National english meals

Classic English Food Institution’s
Pubs
The word “pub” is short for “public house” which carries a lot of meaning in regard to the purpose they serve for the English.
Pubs first appeared in England when the Romans settled and built a network of roads throughout the country. Along these roads “tavernae”, or taverns, began popping up as businesses to serve thirsty and hungry travellers passing through. As the English were already drinking a lot of ale, it became the staple drink available in these establishments and inspired the craft of ale-making to become even more advanced.
Even after The Roman’s departure, Anglo-Saxons carried on the tradition of roadside stops, which came to be better known as “alehouses”. They were created from an existing home, therefore establishing the cosy atmosphere that you can still find in pubs today.
Taverns, alehouses, and inns soon came to be collectively known as “pubs” under King Henry VII and the owners of these establishments were required to get licenses. Soon, they became social hubs for people in the community to converse and hold important meetings.
In the Industrial Age, particularly in the large cities where workers often lived in cramped spaces, the pubs served as a sort of living room and a place of refuge for many people to escape the hard life and stress of the outside world. Homes were often crowded places, where there was no privacy; the ‘local’ was a great way to get out and socialize. Pubs continued to serve as a comfort for British people through the bleak times of economic depression and both World Wars, all the way up to today. In fact, it is thought that one in four British people meet their husband or wife in a pub. Connecting at the local pub is one of the most import aspects of English culture that there are now countless English pub imitations all over the world.
As far as food, traditional pub food most often consists of typical English dishes such as fish & chips, roast dinners, bangers & mash, and meat pies. Not only are pubs great places to stop for a drink, but as more “gastropubs” sprout up throughout England, they are becoming destinations for great food, too. Some pubs will have proper restaurants inside them. There are some pubs, however, that still only serve drink.