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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