England · Scotland · Wales · Ireland
British Isles Cuisine, Kitchen & Dining
The traditions behind the food: afternoon tea, British baking, the Sunday roast. Recipes that belong to them, tools to plan them, and honest guides to the kitchen and table that make them work.
Just published
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New this week
Fresh from the kitchen
Recipe · 40 min
Clapshot
Orkney's buttery mash of potato and swede with chives: two Scottish staples better together, and ready in 30 minutes.
Kitchen design
Buying Vintage and Antique Kitchen Furniture: What to Check
Old dressers, tables and chairs bring real character, and real pitfalls: woodworm, wobbly joints and old lead paint.
Buying guide
Wine and Sherry Glasses for the Christmas Table
You do not need a glass for every wine. Which shapes are worth owning, how many to buy, and how to stop them breaking.
Recipe · 1 hr 40 min
Apple Tart (Plate Pie)
Sharp Bramley apples between two layers of sweet shortcrust on a pie plate: the apple tart of every Northern Irish kitchen.
Kitchen design
Deep Pan Drawers or Cupboards? Why Many Kitchens Are Switching
Pull a drawer and everything comes to you; open a cupboard and you kneel. How deep drawers compare, and what to put in them.
Buying guide
Biscuit Cutters for Christmas Baking
Stars, trees and gingerbread people: the cutters worth having for Christmas biscuits, and how to keep their shapes sharp.
Cuisine
Explore the British Isles
English Food
Roasts, pies, puddings and regional bakes from Yorkshire to Cornwall.
Scottish Food
Shortbread, oats, smoked fish and the Burns supper.
Welsh Food
Welsh cakes, bara brith, lamb and leeks.
Irish Food
Soda bread, stews and the breads of the Irish kitchen.
Northern Irish Food
Griddle breads, the Ulster fry and home baking.
Kitchen
Kitchen design & decor ideas
Kitchen design
Buying Vintage and Antique Kitchen Furniture: What to Check
Old dressers, tables and chairs bring real character, and real pitfalls: woodworm, wobbly joints and old lead paint.
Kitchen design
Deep Pan Drawers or Cupboards? Why Many Kitchens Are Switching
Pull a drawer and everything comes to you; open a cupboard and you kneel. How deep drawers compare, and what to put in them.
Kitchen design
Kitchen Extensions and Orangeries: What You Can Build Without Planning Permission
A single-storey rear extension can often go up to 3 or 4 metres without full planning permission. The limits, exceptions and design choices.
Kitchen design
Christmas Dinner: How to Plan Your Oven and Hob Space
One oven, a turkey and six side dishes: a timetable that fits them all, plus safe defrosting times from the Food Standards Agency.
Kitchen design
Storing Wine in the Kitchen: Racks, Fridges and the Places to Avoid
The spot next to the oven is the worst place for wine. Where to keep bottles for Christmas, and rack versus wine fridge.
Kitchen design
Kitchen Corner Cupboards: Getting at What Is in the Back
The corner is where saucepans go to be forgotten. Carousels, pull-outs, corner drawers and blind-corner fittings compared.
Kitchen design
Kitchen Table Sizes: How Big a Table Will Your Room Take?
One number decides whether a table works: the space to pull a chair out. Sizes for 2 to 10 people, round, square and long.
Kitchen design
Hanging Plates on the Wall: A Kitchen Display Guide
How to hang decorative plates safely, plan a pleasing arrangement, and choose plates that suit a traditional kitchen.
Kitchen
Bake & cook
Guides
Choose well
Buying guide
Baking Beans: Blind Baking Without a Soggy Bottom
Ceramic beans, metal chains or dried pulses: what to use for blind baking, and how to do it properly.
Buying guide
Baking Trays and Bun Tins: What You Need
Flat baking sheets, deep trays and bun tins: which to own for biscuits, scones and mince pies.
Buying guide
Biscuit Cutters for Christmas Baking
Stars, trees and gingerbread people: the cutters worth having for Christmas biscuits, and how to keep their shapes sharp.
Recipes
Traditional bakes & classics
Recipe · 40 min
Clapshot
Orkney's buttery mash of potato and swede with chives: two Scottish staples better together, and ready in 30 minutes.
Recipe · 1 hr 40 min
Apple Tart (Plate Pie)
Sharp Bramley apples between two layers of sweet shortcrust on a pie plate: the apple tart of every Northern Irish kitchen.
Recipe · 2 hr 25 min
Honey and Mustard Glazed Gammon
Simmered until tender, then roasted with a sticky honey-mustard glaze: a Sunday centrepiece that also gives you ham for the week.
Recipe · 1 hr 55 min
Bacon and Cabbage with Parsley Sauce
Ireland's classic family dinner: a boiled bacon joint, cabbage cooked in the same pot and a creamy parsley sauce.
Recipe · 1 hr 25 min
Treacle Toffee
Dark, brittle and wonderfully bitter-sweet: the traditional bonfire toffee of the north of England, and a perfect homemade gift.
Recipe · 3 hr 30 min
Black Bun
Bake it now for Hogmanay: a dense, spiced fruit cake sealed inside a pastry case that needs weeks to mature.
In season
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