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dish, the chicken tikka masala, reflecting London’s new
commonwealth ties. Brick Lane is perhaps the best
example of how the cuisine of an area epitomises the
various communities that have called it their home. For
a prime example of how the area has changed, look no
further than the building at 59 Brick Lane. It has been a
Protestant chapel, Synagogue and now a Mosque.
During the past century, London saw rationing and
a growing middle class that stockpiled tins of spam in
growing larders. Lacking some of the more exciting dishes
of the Mediterranean, the UK developed a poor reputation
for food. Some have attributed this to having less of a need
to disguise bad meat with flavoured sauces than some
of our continental counterparts. However, undeniably, for
most of the late 20th century the UK was the laughing
stock of the culinary soup. As recently as 2005, Jacques
Chirac commented,
‘One cannot trust people whose
cuisine is so bad’.
However, even when he made it, this
The attraction of the coffee-house was that for a
penny you could catch up on the news across the world
and converse with like-minded individuals on any and
all topics from the abolition of slavery to matters more
trivial. Whatever the topic, all that mattered was that
you were talking. Conversation was the lifeblood of the
London coffee-house. Naturally, a conversation about
London coffee-houses cannot be made without making
reference to Lloyd’s on Lombard Street; which became the
foundation of London’s insurance industry.
The East End became the natural home for successive
waves of immigrants and hence a literal melting pot
of foodie innovation. If you walked down Brick Lane in
the 18th century you could have feasted upon a beef
bourguignon from the Huguenots, whereas in the 19th
century you could have warmed up with a Jewish chicken
soup and matzo balls. From the 20th century you can
now spice up with what has since become a national
Romans first
arrived in
Britain
Norman invasion
- our wine
consumption
increased
First coffee house
in City of London
55bc
1066
1602
Medieval peasant
kitchen emerged
600
If you walked
down Brick
Lane in the
18th century
you could
have feasted
upon a beef
bourguignon
from the
Huguenots
36
PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE