Meals in Britain

A traditional English breakfast is a very big meal – sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms… But nowadays many people just have cereal with milk and sugar, or toast with marmalade, jam, or honey. Marmalade and jam are not the same! Marmalade is made from oranges. Jam is made from other fruit. The traditional breakfast drink is tea. Some people have coffee, often instant coffee. Many visitors to Britain find this coffee disgusting!

For many people lunch is a quick meal. In cities there are a lot of sandwich bars. Pubs often serve good, cheap food, both hot and cold. School – children can have a hot meal at school, but many just take a snack from home – a sandwich, a drink, some fruit. ‘Tea’ means two things. It is a drink and a meal! Some people have afternoon tea, with sandwiches, cakes. Cream yeas are popular.

The evening meal is the main meal of the day for many people. They usually have it quite early, between 6.00 and 8.00, and often the whole family eats together.

On Sundays many families have a traditional lunch. They have roast meat, either beef, lamb, chicken, or pork, with potatoes, vegetables, and gravy. Gravy is a sauce made from the meat juices.

The British like food from other countries, too, especially Italian, French, Chinese, and Indian. People often get take – away meals – you buy the food at the restaurant and then bring it home to eat. Eating in Britain is quite international.