I'm Italian and I lived in Britain for a while. I would say there's a very large variability in quality, and it depends on the context. First of all, Brits mostly don't eat "traditional British". In Italy people eat Italian 99% of the time, and 99% of restaurants are Italian. In Britain people very much absorbed (even in home cooking) a lot of Asian cuisine, especially Indian and Chinese.

Food in supermarkets is often terrible. The selection of cheeses, fresh fruit and veg, fish in mainstream supermarkets is dreadful compared to southern Europe (or even Germany). But restaurants in UK cities are generally excellent and eating out is relatively cheap.

This said I agree that many Brits don't know how to cook. Supermarkets sell a LOT of pre-made meals. People go out a lot. But there is certainly a reinassance of millennial foodies that not only like a good international restaurant, but are also into cooking.

>> Food in supermarkets is often terrible.

Try the Waitrose. I'm Greek and the best supermarket taramosalata I've ever had is from Waitrose. To clarify home-made taramosalata is cream coloured, but taramosalata sold at supermarkets is always dyed bright pink, for some reason. And that includes Greek supermarkets. The only supermarket taramosalata I've ever seen that has the right colour is the Waitrose one- and it also has the right flavour and consistency. Well ish. Nothing can ever beat my yiayia's taramosalata, but it's a good approximation.

I assume their other "ethnic" foods are also of similar good quality (for mass-produced stuff). They also have sort of decent fruit and veg and their own brand of Duchy Organic farming produce (milk, eggs, meat, fish, etc) that is actually good.

Yes but Waitrose is not widespread. It's a high-end supermarkets that you find near posh residential neighbourhoods, and not everybody can afford it. I agree that the quality there is good.

It depends on what you're buying. I haven't really looked but I think everyday goods like fresh milk and bread etc are the same price in Waitrose as in the other large chains. More specialised goods are expensive, sure. But I wouldn't buy taramosalata every day for example.

Anyway my feelings are a little bit hurt when you say that you find it in posh neighbourhoods. I'm not posh! I'm just Greek and it seems, like you, I'm used to a highest standard in food quality.

But that's my point, in the UK this is something that is associated to posh, but it shouldn't be.

Ah, OK. Then I agree absolutely. Brits are sold very low quality stuff. A bit sad, really. And don't let me get started on the quality of fresh fruit and vegetables in this country. Honestly my diet has suffered because it's so hard to find good fruit that I really want to eat- and vegetables are just bland. Then I go back to Greece and eat something stupid like boiled zucchini and potatoes with olive oil and vinegar and I want to cry because everything has a taste.

I guess it's a huge privilege to have grown up with good quality food not just sufficient calories- and being able to eat good food a few times a year still. I freak out a bit when I think how much we can lose with climate change. But that's another discussion.

Anyway this is why I don't like to accuse the Brits of having a crap cuisine (or eating too much meat). They do, but that's because their (other) materials are not very good to begin with. If you think about it, the only stuff that grows locally are cabbage, turnips, potatoes and apples. You can only go so far with that.

I'm sure that's a major reason for all the problems this country has. Food is one of the biggest things in life, up there with companionship, sex, good wine and natural surroundings. If you don't get good food, there will always be something missing from your life.

Amazingly, the website has recipes on it that aren't even of British origin.

It's very hard to find a good recipe with British origins.