Food from the UK is totally unique as we all know, and nothing proves it quite like a list of traditional British delicacies. Here you’ll find a list of 25 tasty treats to get your chops around (and in some cases, your head too!)

Yep, believe it or not, there’s loads of foods that can be considered delicacies in Britain, including classic British dishes like the Full English Breakfast and Fish & Chips, plus loads of other culinary delights, many from specific regions of the UK.

So without further ado, here’s a list of 25 Great British delicacies:

Savoury British Delicacies

Bacon Sandwich

Also known as the bacon butty, nothing beats a few smoked pig rashers between two chunky slabs of bread, otherwise known as the delicacy that is the British bacon sarnie. 

Scotch Egg

Usually eaten as a snack or part of a Ploughman’s Lunch, a Scotch egg is a deep fried, sausage-meat-wrapped boiled egg, a popular picnic food and yes, a delicacy, from Blighty.

Cornish Pasty

The Cornish Pasty is a traditional and regional British delicacy from Cornwall, consisting of beef, turnip, potato, onion and plenty of pepper, all within a D-shaped pastry casing.

Welsh Rarebit

Welsh Rarebit is one of the most famous and traditional foods from Wales, but also a British delicacy that no one really knows the difference from cheese on toast!

Black Pudding

Despite a somewhat unappetising name and appearance, Black Pudding really is a British breakfast delicacy worth trying. Some are put off by this being a blood sausage (pork), but there’s nothing to fear, black pudding tastes great.

Beans on Toast

Beans on toast is without doubt, a British food staple. A delicacy might be a stretch, but whether you go for a posh version or the classic option of using Heinz baked beans, not much beats beans on toast.

Chip Butty

Not everything British food can be as sophisticated as Afternoon Tea, but there’s few things more delicious than the delicacy that is the chip butty. In other words, a French fries sandwich, with ‘butty’ being another one of those weird British food names.

Pork Pie

The famous Pork Pie is one of the most well known regional British delicacies, being from a place called Melton Mowbray in the north of England. The Pork Pie is another picnic favourite, being sausage meat surrounded by jelly, all encased in buttery crumbly pastry.

Laverbread

Laverbread is a seaweed delicacy (not bread) found off the coast of Wales, the seaweed being combined with oatmeal before frying, to give one of the most unique British dishes. Traditionally served as part of a Welsh breakfast with eggs, bacon and cockles.

Sausage Roll

Maybe one of the most loved British delicacies in other parts of the world, the sausage roll really is a crowd pleaser. Britisy sausage meat surrounded by flaky puff pastry: all sorts of magical. Often found on a British pub food menu.

Bubble and Squeak

Bubble and Squeak is a potato and cabbage based delicacy usually eaten as part of the famous Full English Breakfast. Also commonly made and eaten on Boxing Day in Britain, cooked from leftover roast potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Bedfordshire Clanger

Similar to the sausage roll, a Bedfordshire Clanger is a special kind of British delicacy encased in pastry, filled with meat, potatoes and onions. While ‘clangers’ are typically embarrassing, there’s no shame in eating one from the county of Bedfordshire.

Yorkshire Pudding

Yorkshire pudding is a taste sensation, not just a British delicacy. From a region in the north of England called, well, Yorkshire, no roast dinner deserves to be without one. Yorkshire puddings are quite possibly the ultimate British delicacy.

Jellied Eels

Jellied eels definitely deserve a special mention on our British delicacies list, considering their history and tradition, originating in the East End of London. If only there were a place telling you where to eat the best jellied eels…

Stargazy Pie

Stargazy Pie practically defines the word ‘delicacy’: peculiarly distinctive. If you’re a seafood fan, this pilchard pie from Cornwall is well worth a try, despite the strange presentation.

Haggis

Haggis is a Scottish delicacy to be precise: a delicious mix of sheep heart, liver and lung cooked with onion, oatmeal and spices. One of Britain’s national dishes; and definitely a must-try food when in Scotland.

Rumbledethumps

Rumbledethumps is another classic Scottish food, very similar to Bubble and Squeak, but with the addition of onion and melted cheese. Need we say more?!

Pease Pudding

Pease Pudding is a savoury British dish consisting of yellow split peas cooked with spices, traditionally served with boiled ham or gammon. Despite the name, it’s not a dessert, so on behalf of the UK, we apologise for the confusion that weird British food names cause.

Sweet British Delicacies

Moving onto the sweet stuff…

Bakewell Tart

The Bakewell Tart is a naughty little cherry and almond flavoured treat. It just so happens to be an example of the most tastiest and classic of British desserts.

Scones

Scones. Strawberry jam. Clotted cream. Afternoon Tea. That’s some seriously quintessential British food right there. Such a famous British food and tastes so good, how you pronounce scone doesn’t really matter.

Victoria Sponge

Also known as the Victoria Sandwich, the Victoria Sponge is a strawberry jam and cream filled cake; a delight that was enjoyed something rotten by Queen Victoria back in the day.

Deep Fried Mars Bar

Originating in Scotland, the idea to batter the famous British chocolate (candy) bar that is the Mars, and deep fry it, was nothing short of visionary. Scottish food is just the best!

Maids of Honour Tart

The Maids of Honour tart is a classic English baked dish, with a filling of cheese curds surrounded by puff pastry, also flavoured with jam and almond. Pure British sophistication.

Parkin

Parkin is an incredible cake made of gingerbread and black treacle, from northern England. You have to hand it to the northerners, they’re pretty much responsible for the best of the best British delicacies.

Cranachan

Cream. Raspberries. Oats. Whisky. Four simple ingredients, one incredible dessert. Cranachan is just a single part of traditional Scottish cuisine, but one of our faves.

So there you have it, a list of 25 British delicacies. You’re welcome. 

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