Tuck in to British fusion cuisine

Visit markets, pop-ups and food festivals to find ‘thrilling creators’ of innovative fusion food

Putting an international spin on British favourites is a growing food trend coming soon to a restaurant near you.

Put simply, “British fusion food is the combination of international favourites with well-known classics from our own recipe books”, said Reader’s Digest. And you can already find fusion food “hidden among our menus”. For example, “curry sauce with fish and chips seems like a foundational element of the dish these days, but its South Asian influences are obvious”.

‘New twists of globally inspired flair’

Chef Dean Harper, speaking to Reader’s Digest, said: “Staple British foods like pies and roasts are beginning to be reimagined with worldly foods and flavours.” These dishes have a versatile “structure and format, making British food an easy option to combine with other cuisines”.

Other candidates for “new twists of globally inspired flair” include Sunday roasts and full English breakfasts, said Speciality Food magazine. So “how about roast chicken with Chinese stir-fried greens? Or Italian sausage rolls containing fennel seeds, sun-dried tomatoes and garlicky salsiccia Toscana?”

In a survey of 2,000 people by market research company CGA/NielsenIQ for food wholesaler Bidfood, two-thirds (68%) found the idea appetising, said the magazine.

One new iteration of British-Italian food comes with the May opening of Café Britaly in Peckham, south London, which pointed out that this is not a new occurrence. “Since the Romans founded Londinium 2,000 years ago, the cuisine of two countries has been intertwined.” Its Britalian menu will be a “love letter to the many ways the British have reimagined Italian classics to match our, er, unique tastes”, said the London Evening Standard. Alongside its “controversial” carbonara (made with cream), you’ll also find deep-fried pizza.

‘Roast dinner burrito’

And there will be many more ideas to come, said Reader’s Digest, which suggested that those keen to try the new tastes should visit pop-ups and sample street food and keep an eye on “markets and in food festivals, for those thrilling creators who are embracing the fusion whole-heartedly”.

New products will also enter stores nationwide. “Why not swap out a traditional sausage roll filling with a kofta kebab makeover? Why shouldn’t baked beans be spiced and elevated on a classic English breakfast?” And “taking the natural next step from the Yorkshire pudding wraps we’ve come to love”, a “roast dinner burrito” could work well.

The trend aims to “elevate and expand” iconic British dishes, said Reader’s Digest. Some may suggest that “messing with a traditional hit is completely unnecessary”, but globally food is changing. “Each new generation” brings “new twists which celebrate a different aspect of their cuisines”. And “that same revolution can happen with British fusion, as we reframe how we put those recipes together, with bolder moves to learn from other nations”.