British Meals and Meal Times in England, Scotland and Wales (2024)

Some people have their biggest meal in the middle of the day and some have it in the evening, but most people today have a small mid-day meal - usually sandwiches, and perhaps some crisps and some fruit.

We have three main meals a day:

• Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,
• Lunch - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.
• Dinner (sometimes called Supper) - The main meal. Eaten anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. (Evening meal)

Traditionally, and for some people still, the meals are called:

• Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,
• Dinner (The main meal) - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.
• Tea - anywhere from 5:30 at night to 6:30 p.m.

On Sundays the main meal of the day is often eaten at midday instead of in the evening. This meal usually is a Roast Dinner consisting of a roast meat, yorkshire pudding and two or three kinds of vegetables.

BREAKFAST

What is a typical English Breakfast?

Most people around the world seem to think a typical English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans all washed down with a cup of coffee. Now-a-days, however, a typical English breakfast is more likely to be a bowl of cereals, a slice of toast, orange juice and a cup of coffee.

Many people, especially children, in England will eat a bowl of cereal. They are made with different grains such as corn, wheat, oats etc.

In the winter many people will eat "porridge" or boiled oats.

What is the traditional English Breakfast?

The traditional English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, baked beans and mushrooms. Even though not many people will eat this for breakfast today, it is always served in hotels and guest houses around Britain.

The traditional English breakfast is called the 'Full English' and sometimes referred to as 'The Full English Fry-up'.

LUNCH

What is a typical British lunch?

Many children at school and adults at work will have a 'packed lunch'. This typically consists of a sandwich, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and a drink. The 'packed lunch' is kept in a plastic container.

Sandwiches are also known as a 'butty' or 'sarnie' in some parts of the UK.

My favourite sandwich is prawn and mayonnaise. I also love tuna and mayonnaise and ham and pickle sandwiches.

See a sample menu of food served in pubs

Sample menu of food served for School Dinners

DINNER

The evening meal is usually called 'tea', 'dinner' or 'supper'.

What is a traditional British Dinner?

A typical British meal for dinner is "meat and two veg". We put hot brown gravy, (traditionally made from the juices of the roast meat, but more often today from a packet!) on the meat and usually the vegetables. One of the vegetables is almost always potatoes.

What is a typical British Dinner like today?

The traditional meal is rarely eaten nowadays, apart from on Sundays. A recent survey found that most people in Britain eat curry! Rice or pasta dishes are now favoured as the 'British Dinner'.

Vegetables grown in England, like potatoes, carrots, peas, cabbages and onions, are still very popular.

The Sunday Roast Dinner

Sunday lunch time is a typical time to eat the traditional Sunday Roast.

Traditionally it consists of roast meat, (cooked in the oven for about two hours), two different kinds of vegetables and potatoes with a Yorkshire pudding. The most common joints are beef, lamb or pork; chicken is also popular.

Beef is eaten with hot white horseradish sauce, pork with sweet apple sauce and lamb with green mint sauce. Gravy is poured over the meat.

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© Copyright Mandy Barrow 2013

Mandy is the creator of the Woodlands Resources section of the Woodlands Junior website.
The two websitesprojectbritain.comandprimaryhomeworkhelp.co.ukare the new homes for the Woodlands Resources.

Mandy left Woodlands in 2003 to work in Kent schools as an ICT Consulatant.
She now teaches computers atThe Granville SchoolandSt. John's Primary Schoolin SevenoaksKent.

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