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Food & Drink Guides

Food is where most households make their most frequent spending decisions, so this page collects our guides on eating well without waste. You will find practical help with planning meals around a budget, trimming the weekly food shop, setting up a kitchen that is easier to use, and choosing a good local bakery. Nothing here calls for specialist equipment or expensive ingredients.

Alongside the everyday advice there are a few longer features on dining culture in London, looking at the history and traditions behind well-known cuisines. Each guide below comes with a short summary so you can pick the one that fits your week. New pieces appear here automatically once they are published on the site, so the list always reflects what is currently live.

27 guides in this topic

• 10 Simple Habits to Cut Your Weekly Food Shop Bill in the UK

  Ten practical UK food-shopping habits to reduce unnecessary purchases and food waste, with realistic advice on lists, bulk buying and leftovers.

• 10 Small Changes to Make Your Kitchen Easier to Use in the UK

  Ten practical ways to make a small UK kitchen easier to use, with safer food storage, clearer worktops, practical organisation and fewer unnecessary gadgets.

• African Food in London: Akoko and West African Food Culture

  Explore Akoko and West African food through suya, jollof, ceebu jën, fufu, egusi and the shared-table traditions that shape dining culture.

• African Food in Manchester: West African Food and Culture

  Explore African food in Manchester through Enish, West African dishes such as jollof rice, egusi and suya, and the dining habits that differ between Britain and Africa.

• British Fast Food in London: Five Myths Worth Retiring

  From medieval cookshops to fish and chips, rationing and modern London dining, five myths explain why British food is mocked — and why the stereotype is incomplete.

• British Food in Glasgow: UNALOME, Classics and Local History

  Explore Glasgow's British and Scottish food culture through UNALOME, local history, fish and chips, the full Scottish breakfast, Sunday roast and more.

• British Food in Manchester: Skof, Classics and Local History

  Explore British food in Manchester through Michelin-starred Skof, fish and chips, the full English, Sunday roast and North West food history.

• Budget-Friendly Meal Planning for a Busy UK Household

  A practical meal-planning framework for busy UK households, covering existing food, realistic weekly meals, flexible ingredients, shopping control and reducing avoidable waste.

• Chinese Food in London: A. Wong Through Five Classic Dishes

  Explore A. Wong and five classic Chinese food traditions, from dumplings and Peking duck to Sichuan flavours, dim sum and hotpot, plus UK-China dining differences.

• Chinese Food in Manchester: Traditions and Dining Culture

  Explore Chinese food in Manchester through Tattu, the history of regional Chinese cuisine, dim sum, Peking duck and the dining habits that differ between Britain and China.

• Fast Food in Manchester: Archie’s and Why British Food Gets Mocked

  Explore Manchester fast food through local brand Archie’s, fish and chips, curry culture and the history behind the stereotype that British food is bland or bad.

• French Food in Glasgow: Atlantic Brasserie and Dining Culture

  Explore French food in Glasgow through Atlantic Bar & Brasserie, classic dishes, the French gastronomic meal and differences between British and French dining habits.

• French Food in London: Alain Ducasse, History and Dining Culture

  Explore Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, the history of French gastronomy, classic regional dishes and how French dining traditions differ from British habits.

• French Food in Manchester: Classics and Dining Culture

  Explore French food in Manchester through the historic dining room of The French, classic dishes such as boeuf bourguignon and bouillabaisse, and the dining habits that differ between Britain and France.

• How to Choose a Good Local Bakery in the UK

  Use food-hygiene ratings, allergen information, freshness, ordering policies and current customer feedback to choose a local bakery with confidence.

• Indian Food in London: Gymkhana and a Journey Across India

  Explore Gymkhana and travel through Indian food traditions from Punjab and Gujarat to South India, plus how British curry culture developed its own identity.

• Indian Food in Manchester: Dishoom and Dining Culture

  Explore Indian food in Manchester through Dishoom, the history of biryani, dosa, thali and curry, and the dining habits that differ between Britain and India.

• Japanese Food in Glasgow: Sapporo, Washoku and Dining Culture

  Explore Japanese food in Glasgow through Sapporo Teppanyaki, traditional washoku, sushi, tempura and the dining habits that differ between Britain and Japan.

• Japanese Food in London: Umu, History and Dining Culture

  Explore Umu, a Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in London, plus the history of washoku, sushi, tempura, kaiseki and how dining habits differ between Japan and the UK.

• Japanese Food in Manchester: Washoku and Dining Culture

  Discover Japanese food in Manchester through Peter Street Kitchen, the history of washoku, sushi, tempura, ramen and the dining habits that differ between Britain and Japan.

• Middle Eastern Food in London: Palomar and Shared-Table Culture

  Explore Palomar in Soho, the diversity behind Middle Eastern food, classic dishes such as hummus, falafel and mansaf, and how shared-table dining differs from British habits.

• Middle Eastern Food in Manchester: Mezze and Dining Culture

  Explore Middle Eastern food in Manchester through Maray, the history of mezze, hummus, falafel, shawarma and the dining habits that differ between Britain and the Middle East.

• Spanish Food in London: Legado and a Day of Eating in Spain

  Explore Legado and Spanish food through a day of markets, vermouth, tapas, paella and late dining, plus how Spanish eating habits differ from British routines.

• Spanish Food in Manchester: El Gato Negro, Tapas and Dining Culture

  Explore Spanish food in Manchester through Michelin Bib Gourmand El Gato Negro, the history of tapas, paella, tortilla and jamón, and how British and Spanish dining habits differ.

• Thai Food in London: AngloThai and the Art of Flavour Balance

  Explore AngloThai and the balance behind Thai cooking through sour, sweet, salty, spicy and aromatic flavours, plus how Thai dining differs from British habits.

• Thai Food in Manchester: Traditions and Dining Culture

  Explore Thai food in Manchester through Thaikhun, the history of pad Thai, green curry, tom yum and the dining habits that differ between Britain and Thailand.

• Traditional British Food in London: Rules and Its History

  Explore Rules, one of London’s best-known traditional British restaurants, and the history behind fish and chips, the full English breakfast and Sunday roast.

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