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All You Can Eat: The Search for a New British Menu
'If you're interested in what we really eat, read this' Felicity Cloake
'Ben writes about food in Britain with love, curiosity and joy' Max Halley
Isn't British food meant to be bad?
Stiff sandwiches, limp vegetables, dry roasts crying out for gravy. We've come a long way from the bad old days. Modern Britain is a vibrant culinary home to the world's most diverse range of foods, constantly evolving with every restaurant opening and new viral trend - and Ben Benton has been in hot pursuit, eating his way across Britain to discover what our national cuisine really tastes like today.
Join the chef and food writer on a hungry odyssey in search of Britain's best (and worst) foods, travelling around the country to meet the chefs, shopkeepers, farmers and producers shaping our tastes with new dishes, fusions and flavours.
From trendy bakeries in Manchester to the oyster sheds of Essex and the Balti houses of Birmingham, and from Bradford's mouth-watering masala fish and chips to the Korean hotspots of south-west London, All You Can Eat reveals a nation whose food is far wilder and more delicious than it knows.
'Ben writes about food in Britain with love, curiosity and joy' Max Halley
Isn't British food meant to be bad?
Stiff sandwiches, limp vegetables, dry roasts crying out for gravy. We've come a long way from the bad old days. Modern Britain is a vibrant culinary home to the world's most diverse range of foods, constantly evolving with every restaurant opening and new viral trend - and Ben Benton has been in hot pursuit, eating his way across Britain to discover what our national cuisine really tastes like today.
Join the chef and food writer on a hungry odyssey in search of Britain's best (and worst) foods, travelling around the country to meet the chefs, shopkeepers, farmers and producers shaping our tastes with new dishes, fusions and flavours.
From trendy bakeries in Manchester to the oyster sheds of Essex and the Balti houses of Birmingham, and from Bradford's mouth-watering masala fish and chips to the Korean hotspots of south-west London, All You Can Eat reveals a nation whose food is far wilder and more delicious than it knows.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 8, 2026
2 stars.
Would have been 3 but for the ridiculous comments on York, a beautiful city with a wide range of restaurants including some excellent ones.
Benton arrives in York, and orders quiche and soft drinks in a cafe- why he should do so is quite beyond me when there's so much choice. He complains about the price and then says -
"York comes and goes. I'd skip it if I were you".
Absolute nonsense.
Needless to say there's no mention of Tommy Banks, an acclaimed Michelin starred chef from North Yorkshire who has done much to put local food on the map.
And no visit to Whitby, packed full of truly superb fish and chip shops, many which display details of the fishing boat that caught the fish the customer is eating!
Would have been 3 but for the ridiculous comments on York, a beautiful city with a wide range of restaurants including some excellent ones.
Benton arrives in York, and orders quiche and soft drinks in a cafe- why he should do so is quite beyond me when there's so much choice. He complains about the price and then says -
"York comes and goes. I'd skip it if I were you".
Absolute nonsense.
Needless to say there's no mention of Tommy Banks, an acclaimed Michelin starred chef from North Yorkshire who has done much to put local food on the map.
And no visit to Whitby, packed full of truly superb fish and chip shops, many which display details of the fishing boat that caught the fish the customer is eating!
March 20, 2026
Ben Benton is a funny and original tour guide on this gastronomic trip around modern Britain. His writing feels relaxed and personal, making it easy to follow as he travels and tries different foods. The way he brings in stories from the people behind the food adds a lot of character and depth. The descriptions are vivid and often made me hungry while reading. Overall, it’s a really enjoyable and engaging book that gives a fresh look at food in Britain.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews