Eating out
Although it is far less unusual than it used to be, going to a restaurant is still a comparatively rare even for most British people. Regular restaurant – going is confined mostly to the richest section of society. Partly for this reason, there is an element of snobbery associated with it. Merely being in an expensive restaurant sometimes seems to be more important to people than the food eaten in it.
Another expression of snobbery in the more expensive restaurants is in the menus. In a country where few public notices appear in any language other than English, these are a unique phenomenon – all the dishes have non-English names, most commonly French (reflecting the high regard for French cuisine). It also makes the food sound more exotic and therefore more exciting. Many customers of these restaurants have little idea of what actually goes in to the dish they have chosen.
Eating places which serve British food are used only for more everyday purpose. Apart from pubs, there are two types, both of which are comparatively cheap. One is used during the day, most typically by manual workers, and is therefore sometimes described as a ‘workman’s cafe’ (pronounced ‘caff’). But it is also used by anybody else who wants a filling meal, likes the informal atmosphere and is not over-worried about cleanliness. It offers mostly fried food of the ‘English breakfast’ type and for this reason it is also sometimes jokingly called a ‘greasy spoon’. Many of them are ‘transport cafes’ at the sides of main roads. The other type is the fish-and-chip shop, used in the evening for ‘take-away’ meals. Again, the fish is (deep) fried.
Fast food outlets are now more common in Britain than they are in most other countries. Cynics might claim this is because the British have no sense of taste. However, their popularity is probably better explained sociologically. Other types of eating place in Britain tend to have class associations. As a result, large section of society feel unable to relax in them. But a fast food restaurant does not have such strong associations of this kind.
Alcohol
The attitude to alcohol in Britain is ambivalent. On the hand, it is accepted and welcomed as an integral part of British culture. The local pub plays an important role in almost every neighbourhood – and pubs, it should be noted, are predominantly for the drinking of beer and spirits. The nearest pub is commonly referred to as ‘the local’ and people who go there often are known as ‘regulars’. The action in both the country’s most popular television soaps revolves around a pub. Even a certain level of drunkenness is acceptable. Provided this does not lead to violence, there is no shame attached to it.
On the other hand, the puritan tradition has led to the widespread view that drinking is something potentially dangerous, which should therefore be restricted, in terms of both who can do it and where it can be done. People cannot be served in pubs until the age of eighteen and they are not even allowed inside one (unless it has a special children’s certificate) until they are fourteen.
For most of the twentieth century, pubs operated under strict laws which limited their opening hours. These have recently been relaxed. Moreover, many more types of shop now sell alcohol than previously. However, this lessening of the negative attitude to alcohol has been balanced by increasing concerns about its impact on health and safety. Although millions of people pay little attention to these, the general feeling that alcohol can be bad for you has increased. Moreover, the laws against drinking and driving have been strengthened and are fairly strictly observed.
Nevertheless, alcohol, especially beer, is an important part of the lives of many people. Notice, for example, the mass rush across the Channel after customs duties were changed in 1992. Beer was much cheaper in France and people were allowed to bring back almost as much as they liked. It was calculated that in that first year the single European market cost the British government about £250 million in lost taxes on alcohol.
III. Match the following phrases with their meanings:
1
.
to sample home cooking A. to have idea of something;
2. to serve an excuse B. to get accustomed to do something;
3. to be centred around food C. to be greeted with pleasure;
4. to hit the headlines D. to follow austerely some rules;
5
.
to be aware of something E. to taste food made at home;
6. unique phenomenon F. to justify;
7. to be over-worried G. extraordinary thing;
8. to be welcomed H. to concentrate one’s attention on meal;
9. negative attitude I. to occupy the first lines in mass media;
10. to observe strictly J. to express excessive worry;
11. to get into the habit K. unfavourable view.
IV. Fill in the gaps with the words given below:
Eggs which constitute a basic part of most people’s diet are eaten either …
or … .
2) … is present in almost every tinned food item.
3) The British use a lot of … for making … dishes both savoury and sweet.
4) A … is not always accompanied by chips.
5) Visitors to Britain have widely varying opinions about all sorts of aspects of
the country, but most of them agree that British … has an unfortunate … . 6) Health food shops are as abundant in the country’s high streets as … .
7) On the shelves of British supermarkets one can find a great abundancy of the
… and … needed for cooking dishes from all over the world.
8) British breakfast usually consists of a … and toast and marmalade.
9) … is usually a cup of tea or coffee and some biscuits at around eleven
o’clock.
10) … are now more common in Britain than they are in most other counties.
cuisine; delicatessens; pastry; fast food outlets; packeted cereal; hard-boiled, poached; reputation; elevenses, the spices and sources; sugar; fry-up; flour.
Answer the questions.
In what kind of place are you most likely to find good British cooking?
2) What can serve an excuse for unfortunate reputation of British cuisine?
3) Think of as many reasons as you can why British people prefer to eat from
other countries where they go out to eat?
4) What is the most democratic type of eating place in Britain?
5) What is the attitude to alcohol in Britain?
What are the differences (if any) between laws relating to the consumption
of alcohol in Britain and those in your country?
The text mentions the rush across the channel to buy cheap alcohol in 1992. 8)
What effect do you think this started to have on traditional British drinking
habits (with respect on both what people drink and where they drink)?