Technically I am more of an ‘inpat’, as I am a German citizen who lives in the UK, rather than a British citizen living abroad. The struggles are roughly identical: just like the Brits in Spain who seem to be forever complaining about the low quality of the fish and chips, I feel similarly disheartened when faced with headless beer or meat-free sausages. And like every expat worth their salt, I try hard not to start every sentence with “In my country”. Sometimes I succeed.

Living in the UK in general is remarkably easy: people are friendly, the climate is mild, and the country as a whole is slowly catching up with the latest technology such as mixer taps and double-glazed windows. It is only a matter of time before we can have a light switch or a socket in our bathroom, like they have in the rest of the world. The only issue that makes it so difficult for most non-Brits to fully integrate is the complete disregard for cooking and baking: although people spend hours watching food programmes such as ‘The Great British Bake-Off’, most of them never seem to have the time to cook or bake anything for themselves.

Clearly I am generalising here, as I have eaten the most delicious food prepared for me by my friends and neighbours. So this blog is a big thank you to all those who have been sharing their food with me, as well as eating mine without complaining. And to show my gratitude I will try to spread the word that English food is much better than its reputation by posting translations of local delicacies in German (I’ll skip the fried mars bars – delicious as they sound they are technically a Scottish dish).

Guten Appetit!

What Germans think British food looks like …

… as opposed to the British idea of a German meal.