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Burgers, Sunday roasts, pies and steak — these are the building blocks of pub cuisine. But where did the classic pub menu come from?
ByFiona Sims
Published January 17, 2024
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
What’s the first dish that comes to mind when you think of classic British pub food? Fish and chips? Steak and ale pie? A burger? Yes, to all the above. And chips, always chips — still one of the most popular pub foods. But how did this all come to be? And why have these dishes endured?
It turns out we have the Romans to thank for that, at least in part. During their time in Britain, the marching Roman armies needed to refuel with meat and cheese at various wine-filled pit-stops. They built tabernae (a type of Roman shop or stall) along their network of roads — and after the Romans departed, the tabernae were replaced with alehouses. By the Middle Ages, people were moving about in serious numbers, in need of a place to fill their bellies, and to rest their heads and their horses — welcome to the inn, with its roast meats, cheese and ale.
Jump to the 19th century and potatoes and pies were now firmly part of hostelry menus. The popularity of chip is largely due to Jewish settlers, who brought their taste for fried fish to the wider British public, opening the earliest fish and chip shops in the 1860s. And for that other hallowed pub staple, crisps, we must thank Frank Smith, founder of Smith’s Crisps, who put fried potatoes in greaseproof paper bags with a twist of salt in the 1920s.
By the end of the 1950s, with rationing over, pub menus were once again awash with the crispy crusts of homemade meat pies. And, like the rest of the population, pub landlords and landladies were soon seduced by the American burger bar, and impressed by two Italian brothers, Frank and Aldo Berni, who introduced many to the prawn cocktail, steak and chips, and black forest gateau via their influential Berni Inns.
The Licensing Act of 1988 saw pubs granted all-day opening — a change that put all-day Sunday roasts and restaurant-style food on the pub table and paved the way for gastropubs, which started opening a few years later.
Meanwhile, when the smoking ban was introduced in 2007, the pub demographic changed forever, encouraging families, prompting wider choice and better food — to the extent that some pubs even began winning Michelin stars. Today, pub food has never tasted so good. Yet across the country, the same classics can still be found on the menu — even if they are served on smarter-looking plates these days.
1. Steak and ale pie
“Britain does pie better than anyone else in the world and we have done since pastry was first perfected by chefs working for Tudor monarchs,” writes pub sage Pete Brown in his book, Pie Fidelity. Gelatinously juicy, is there a better dish to accompany your pint? Suet or puff, take your pick. And these days, you can even get gluten-free versions, such as The Native Pony — a classic steak and kidney pie in thick gravy found on the vast pie menu at The Piebald Inn in Hunmanby, North Yorkshire. £17.25.
2. Fish and chips
A cultural icon, this beloved dish is eaten by everyone, from posties to politicians. Its appeal lies in the fact that, even at its most basic, it’s generally good — and when really good batter is at play, it’s hard to beat, as there are few joys quite like smashing open that crispy coating. Try it with triple-cooked yukon gold chips at The Mariners in Rock, Cornwall. £23.
3. Ham, egg and chips
This pub classic harks back to the First World War, with egg and chips being popular with British soldiers behind the lines in French and Belgian bistros — the ham was added once meat rationing was eased. It’s Adam Symonds’s go-to pub dish. “When it’s really good it’s great, but when it’s bad it’s fine,” says the co-owner of celebrated London gastropub, The Baring. Try it at The Pony Chew Valley, in Chew Magna, Somerset, where it appears as glazed ham, fried St Ewe eggs, skin-on fries and green bean chutney. £14.50.
4. The Sunday Roast
There are few things more British than going out for a pub roast on Sunday. It’s a dish that’s reliable, but with plenty of scope for variety, from the choice of cut to the sauces. For those in need of guidance, Rate Good Roasts provides an annual ranking — topped last year by the Hawthorn in Haworth and Ducie Street Warehouse in Manchester. For something special, try the roast Hereford beef with horseradish cream at the Marksman in Hackney, London. Two courses on a Sunday from £38.
5. Burger
It seems as though there’s a burger on every pub menu. While it’s been this way for decades, what’s changed is the variety now on offer — your pub burger now comes every which way, from a Korean beef brisket version to a wild venison and cranberry special. Head to the Easton White Horse in Suffolk, where chef Vernon Blackmore dishes up the Easton cheese and bacon burger. £15.50.
6. Steak and chips
A good steak is pure primal pleasure. Add chips and a pint, or a glass of red, and you’ve got one of the most popular pub combinations. There are steak restaurants that make a song and dance, sure, but enjoying your (hopefully) charcoal grill-cooked meat in the cosy confines of a pub is hard to beat. Try the ‘steak of the day’ at top Scottish chef Tom Kitchin’s cheerful Edinburgh gastropub, The Scran & Scallie. Market price.
Published in Issue 22 (Winter 2023) of Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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