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Hola mi gente!

The Brits get a bad rep when it comes to their culinary contributions to the world. Dicen que the food is bland, flavorless, and totally forgettable but I’m here to tell you… no es verdad! Don’t believe that for a second. Some of the yummiest things I’ve ever eaten have been in Great Britain. I mean, have you HAD AFTERNOON TEA?!? That right there is proof positive that the British cuisine deserves some praise. Si necesitas un poco mas convincing though, lemme take you on a tour of my favorite food spots around England and Scotland just to prove my point.

Small disclaimer: my pictures MAY make you want to hop on a plane to Heathrow immediately. I apologize in advance. 🙂 Vamonos!

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Same Same But Different– Bath, England.

I had the extreme pleasure of stumbling into Same Same But Different for desayuno, my first morning in Bath. I quite literally came across the name of this adorably hip cafe in the first Pinterest post that I found while looking for Bath eats. Este lugar fue magico, pure magic. Outside was rainy and grey, but upon opening the door, I was filled with warm & cozy farmhouse vibes. La comida drove that feeling home too! Everything was top notch; borderline too pretty to eat. We got decadent hot chocolate and croissants para los ninos… DAYUM. Then, artisan coffee that was so yummy, I actually sipped it slowly to make it last longer. The apex of our experience, though, were the egg dishes. All farm fresh and local ingredients, obvio. Super pretty, too. But DELICIOSO! And that’s the whole point, no? I had Eggs Benedict (my obsession) y el marido ate Scrambled Eggs on toast with dry cured bacon…double DAYUM!! Here’s the point, if you ever in the town of Bath… hit this spot up. It’s everything! Crée me!

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“If you want to eat well in England, eat three breakfasts.”

-W. Somerset Maugham

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Cornish Bakehouse– Bath, England

Confession: I’m a huge Potterhead. Yo adoro a Harry and all the books. And ever since reading The Sorcerer’s Stone, I’d wanted to try “Cornish Pasties” something awful. En los libros, they talk about them all the time, and after doing some research, my desire to put my mouth on one of them grew to crazy levels. Especially once I landed in England. So, I’ve learned that almost every country has it’s own version of an “empanada”, and this is Britain’s. The town of Bath, didn’t disappoint for brekkie, and it for damn sure didn’t disappoint with street food. The window display at The Cornish Bakehouse te llama la atención imediatamente; your eyes are drawn to it instantly. Every pasty variety is legit on display for your perusal, golden and crusty… calling your name from inside the cute shop. No se que decir, but to tell you that my tastebuds did a friggin dance when it bit into my traditional Cornish Steak Pasty. It’s a warm, savory pouch of yum; oozing brown gravy but yet crunchy on the outside. Harry wasn’t kidding, pasties are the shizz! Every single flavor, too! Hand held comfort food with superb flavor… tienes que probarlas. Try them, if you haven’t already! Britain’s empanada game is strong, y’all!

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“British food is a celebration of comfort eating. Our traditional savoury recipes are all about warmth and sustenance, our puddings a roll call of sweet jollity, our cakes are deep and cozy. We appear to be a nation in need of a big, warm hug.”

-Nigel Slater

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The Red Lion– Little Compton, England

British pubs are infamous. They have street cred as being THE PLACE to dine & drink within any given community in Britain. Who hasn’t heard a fabulous story that started with, “One night at the pub…” I know I have. La cosa es… the cred is well earned. British pubs really are amazing. They are a perfect blend of cozy and homey pero with the type of food and ambiance that you can’t quite get at home. Especialmente, if you go to a gastropub like The Red Lion in Little Compton, England. This Inn/restaurant is located in a sleepy little village within the Cotswolds Region of England, supremely cute with it’s brick exterior and quaint cottage aesthetic. Es como si Cheers were set inside of someone’s lovely country home…that’s the vibe. Don’t believe me? Check out my picture with the dog. People brought their animales to come and chill with them while they ate. A whole mood. La comida was exceptional too, like if grandma got a degree at culinary school; good technique AND and extra dose of love in every meal. Plus* it’s all sustainably sourced from local farms in the area. Yo ordené the Roast Chicken and Potatoes, which was cooked to perfection.. The Marido also went savory with a Steak and Mash dish that he literally “cleaned up”. We washed it all down with some of the best friggin cider que he probado en mi vida! The Old Mout Cider that they sold was soo good, I ended up going back for more, 3 times! Lemme just cut to the chase, amigos, if you are ever visiting the Cotswolds… drop by the Red Lion. Stay the night even. I promise you’ll have a story to tell.

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“A good local pub has much in common with a church, except that a pub is warmer, and there’s more conversation.”

-William Blake

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The Isles of Glencoe Hotel– Glencoe, Scotland

Antes de ir a Scotland, I thought that Scottish food consisted of just Haggis, meat pies, and deep-fried Mars Bars. I was wrong, obvi, so blissfully wrong. I didn’t realize how off I was, though, until we stayed at The Isles of Glencoe Hotel. During our 2 day stay at the picturesque inn, which is located on an actual loch, I had the opportunity to have my culinary socks knocked off. Lo sorprendiente, the suprising thing, is that nothing was fancy or over the top. Every meal was delicious in it’s simplicity. We had yummy soft-boiled eggs and soldiers for brekkie, appetizers of fresh char-grilled veggies, sirlion steak for dinner, and the most delightful glass of red wine for happy hour. Super simple, pero sabroso. No pretension here…just solid ingredients cooked well. The only “fancy” thing we ate was the gorgeous chocolate parfait that we ordered for dessert. Dejame decirte, that thing was glorious. The pudding was super decadent, the whipped cream was dense and creamy (go figure), and the hazelnuts and bananas were the perfect add-ons. And did I mention it was pretty, because wow! Oh, and did I also mention, that every meal we ate came with a kick ass view of Loch Leven? Yup. The whole place fue bien chévere. Scotland showed up and showed out.

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“Some Hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it, But we have meat and can eat, And sae the Lord be thankit.”

-Robert Burns

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Sally Lunn’s – Bath, England

What’s better than a cool historic cafe in the heart of town? A cool historic cafe that’s ALSO a museum and specializes in a delicious pastry. Claro! Lemme tell you about Sally Lunn’s Eating House. Primero, it was established in 1680 and is one of the oldest buildings in the town of Bath. Pretty rad! Segundo, it contains the actual, intact kitchen that the young Huguenot baker, Sally Lunn, first developed her famous Bath buns in; buns that went from being a regional specialty to a delicacy known the world over. And the recipe is still super duper top secret! Increíble, no? Yea, I’m not gunna lie, I geeked out when I walked into the dining room. Yo senti como si fuera un dama; like I was British lady with title and all, siting down for tea. Everything in the restaurant feels ancient and like it has a story to tell. The feelings only got stronger when our High Tea plate was actually served. I mean, the bun itself is a WORK OF ART. Mira que lindo! And then, the tea set and china were just so classy. Imaginate, my pinky shot up as SOON as I grabbed the teacup. Jaja. This teatime is a bit non-traditional, as we didn’t get finger sandwiches and we didn’t eat scones… but that was not at bad thing at all. The buns are wonderful. They have a texture that, to me, resemble a cronut and that’s a GOOD thing. Cinnamon-y and soft, with a hint of orange…and a side of clotted cream to go with it. Olvidate, I was in heaven. Especially when paired with the warm, flavorful tea. Yum! Bath as a town is all the good things. Put it on your UK list, and make Sally Lunn’s the first stop! Geek out and dine like royalty! You deserve it!

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“I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.”

-Oscar Wilde

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Huffkins Bakery– Cotswolds, England

Listen, if you spend any amount of time in Great Britain and choose not to sit down for afternoon tea, you are missing out. Periodt. Yo no hago las reglas; I don’t make the rules. It’s a serious disservice to yourself and to the British culture if you don’t partake in one of the most sacred traditions the Brits have to offer. Tea time fue la mejor parte of my whole trip to England, hands down. It’s just SUCH an experience. Finding the right spot for afternoon tea is the kicker though, its hella hard. Everybody has an opinion, so it’s important to do your research. My research brought me to the doorstep of Huffkin’s Bakery. They have several locations, all highly rated, but we snagged a reservation for the one in Stow-On-The-Wold. The spot is charming with it’s old stone facade, and big glass windows. Bright, refined, cozy… perfect for a cuppa tea. Ordenamos 2 tea selections: one for the kids (that came with a cute lil teddy) and the other a more traditional version of Afternoon Tea. A common misconception that we Americans tend to have is that this meal is all about the tea, and that’s a no for me. The tea is legit, yes. But bruh, the sammies, the scones, and the clotted cream are WAY more important. Fight me! Huffkins does ALL of it right, guys! Also, if you are curious, la forma corecta de comer un scone is: you cut open the scone, spread the jelly, then spread the clotted cream on top, and lastly eat it like a bagel. This is actually contested amongst Brits themselves, but I found it to be the most common method. Either way, Go ahead and indulge in afternoon tea. It’s a one-of-a-kind British experience! No te lo puedes perder!

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“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as Afternoon Tea.”

-Henry James

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Hope you enjoyed my little mini tour!

If you ever get the chance to travel around Great Britain, do so with the knowledge that you will eat well. You’ll eat VERY well, actually. Just do your research, allow yourself a few indulgences, and enjoy the kind of food that Brits do best, comfort food. My grandmother always says, “Barriga llena, corazon contento”. It means full belly, happy heart and when I think about my time traipsing around the UK, that’s exactly the sentiment that fits most.

Con mucho carino,

Joana