The first time I opened a jar of Marmite in a London flat share, my flatmate—a woman from Yorkshire—looked at me like I’d just discovered fire. “You’ve never had Marmite?” she asked, genuinely confused. To her, the thick brown yeast extract was as normal as butter. To me, it smelled like the floor of a brewery had been liquefied and jarred.
British food has a reputation problem. To outsiders, it’s all jellied eels and spotted dick—foods that sound like Victorian medical conditions. But most “weird” British foods aren’t weird to Brits. They’re remnants of a specific time, place, or economic reality. Working-class dishes that survived postwar rationing. Regional foods that never spread beyond their borders. Victorian-era inventions with unfortunate names. This list explains what these foods actually are, why they exist, and which ones Brits still eat without thinking twice.
1. Marmite — The Yeast Extract That Became a Philosophy
Marmite was invented in 1902 from brewer’s yeast leftover from beer production. It’s a thick, salty, umami-heavy spread that Brits eat on toast, usually with butter. The brand’s entire marketing strategy hinges on the fact that people either love it or hate it—their slogan is literally “You Either Love It or Hate It.”
The weirdness factor is high if you didn’t grow up with it. The taste is intensely savory, almost meaty, and a little goes a very long way. But Marmite is also high in B vitamins, shelf-stable, and cheap. It became a staple during wartime rationing and never left. If you meet a Brit who loves Marmite, they’ve been eating it since childhood. If you meet one who hates it, they probably tried it for the first time as an adult and got the ratio wrong—too much Marmite on too little butter is an irreversible mistake.
2. Haggis — Scotland’s National Dish (Yes, Really)
Haggis is made from sheep heart, liver, and lungs mixed with oatmeal, onions, and spices, traditionally stuffed into a sheep’s stomach lining. It sounds like something you’d eat on a dare, but it’s a legitimate Scottish national dish, especially eaten on Burns Night every January 25th.
The reason haggis exists is simple: nothing went to waste. Offal—organ meat—was cheap and nutritious, and oatmeal stretched it further. You can still buy haggis in Scottish supermarkets year-round, often served with “neeps and tatties” (mashed turnips and potatoes). The taste is rich, peppery, and surprisingly mild. Most tourists who try it say it’s better than they expected, which is probably the kindest review haggis has ever gotten.
3. Jellied Eels — East London’s Dying Tradition
Jellied eels are exactly what they sound like: chopped eels suspended in aspic, a savory meat jelly. They were a traditional East End London street food dating back to the 17th century, when the Thames was full of eels and working-class families needed cheap protein.
The key word is “were.” Jellied eels are nearly extinct. Only a handful of traditional eel pie shops remain in London, and the customer base is aging out. The texture is slippery, the flavor is mild and slightly fishy, and the aspic is gelatinous in a way that modern diners find off-putting. Even many Londoners under 50 have never tried them. If you want to understand working-class British food history, jellied eels are a museum piece—not a living tradition.
4. Beans on Toast — The Breakfast That Never Left
Beans on toast is exactly what it sounds like: canned baked beans in tomato sauce, heated and poured over buttered toast. It’s cheap, filling, high in protein, and still eaten regularly by students, working-class families, and anyone who needs a meal in under five minutes.
This dish became a staple during and after World War II, when rationing lasted from 1939 to 1954. Tinned goods were reliable, affordable, and didn’t spoil. Beans on toast made sense in 1945, and it kept making sense long after rationing ended. To Americans, it reads as “poor college student food.” To Brits, it’s just breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner if you’re tired.
5. Steak and Kidney Pudding — Offal in a Suet Crust
Steak and kidney pudding is diced beef and kidney cooked in gravy, encased in suet pastry, and steamed for hours. Suet is raw beef or mutton fat, which sounds worse than it is—when steamed, it creates a rich, flaky crust that holds up to liquid fillings.
This is traditional working-class food. Kidney was cheap offal, steak stretched the protein, and suet pudding was filling. You can still order steak and kidney pudding in traditional British pubs, though it’s less common than it was 50 years ago. The kidney has a slightly metallic, mineral taste that some people love and others find overpowering. If you’re ordering it for the first time, know that the kidney flavor is the point, not an accident.
6. Spotted Dick — The Victorian Dessert No One Will Rename
Spotted dick is a steamed suet pudding studded with dried currants, served with custard. “Dick” is old slang for pudding, and “spotted” refers to the currants. Some schools tried renaming it “Spotted Richard” in the 2000s to avoid giggles, but the change didn’t stick.
This dish dates to the Victorian era and is sweeter than you’d expect from something made with beef fat. The suet gives it a dense, cake-like texture, and the currants add pockets of tart sweetness. It’s comfort food in the most literal sense—heavy, warm, and filling. You can still find spotted dick on pub dessert menus, usually served hot with cold custard poured over the top.
7. Toad in the Hole — Sausages Baked in Batter
Toad in the hole is sausages baked inside Yorkshire pudding batter, creating a crispy, eggy shell around each sausage. The origin of “toad” in the name is unclear—possibly because the sausages poke out of the batter like toads from holes, or possibly because it was cheap pub food and no one bothered to write down why.
This is not weird food. This is delicious food with a confusing name. Yorkshire pudding batter is just flour, eggs, and milk, and when baked at high heat, it puffs up into a golden, crispy vessel for sausage and gravy. Toad in the hole is still a regular weeknight dinner in many British households, often served with mashed potatoes and onion gravy. If you think this sounds good, it is.
8. Mushy Peas — The Chip Shop Side Dish
Mushy peas are marrowfat peas—larger, starchier peas—cooked until they break down into a thick, green paste. They’re a traditional side dish at fish and chip shops, served alongside fried fish and chips with malt vinegar.
The texture is the issue for most people. They’re not just soft peas; they’re actively mushy, closer to hummus than to what Americans think of as peas. But they’re also slightly sweet, earthy, and weirdly comforting. Mushy peas became a working-class staple after World War II because dried marrowfat peas were cheap and filling. They’re still eaten regularly, especially in northern England. If you’re at a chip shop and someone offers you mushy peas, say yes once. You’ll know immediately if you’re a mushy peas person.
9. Pigs in Blankets — Not What Americans Think
In the UK, pigs in blankets are small sausages wrapped in bacon, not pastry. They became a Christmas dinner tradition in the 1970s-80s and are now as essential to British Christmas as turkey. They’re crispy, salty, savory, and objectively delicious.
The confusion comes from the American version, which wraps sausages in croissant dough. The British version is bacon-wrapped, roasted until the bacon is crispy, and served alongside roast potatoes and Brussels sprouts. This is not weird food. This is bacon and sausage together, which is just good decision-making.
10. Branston Pickle — The Chunky Relish You Eat with Cheese
Branston Pickle is a sweet, tangy, chunky relish made from diced vegetables in a spiced sauce. Launched in 1922, it’s most commonly eaten with cheddar cheese and crackers, or in a “ploughman’s lunch”—a pub meal of cheese, bread, pickles, and cold meats.
To Americans, it looks like someone put salsa in a jar and called it pickles. To Brits, it’s the default condiment for cheese. The flavor is sweet-sharp, with visible chunks of vegetables that add texture. It’s not weird; it’s just a different relationship with pickles. If you’re making a cheese sandwich in Britain and you don’t have Branston Pickle, you’re doing it wrong.
11. Black Pudding — Blood Sausage for Breakfast
Black pudding is a blood sausage made from pork blood, fat, and oatmeal, formed into a thick sausage and sliced for frying. It’s part of a traditional full English breakfast, served alongside eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, tomatoes, and toast.
The texture is crumbly and rich, with a deep, mineral flavor from the blood. It’s popular in northern England and Scotland, and while it sounds extreme, it’s actually mild compared to blood sausages from other countries. Black pudding exists for the same reason haggis and steak and kidney pudding exist: nothing went to waste, and blood was free protein. It’s still eaten regularly, especially at breakfast cafes and hotels serving full English breakfasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is haggis really made from sheep organs?
Yes. Haggis is made from sheep heart, liver, and lungs mixed with oatmeal and spices, traditionally encased in a sheep’s stomach lining. It’s a traditional Scottish dish, especially eaten on Burns Night every January 25th.
What is Marmite made from?
Marmite is made from brewer’s yeast extract left over from beer production. It’s been made since 1902 and is high in B vitamins. The taste is intensely savory and divisive—most people either love it or hate it.
Do regular British people eat jellied eels?
Jellied eels are a traditional East London food, but the tradition is dying out. Only a few traditional eel pie shops remain in London, and most Brits under 50 have never tried them.
Why is it called “spotted dick”?
“Dick” is old slang for pudding. The dish is a steamed suet pudding with dried currants, which look like spots. The name dates to the Victorian era and has survived centuries of snickering.
What is toad in the hole?
Toad in the hole is sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding batter. The origin of “toad” in the name is unclear, but the dish dates to at least the 18th century and is still a common weeknight dinner in the UK.
Most “weird” British foods aren’t weird—they’re old, regional, or the result of making do with what was available. Brits keep eating them not because they’re novelties, but because they work. If you want to understand British food culture, start by asking why something exists before deciding it’s strange.