Food guide

Regional specialities

Ten dishes, where each is from, and the places in our guides that mention it. Where we hold no matching place, we say so.

Facts last checked 25 Oct 2026. Britlens is independent: see our editorial policy.

Close view of a baked Cornish pasty with its crimped crust
Photo: David Johnson [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Fish and chips

From: England. Battered, fried fish served with chips. Wikipedia says it is often considered the national dish of the United Kingdom and that it originated in England in the 19th century.1

Places in our guides that mention it:

Full breakfast (fry-up)

From: Great Britain and Ireland. A substantial cooked breakfast. Depending on the region it may be called a full English, full Scottish or full Welsh.2

Places in our guides that mention it:

Ploughman's lunch

From: England. A cold meal built around bread, cheese and pickled onions, often with extras such as ham or apple. Wikipedia notes it is particularly associated with pubs.3

We hold no place in our data that mentions ploughman's lunch. Ask at a local pub or café, and see the pub guide.

Yorkshire pudding

From: Yorkshire, England. A baked pudding made from a batter of eggs, flour and milk or water, served with a Sunday roast and gravy, or filled as a meal in its own right.4

We hold no place in our data that mentions yorkshire pudding. Start with the York guide and its eat and drink pages.

Bakewell tart and Bakewell pudding

From: Bakewell, Derbyshire. The Bakewell tart is a shortcrust shell with jam and frangipane, topped with flaked almonds. The Bakewell pudding is a separate dessert, with a flaky pastry base, jam and an egg and almond filling.5,6

Places in our guides that mention it:

Eccles cake

From: Eccles, near Manchester. A small round turnover of flaky pastry filled with currants, sometimes topped with brown sugar. It originated in Eccles.7

Places in our guides that mention it:

Cornish pasty

From: Cornwall and Devon. A baked turnover of crimped shortcrust pastry with a filling, typically meat and vegetables. It is particularly associated with Cornwall and Devon but is sold across the UK.8

Places in our guides that mention it:

Cullen skink

From: Scotland, especially the north-east. A thick Scottish soup typically made with smoked haddock, potatoes and onions, often served as a starter.9

We hold no place in our data that mentions cullen skink. Start with the Edinburgh guide and its eat and drink pages.

Haggis

From: Scotland. A savoury pudding of sheep's pluck, onion, oatmeal, suet and seasoning, traditionally cooked in an animal's stomach and now often an artificial casing.10

Places in our guides that mention it:

Welsh rarebit

From: Wales (name of uncertain origin). A hot cheese sauce, often with ale, mustard or Worcestershire sauce, served on toasted bread. The name is a joke: the dish contains no rabbit.11

We hold no place in our data that mentions welsh rarebit. Start with the Wales guide and its eat and drink pages.

Cockles and laverbread stall at the Cockle Rotunda in Swansea Indoor Market
Photo: Robin Drayton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

More

See Sunday roast, pub food, afternoon tea and markets.

Devonshire cream tea with scones, jam, clotted cream and a teapot
Photo: (Liyster), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

Fetched and read on 25 Oct 2026. Rules, prices and opening times change: check the source before you rely on it.

  1. Fish and chips (opens in new tab), Wikipedia
  2. Full breakfast (opens in new tab), Wikipedia
  3. Ploughman's lunch (opens in new tab), Wikipedia
  4. Yorkshire pudding (opens in new tab), Wikipedia
  5. Bakewell tart (opens in new tab), Wikipedia
  6. Bakewell pudding (opens in new tab), Wikipedia
  7. Eccles cake (opens in new tab), Wikipedia
  8. Pasty (opens in new tab), Wikipedia
  9. Cullen skink (opens in new tab), Wikipedia
  10. Haggis (opens in new tab), Wikipedia
  11. Welsh rarebit (opens in new tab), Wikipedia