Valley Vineyard  

The Food

(grub, munch, nosh)

British Fish and Chips

If you are an American traveling to Britain there is no need to learn a new language, really?? Although we both speak the English language, Britain has its own terminology for a lot of things that can vary from area to area. What we call certain foods, the British can call something else. So as I go over some British favorites, I will try my best to point out the different terms.

Many find traditional British food bland, but I beg to differ. I have ancestors that came from England and I happen to like the food – thank you very much! It is hearty and satisfying food. India also has its influence over a lot of the cuisine and you will find it infused in many dishes. You will often find many Indian restaurants throughout England as well.

Meal times can be confusing as there were traditions set around the fact that in the past many women did not work, well things have changed. To add to the confusion restaurants, pubs, and hotels can be Americanized, European, or very British. The following is a guideline, but certainly is subject to many variables depending on region, urban or rural areas, blue collar or white collar communities, tourist areas, and so on. Of course, most people do not have every meal listed during the day, instead some meals are taken and others are not.

Breakfast is served between the hours of 7:00 am and 9:00 am. It is often called brunch after this time up to the lunch time hours.

Traditional English Breakfast. Consists of fried back bacon* and fried egg, with mushrooms, and black pudding (blood sausage) served with fried or toasted bread. Many will also add baked beans and/or grilled tomatoes. Fried potatoes can also be served with this, but I have also had roasted potatoes.

*Bacon (can be called rasher) comes in many varieties in Britain. Back bacon for one is more expensive and is from the boneless cut pork lion that runs through the back of the pig and looks a great deal like Canadian bacon if no fat appears, in the traditional cut it will look like very thin slices of pork lion if some fat is on the edges. Streaky bacon in Britain is the closest to American bacon in that it has “streaks” of fat with meat cut in strips for most part and usually comes from the belly.

Another breakfast dish is simply soft boiled eggs and soldiers. Soldiers are finger length slices of toast that is used to dip in the egg yolk. This can be served with potatoes and/or gammon (ham) if a bit more hungry.

Others choose toast, crumpets, or pastry with butter and jam, marmalade, or Marmite (a yeast spread) with juice or fruit, and tea or coffee. This is otherwise known as a Continental Breakfast.

Another breakfast of choice is porridge (cooked oatmeal with hot milk and sugar, I always like adding a bit of melted butter or maple syrup) or semolina (this is best described as cream of wheat here in the U.S.) served with milk sugar (I like adding melted butter and/or syrup to this too); or good old cereal with fruit.

Another interesting breakfast or midday sandwich is with bap (a rounded roll similar to hamburger buns) with bacon and egg (sometimes with melted cheese). Now this sounds like a McDonald’s breakfast sandwich, I am just saying.

Kedgeree is an Indian inspired breakfast made of curried rice, eggs and haddock (usually smoked).

In a few areas they still have deviled kidneys. This is usually from lamb fried in a spicy sauce and served over bread.

Elevenses. This is usually a tea break and could include very light snack at around 11:00 am.

Luncheon or Lunch. Usually occurs between 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. This is time for a butty or sarnie (sandwich), cheese and biscuits, soup and/or salads, or for going to a Pub and having a Ploughman’s Lunch which is usually cheese, onion (pickled for most part), pickles, and bread, with or without gammon (ham) or it can be a pork pie and salad, and most often with a glass of beer (bitter) from the Pub. Sandwiches are any variety, but some that you will see most often are: roast beef with horseradish, cheese, deviled chicken, egg (have seen deviled egg on some British menus as well).

Note: Sunday is a special day where between 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. can become a bit like an early supper. Many traditionalists will bring out the Sunday roasts (roast beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, etc) with all the fixings of roasted potatoes, parsnips, peas or green beans, breads, gravies, Yorkshire pudding, stuffing with a chicken or turkey roast.  

Afternoon Tea vs. High Tea. There is a difference.

Afternoon Tea is taken between the hours of 3:00 pm and 5:30 pm. Hours can vary based on location with the average time around 4:00 pm in the afternoon. This is also known in many areas as Light Tea. Love to do Afternoon Tea when I can, it is so relaxing — if I can order decaf tea that is! Many, including restaurants, get Afternoon Tea and High Tea confused or it is just better for restaurants to have one or the other so they combine it a bit. There is a bit of a ritual with the tea in that it should always be loose leaf, but you will see tea bags presented for most part these days. With the tea you can have it with lemon (sliced thinly) and sugar or with milk and sugar. Tea can be a variety of types to your liking, but traditional is black tea. The tea can be served with scones with clotted cream and preserves. Clotted cream is very thick and is often called Devonshire cream and is wonderful, you must have it with preserves on your scones – the only way to have it. Finger sandwiches, crumpets (they look like English muffins) that are toasted and spread with a lot of butter, cakes and biscuits are also served if desired. Biscuits are actually cookies in Britain. Some people add a glass of champagne (or English sparkling wine) as well.

High Tea is taken around 6:00 pm. Its roots are with farmers and those in the rural areas as it is a light supper served with tea. It really is not seen that often anymore, but for people that enjoy lighter fare with their tea in lieu of a heavy supper or if they are late night types, this is something to fill them up a bit until a late supper.  High Tea is traditionally served like a buffet where all the food is laid out on a table filled with breads, sweet and savoury pastries, Rarebit which is a melted cheese and toast dish, and cakes. Savoury pastries use meat or cheese as filling versus a fruit or sweet filling. Here in the United States, many establishments have High Tea around the time of the British Afternoon Tea, but it is not the same.

Supper (Dinner) is usually between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. for a lot of residents, but you will find many restaurants serving well past these hours. Dinner is also another term for this meal, but in many regions this means lunch too, so now we can all be officially confused together! Supper/dinner at home traditionally includes a meat and two side dishes of vegetables, of which one is most often potatoes. In fact, the Brits love meat and potatoes in general. In restaurants, pubs, and inns there will be many more courses and choices available like in most places. The First Course (starter) is often an appetizer, small salads, soup, foie gras, a small fish dish or oysters, among many other small dishes. The Main Course is what we often associate with the entrée here in the states and is the heavier meal. Pudding Course (Dessert) is not just the creamy or custard type dessert we have here in the United States, instead it includes pudding itself, custards, cakes, ice cream, and other end of the meal dishes.

Snacks are in between meals and usually are sweets (what we call candy) and crisps (what we call potato chips or other chips).

Take-away. This is what we call take-out here in the United States and is becoming more and more popular in Britain.

Many dishes that are popular and/or that originated in Britain are also favorites in Australia. I also covered these several articles ago on the Australian Grand Prix. You will find many steaks, roasts, wild game, foul, lamb, many fish dishes, always fresh vegetables, gravy, and much more. There are also a lot of curry dishes and Indian spices used in many recipes. All meals tend to be hearty and filling.

Some favorite dishes you will find on menus (of course there will be variations of these depending on chef, if a restaurant caters to tourists or not, if you are in rural or urban locations, etc. and of course includes only a few of the many British dishes out there):

Banger (sausage). A banger can be any variety of what we know as sausages.

Bangers and Mash. Are sausages (usually pork) fried with or without onions, on top of mashed potatoes. I have had this only a couple of times and it was always served with brown onion gravy. However, many claim true bangers and mash are not served with gravy, but like most dishes you will find different cultures prefer it there own way.

Shepherd’s Pie vs. Cottage Pie. Both are fixed the same, the only difference is in Shepherd’s Pie is with lamb and Cottage Pie is with beef. They are layered with the meats, gravy, and vegetables with mashed potatoes on top then baked until the potato topping is brown and slightly crispy.

Cumberland Banger (can be called Cumberland Sausage). Is a pork sausage that is coiled up like a rattle snake ready to strike. It is great on the barbie (barbecue grill).

Fish and Chips. Chips are french fries in Britain and the fish is battered then fried served with the fried chips with malt vinegar. Fish most often used is cod and haddock.

Yorkshire Pudding. This is made of flour, milk and eggs baked in the oven then covered with gravy or left plain to sop up the gravy of the roast it is served with. It rises when baked and can be light and fluffy like a soufflé or can be a bit chewier depending on cooking method. It is most often served with roast beef for Sunday lunch.

Toad in the Hole. Is similar to Yorkshire pudding, but has pork bangers/sausages (usually skinless) inside baked as a casserole with gravy and tomatoes or other vegetable.

Cheese. I have had many great cheeses from Britain: Cheddar, Red Leicester, Stilton, Sage Derby, Double Gloucester, and many more. Please follow this site for more on British cheese. British Cheese Board.

There are so many more dishes, so I found a site that has many British recipes: The British Food Trust

Below please find a video play list about cuisine (a few recipes with Gordon Ramsay), and wine, and travel info for Britain that I pulled together from YouTube:

Cheers then Enjoy!

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