Apart from coming to learn and improve their English what do visitors to Britain think of the British food? It appears to have a reputation everywhere – Bangers and Mash, Shepherd’s Pie, Fish and Chips… Does it make you think of the white cliffs of Dover, or ancient Stonehenge, the east end of London, or the ragged Munros (mountains) of the west coast of Scotland? Despite the reputation of British food, many are relieved to find food from all over the world is popular and easy to find all over the UK. Perhaps even more so than traditional ‘British’ food. While walking down a street in Brighton, London or Oxford one would find Indian, Turkish, American, Thai and Spanish eateries right next door to each other. Its closeness to Europe is probably the reason for this, as well as the fact people from all over the world choose to come to the UK due to the use of English. All of this makes the choice of food possibly the biggest and most diverse in the world.

“People actually like British food when they try it” says Eva, chef at British Study Centres London. “Everyone likes bangers and mash (sausage and potato); just make sure you call it Toulouse sausage (only joking!). Most people like fish and chips.”

“In fact there are so many beautiful English recipes that people don’t bother cooking because they are a bit complicated. Fish and meat pies are delicious- which are pastry containing the meat or fish in a sauce. I cook them when it’s not so busy, and they’re always finished.”

-How do you decide what to cook for the day?

Eva: ”Obviously the best thing to have is what’s fresh and in season. Every morning I go to the market and I decide what to cook for the day based on what I find in the shop and the freshness of the ingredients. It’s much better choosing food in the morning and deciding what to cook based on what’s fresh, because if you order it you don’t get the best quality. One of the markets I go to, which is near the school is Church St market near Edgware Road. It’s full of ethnic foods such as Indian and Pakistani. Compared to most cities it is really easy to get international foods in London. “

-What should the students try from the café once they come to BSC… the pièce de résistance … la specialità della casa?

Eva: “Pasta with chorizo, aubergine pepper and fresh basil, with torn pieces of mozzarella… it’s gorgeous, easy to make, and everyone loves it.. They went like hot cakes. Also, fish pie is popular, and roast vegetable lasagne.”

“We try to keep everything under £4 for the students of the school, so it costs a bit less than to get the same thing from a normal restaurant or café outside.”

-Ah Italian food, the old favourite

Eva: “Yes, everyone seems to like Italian food. But we cook everything and you can try every sort of cuisine in one week at BSC, from English, to Thai, to Indian to Czech. Everyone’s happy because there are a variety of cuisines on offer. It’s all made fresh the same day.”

“We also do a lot of cooking for events as well, including for the West London College of Fashion which is based in the same building. We also did the canapé for the celebration of being shortlisted for the Star Awards, and we did a similar thing for the Oxford English School. I also do a lot of cooking for private parties and for charity.”

-With all this time for cooking, how can you have time for anything else?

Eva: “Well I love cooking and I love baking. In the evenings I work at another restaurant with a famous chef; it’s amazing just to watch them prepare and to pick up new recipes.”

“I can’t just cook, since I need to do the accounts, order supplies and food, and employ and develop the cooks. There’s a lot more to do besides just cooking!”