Miami Dolphins fans heading to London: What you need to know
By Brian Miller
Bangers and Mash
Water
If you are used to getting water at the table of your restaurant in the states, you will need to ask for it in the U.K. Traditionally, water is not served to customers without it first being requested so when you sit down ask the waiter or waitress if you could get some and if you forget, don’t take it as their mistake.
Drink Refills
Make sure your drink refills are free. Water is but fountain drinks and even tea and coffee sometimes are not. You can pile up a big check quick if you don’t ask.
Vernacular: US – UK
Chips – crisps, Fries – Chips, Cookies – Bisquits, Cup-cake – Fairy Cakes, Graham Cracker – Digestives, Water bottle – Flask, Ground meat – minced meat, Desert – Pudding, Napkin – Serviette, Crackers – Water Bisquits, Appetizer – Starter
Black pudding is not a sweet desert like one would think. While I have never had it myself, my mother did. It’s actually a chilled and congealed dish of blood.
Breakfast
Forget about your bacon and eggs or sausage bisquits and gravy. You are more likely to get a bigger meal for breakfast in the U.K. Sausage, not links but real plump sausage, is common and the eggs are usually the side. Bacon is always thick cut and potatoes are very common in English breakfast. Toast is not simply toast, it’s fried and I have heard once you have it you won’t want American toast every again. In addition, you can expect some sort of beans to be a part of your breakfast as well.
Fast food
You will most assuredly see Burger King, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, and even Taco Bell but their menu’s can be as different as the ingredients that go into them. In the U.K. your food is more likely be made from organic foods as opposed to processed and there is a lot less sugar added to even the biggest donuts. Enjoy and explore the many foods of the U.K. and if you are unsure about something, ask.
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