Renaissance in cooking

The reinvention of ‘British’ food means recipes go beyond the traditional meat and two veg. However, our busy lifestyle and the availability of convenience foods mean we may not necessarily recreate the recipe from scratch in our own homes. Recent trends suggest that more and more people buy take away meals from the local Chinese or Indian restaurant to eat at home in front of the television. They also show that there has been a recent explosion in the ready meal market, especially chilled, with manufacturers offering everything from Lasagne to Pheasant Breast in Blackcurrant Sauce. Ready meals aren’t necessarily unhealthy - all the major supermarkets and manufacturers recognise the demand for ‘healthy’ meals and produce reduced fat alternatives. These satisfy the customer demand for the convenience of not cooking but without the high calorie and fat content usually associated with ready meals.

The UK’s obsession with food is reflected through television scheduling. Competitive cooking shows such as Celebrity Come Dine With Me where famous people host dinner parties for the other contestants are broadcast during prime time evening slots. Vintage celebrity chefs make popular viewing too. The BBC has recently shown a series called Delia Through The Decades, which celebrates the five-decade career of Delia smith, Britain’s queen of home cooking. In each episode Delia looks back on her favourite recipes from each decade and recreates some with a contemporary feel.