Comment: The French can't get enough of British grub
Columnist Samantha David says that British restaurants near her could not be more popular despite low rankings by French people for the UK in a global cuisine survey
Typical UK dishes, such as shepherd's pie, are popular in France
Jack7_7/Shutterstock
A recent survey of 60,000 people in 20 countries asked respondents for their opinions about 60 other foreign countries.
When it came to cuisine, the UK scored a respectable 18th place overall. But if you only counted the French votes, the UK came absolutely rock-bottom last – 60th place out of 60.
In one way I am not amazed. I am very used to French people telling me that their aunt was served cheese omelettes with strawberry jam when holidaying in the UK in 1970.
It is all part of the French urban myth about Brits; they are all prudes who bathe in tea and eat boiled cabbage with marmalade.
Read more: ‘I was surprised by what my French students think of Britons’
No problem, think what you like. I have given up arguing the merits of English cuisine with French people who visited Oxford or Glasgow or London once for 10 days when they were 13, and only ever ate at McDonald's.
I have even sometimes wickedly suggested that the Brits like to add boiled okra or parsnips to their morning porridge, just to see their faces.
Cream teas and Sunday roasts
In another way, I am amazed however. Who on earth did Anholt-Ipsos question for this survey? The French people round this neck of the woods love English food. They cannot get enough of the cream teas, Sunday roasts and all-day big-six breakfasts served at the local campsite.
If you want a curry at the British Indian, you have to book in advance. Even the British-run pub books solid, especially for New Year's Eve.
"It is so co-zee," explained my neighbour. "We love the atmosphere and the food is delicious."
She is keen to get hold of some suet so she can try her hand at making 'le apple poo-ding', and is also addicted to lemon curd. We have planned an outing to a nearby Brit grocery, with, needless to say, lunch at an Irish bar where we will regale ourselves with shepherd's pie and Spotted ‘Deek’.
Read more: Is French cuisine really the best in the world?
Bad hangover
I am not the only one to think this bad opinion of British cuisine is a bit of a leg-pull. Michel Roux Jr, who owned Le Gavroche in London for 56 years, agrees that this is just a hangover from the last century.
London is easily as gastronomically fabulous as Paris, he says and I wholeheartedly agree. He ought to come down here to Nouvelle-Aquitaine and check out the British bars and restaurants though, because it is easy to think this is a Paris-London contest, when it is a much bigger playing field.
In my humble opinion, our local British catering establishments are easily as good as the French ones and in some cases even better because some of the local French restaurants simply serve grilled meat with frites-salade followed by industrial fruit tart. Not much cooking involved in that, is there?
I reckon that is why French people love the British-run restaurants so much, they get proper home cooking from all over the world: lasagne, green Thai curry, Irish stew, chilli con carne, and moussaka.
