The pub, which had most recently been operating as Franklins, is getting a full refurb, including a zinc bar top, porcelain lights, a bespoke back bar, antique mirrors, and polished wooden floors, ahead of reopening under its original name.
The sourdough crumpets are a must-order and they come with some delightful accompaniments - the dressed Dorset crab and the duck liver parfait with Yorkshire rhubarb being our favourites.
When you walk in, you're going to smell the wood burning fireplace. You're going to see all of the antique furniture. Our goal is to have people who come to Pelican Inn feel like they stepped into 16th century England.
Scotch eggs are a pub food delicacy - a soft-boiled egg wrapped in a thin layer of sausage, coated in breadcrumbs, and then deep fried until crisp and delicious, ideally with a yolk in the center that is still runny. They are as heavy in the hand as they sit in the belly, a classic British dish that sticks to the ribs and girds one against the cold grey drizzle.
We crave those familiar dishes that remind us of kitchens we trusted as children and which take us back to a period when the world was a happier place. Corenucopia, the new luxury bistro from Clare Smyth MBE and our Restaurant of the Month for December, feels well placed in that respect. Rather than chasing trends, it offers familiarity. British classics cooked with care, confident flavours, and dishes where the pleasure comes from a quiet satisfaction.
A landmark study reveals that American cuisine typically features a greater range of ingredients compared with British. Scientists studied a data set of recipes covering 23 cuisines around the world - ranging from British and American to Thai and Eastern European. While Britain opts for carb-heavy comfort foods like meat and dairy, the US adds more in the way of herbs and spices. However, neither British nor American cuisine use spices and herbs at the same level as Indian cuisine.
There is a unique comfort in the dishes we call classics, recipes that bring a sense of familiarity while leaving space for reinvention. British cooking is full of such touchstones, of dishes that feel timeless, yet that also respond beautifully to a fresh approach. I love exploring that balance, keeping the heart of a dish while introducing flavours, textures and ideas that make it feel new, and that's the philosophy at the heart of Rosi, our new restaurant at the Beaumont hotel in London.
opening at the Monohaus development in London Fields in October, will be a reflection of Ivan's 15-year exploration of food cultures and sustainability practices around the world. The menu will be British but with international influences and nods to the flavours of his childhood. It'll also be constantly evolving but you can expect dishes like morel har gow, brown crab tikka masala, and pickled cockle flatbread. He'll also be doing reimagined versions of old faves, like his fermented potato waffle and his fish fillet.
When Americans think of British food, they may think of fish and chips, shepherd's pie, or the full English breakfast. These are indeed classics, but the depth of British cuisine goes much further. As a Brit, I've grown up with these foods being a part of everyday life. It's easy to forget that dishes commonly known to you can be barely known anywhere else. This is why I wanted to create a list of U.K. dishes that fly under the radar.
Many British comfort foods and rustic, classic dishes do tend to rely on umami flavors, good cheese, and a touch of stodginess - yes. But food culture is an ever-changing thing, and UK tastes have often been geared towards spice. Current ideas of British food as having zero spice probably come from austerity after World War II with a touch of historical snobbery and a pinch of religiously motivated pseudoscience thrown in for good measure.
The beauty of a full English breakfast is the variety of tastes and textures all found on a singular plate. While it's not a light meal by any means, it's a substantial and filling way to start the day - so it's no surprise that John Lennon favored the hearty meal that would keep him full throughout his time at protests, rehearsal, or in the studio.
Lisa Goodwin-Allen stated, "I can't wait to open the doors to Rosi, it's been a joy working with Stuart, Brendan and Jozef to help create my London home. Rosi is a restaurant where the menu is full of dishes you really want to eat, and the atmosphere is just as inviting. I hope Rosi will be embraced by Londoners, just as I have been."
"I'm so excited to be taking on the next stage of my career within the Tom Kerridge Group and opening a new site. Tom has taught me so much about proper gastropub dining and what it is to create truly brilliant food within the context of a pub menu - I can't wait to bring everything I've learned to Chelsea for The Chalk Freehouse."
