Full English: A Journey Through the British and Their Food

by Tom Parker Bowles

From West Country cider brewers to Yorkshire tripe dressers, Tom meets the punters and producers at the heart of our food traditions. He samples the very best of real English food: Bury black pudding, home-cured Wiltshire bacon and the planet's finest cheddar. But "Full English" is no paean to an imagined land where yokels sip ale together while chomping on pork pies. Tom's quest delves beneath the surface to unearth the real story behind our eating habits, and what the food of today says about us: organic heaven or mass-produced hell? Peppered with mouth-watering recipes and recommendations, Tom's pilgrimage maps out England's defining dishes: Fish & Chips in the North, Balti in the midlands, and Snail Porridge at the Fat Duck. But it is the colourful characters we meet along the way who truly bring "Full English" to life.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, British Literature

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2009

Reviews

[Dorian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hoped, from the title of this book, that it would be all about the fried breakfast. Alas, no. The final chapter is indeed on that subject, but the rest of the book is about English food generally. Mostly, it's Tom Parker Bowles wandering the length and breadth of England, finding gorgeous food-stuffs and talking to their makers. It starts in the West Country with cheese and cider, wanders via Bury (black pudding) to Blackpool (fish and chips) and Yorkshire (tripe), before heading south again to London (pie and eels) and Kent (oysters). It was mildly interesting, and the author is certainly enthusiastic about his subject, but it was lacking in much humour.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This feast of a book made me hungry. It was very pleasant to follow Tom Parker Bowles around as he met foodie friends, producers and restauranteurs. It covers a wide variety of food, north and south, rich and poor. It has a lot of historical information about what we used to eat and how it was produced. It’s not just about fancy London places, Little Chef gets as visit as does many a chip shop. A small number of recipes are at the end of each chapter and these are well chosen and not intrusive to the flow of the book. This book was a car boot sale impulse buy and was well worth it.

[Mark Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like his great memoir, 'The Year of Eating Dangerously', Tom delves deep into our nation's traditional, regional and oft-forgotten dishes and produce. And despite it being a bit to self-promoting of his mates in parts, the book is incredibly fascinating. Unknown treasures, entertaining characters and unique recipes. Highly recommended.