England · Scotland · Wales · Ireland
British Isles Cuisine, Kitchen & Dining
The traditions behind the food: afternoon tea, British baking, the Sunday roast. Recipes that belong to them, tools to plan them, and honest guides to the kitchen and table that make them work.
New this week
Fresh from the kitchen
Recipe · 3 hr 20 min
Homemade Mincemeat
Make it this week and it will be mellow and ready for your first mince pies: spiced fruit, apple, suet and a splash of brandy.
Kitchen design
Kitchen Table Sizes: How Big a Table Will Your Room Take?
One number decides whether a table works: the space to pull a chair out. Sizes for 2 to 10 people, round, square and long.
Buying guide
Cake Turntables: The Secret to Smoothly Iced Cakes
The one tool that turns lumpy buttercream into smooth sides: what to look for in a cake turntable before you ice the Christmas cake.
Recipe · 1 hr 40 min
Scotch Pie
Small, round hot-water-crust pies filled with spiced minced lamb, with a sunken lid that leaves room for gravy or beans.
Kitchen design
Hanging Plates on the Wall: A Kitchen Display Guide
How to hang decorative plates safely, plan a pleasing arrangement, and choose plates that suit a traditional kitchen.
Buying guide
Ladles: Sizes, Materials and Pouring Lips
What size ladle to buy for soup, stew and gravy, and which materials suit stainless, cast iron and non-stick pans.
Cuisine
Explore the British Isles
English Food
Roasts, pies, puddings and regional bakes from Yorkshire to Cornwall.
Scottish Food
Shortbread, oats, smoked fish and the Burns supper.
Welsh Food
Welsh cakes, bara brith, lamb and leeks.
Irish Food
Soda bread, stews and the breads of the Irish kitchen.
Northern Irish Food
Griddle breads, the Ulster fry and home baking.
Kitchen
Kitchen design & decor ideas
Kitchen design
Kitchen Table Sizes: How Big a Table Will Your Room Take?
One number decides whether a table works: the space to pull a chair out. Sizes for 2 to 10 people, round, square and long.
Kitchen design
Hanging Plates on the Wall: A Kitchen Display Guide
How to hang decorative plates safely, plan a pleasing arrangement, and choose plates that suit a traditional kitchen.
Kitchen design
Dishwasher Sizes: Full-Size, Slimline or Compact?
Standard and slimline widths, how many place settings each holds, and integrated versus freestanding dishwashers.
Kitchen design
How to Organise Your Fridge: What Goes Where
The right temperature, which shelf for raw meat, leftovers and dairy, and simple habits that keep food fresher and safer.
Kitchen design
Integrated or Freestanding Appliances? Pros and Cons
Hidden appliances behind kitchen doors or freestanding ones you can move: how they compare on looks, cost, choice and repairs.
Kitchen design
Fridge Freezers: Which Type and Size Suits Your Kitchen?
50/50, 70/30, American-style or separate larder fridge and freezer: how to choose by space, household and the way you shop.
Kitchen design
Boiling Water Taps: Are They Worth It?
How boiling water taps work, the space and running costs to plan for, safety features, and who they really suit.
Kitchen design
Induction, Gas or Ceramic Hob? A Practical Comparison
How the three main hob types compare for speed, control, cleaning, pans and installation, and which suits your kitchen.
Kitchen
Bake & cook
Guides
Choose well
Buying guide
Baking Beans: Blind Baking Without a Soggy Bottom
Ceramic beans, metal chains or dried pulses: what to use for blind baking, and how to do it properly.
Buying guide
Baking Trays and Bun Tins: What You Need
Flat baking sheets, deep trays and bun tins: which to own for biscuits, scones and mince pies.
Buying guide
Bun and Muffin Tins: For Fairy Cakes, Mince Pies and More
Shallow bun tins versus deep muffin tins, how many holes to buy, and which works for mince pies and Yorkshire puddings.
Recipes
Traditional bakes & classics
Recipe · 3 hr 20 min
Homemade Mincemeat
Make it this week and it will be mellow and ready for your first mince pies: spiced fruit, apple, suet and a splash of brandy.
Recipe · 1 hr 40 min
Scotch Pie
Small, round hot-water-crust pies filled with spiced minced lamb, with a sunken lid that leaves room for gravy or beans.
Recipe · 1 hr
Wheaten Bread
Northern Ireland's nutty brown soda bread, baked in a loaf tin with wholemeal flour, oats and buttermilk.
Recipe · 2 hr 35 min
Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce
A leg of lamb roasted with garlic and rosemary, rested until juicy and served with sharp, homemade mint sauce.
Recipe · 5 min
Irish Coffee
Hot, sweetened coffee with Irish whiskey and a collar of cool cream floating on top: the famous after-dinner drink.
Recipe · 2 hr 15 min
Bara Planc (Welsh Bakestone Bread)
A soft white bread cooked slowly on a griddle instead of in the oven: the old farmhouse bread of Wales.
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