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English food is stereotyped for being bland and unappetizing. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I was eager to see how English cuisine fared on my recent class trip to the UK with the McConnell Center this summer. Overall, I really enjoyed the heartiness and warmth of traditional English dishes. If you left the pub hungry, it was your own fault! Below are four of my favorite pub eats from my trip this summer, and one honourable mention that isn’t pub food, but is quintessentially English!
Pub: Rose and Crown, Oxford, UK
Sunday Roast served with Yorkshire pudding, parsnip, peas, carrots, cabbage, roast potatoes & gravy
Everything a Sunday afternoon should be: comforting and satisfying. The perfect meal to eat with a friend after a long week, and long church service! This particular Sunday in Oxford, I visited St. Aloysious Catholic Church, the church home of J.R.R. Tolkein in his Oxford days. As the server placed this meal in front of me, I couldn’t help but imagine eating this in the Shire. The roast was incredibly tender, and the veggies were perfectly roasted. Definitely was a step up from my typical Sunday afternoon lunch.
Pub: Haunch of Venison, Sailsbury, UK
Dish: Trio of Wild Venison (Sausage, Steak and Pulled Venison) with sweet potato mash, tenderstem, roasted shallot, pickled blackberry & redcurrant jus
This meal was my favorite, and arguably the most editorial, of all the dishes from the UK pubs I visited. The flavor was unlike anything I have eaten before, the trio literally melted in my mouth. Savor every bite, because before you look up from the table, it will somehow all be in your stomach. The Haunch of Venison was the oldest pub we visited with its oldest recorded history dating back to 1320 AD. I guess they have had a long time to perfect their craft… and perfect it they did. For dessert I indulged in their sticky toffee pudding, which I still think about at least once a week. My apologies, it was too good to stop and take a picture of, so you’ll just have to take my word for its majesty!
Pub: King’s Arms, Oxford, UK
Dish: Steak and Ale Pie with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Vegetables
Whew, y’all, this pie almost sent me leaving the pub in a wheelbarrow. It made me so full. This dish felt like the chicken pot pie’s older cousin with a PhD (no evidence on that one, only vibes). If you have a busy day ahead of you while traveling around the UK, I would stick to ordering this for dinner… and planning on crashing from carboload after. The filling mingled perfectly with the flaky crust and satisfied my inner Anglophile. Definitely, a savory pie is a must-try, and was one of my favorite meals from the trip.
Pub: King’s Arms, Oxford, UK
Dish: Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas
It is safe to say that a hearty plate of fish and chips is the majority of Americans’ introduction to British food, as it has seeped into American restaurant culture from across the pond. This was the first meal I had in the UK (what can I say, I am a sucker for the classics!). Crunchy, salty, and especially filling for a hungry traveler like myself - fish and chips are a must-try. Several of my peers were especially suspicious of the mushy peas, but I liked them. They tasted like peas, just with the texture of mashed potatoes!
Honorable Mention:
Vaults & Garden Cafe, Oxford, UK
Scone served with Upper Norton clotted cream, home-made raspberry jam & a pot of Earl Grey tea
I was determined to have a spot of tea at least once on our trip, but we were so busy I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it happen. Fortunately, on my last free day in Oxford I ventured into the Vaults & Garden cafe, and to my delight I found exactly what I was searching for. In the midst of homesickness, this little snack was a welcome pick-me-up and one of the highlights of my British adventure.
Mallory Slucher is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2025. She is studying Political Science, Arabic, and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.