Food ideas for an English stall at school international evening

[whataboutbob]

I’ve nominated myself to run the English stall at DSs school international evening. The standard last year was pretty high. With a large number of families originally from India, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan there was a lot of very nice Asian food, also stalls from Eastern Europe, Italy, France etc. It’s easy to get a bit overwhelmed and wonder how Britain can stand its gastronomic own in such company. Anyway, I am thinking of buying some nice produce from Kent when I go there to visit my brother the day before. Fresh apple juices, cheeses, crackers. Maybe make “ Cornish” pasties using halal lamb. But I’d love some suggestions to help us put on a good show. Thanks in advance.

I would do afternoon tea. Mini cakes, scones and sandwiches with the crusts cut off. Maybe see if you could borrow lots of nice china.
Alternatively, speak to the local chippy about doing mini fish and chips in bulk?

Yum yum
I'm sure it will be delightful op.

Afternoon tea with mini sandwiches sounds good, I think I need to b careful about over thinking it and trying too do too much! Maybe afternoon tea and trifle would work. And a few G&Ts.

I’ve done crumpets before at this kind of thing. A couple of 4 slice toasters, proper English butter. Food of the gods!

Pimms?
Goodluck OP!

Gingerbread, several types - parkin - apple pie and Wensleydale cheese - Welsh cakes - old-fashioned fairycakes/Queen cakes - shortbread - Dundee cake - seed cake (delicious!) - oatcakes and pikelets - lardy cake - macaroons - brandy snaps - Bath Olivers - Sally Lunn - teacakes - crumpets (quince jelly or Gentlemen's Relish) - coffee and walnut cake - lemon drizzle - Battenburg - simnel cake - hot X buns - Bara brith - Eccles cakes - Chorley cakes - Banbury cakes - Bakewell tart - butterfly cakes - fondant fancies - madeira cake - black bun - barm brack - maids of honour - Yorkshire fat rascals - curd cakes - saffron cake - Devonshire splits ... and on and on and on.

We have a proud tradition of home baking, Fly the flag! Maybe you could do a small display of English cookery books, past/present? Display a map of the trade routes that brought sugar/spices and connections to other nations taking part? History of afternoon tea?

I usually end up with cucumber sandwiches, strawberries and cream and Eton mess. Not very seasonal just now 😂
Greggs sausage rolls and froot shoot?

Who eats cucumber sandwiches?? I have never eaten one.

They are rather nice actually.

cucumber sandwiches are for people without taste buds.

OP afternoon tea and G&T is bound to be a winner

Thanks everyone. I like the idea of having some booklets on English cooking on the stall. I might take my copy of Gary Rhodes (RIP) Rhodes around Britain. I’ve emailed my co stall holders with some ideas. I’ll post agin when they’ve got back to me, please keep sending ideas!

Biscuits - everyone loves biscuits and it’s what I’m always asked to take when I visit people abroad.

G&T? Don’t you mean Pimms?

You have to have Angel Delight!

As a foreigner some foods I’d never experienced before I moved to Britain are:
-Eccles cakes
-Trifle
-Brandy sauce
-Scotch eggs
-pork pies
-vindaloo
-HP sauce

• black pudding

@Reginabambina hats off if you have eaten them all!

I didn’t grow up in England although I am English. When I came back there were some things it took me along time to be able to eat. I thought baked beans were repulsive. I quite like them now. But I digress.

Kentish gypsy tart

Manchester Tart, Scouse, Cheese and Onion pie -

I’ve grown to love baked beans too. I still can’t get used to British bread though

How about a post brexit special and just take a bunch of tins.

A cottage loaf to go with your cheese? Actually, an English cheeseboard would be lovely - good Cheddar/Stilton/Wensleydale or Lancashire/maybe Sage Derby - and a pickled onion?

People keep saying gin and tonic - but that's a colonial British in India thing. You might find Indian guests claim it back from you!

OP

A bit off topic but I had a group of students where everyone was an immigrant, we were not allowed to sell food as a fundraiser so we made recipe books to sell.

It might be an idea to have some recipes from the stall holders.

OK for food - canapes. I've done mini toad in the hole as canapes before. Mini sandwiches, I saw some the other day made with tortilla, layer of smoked salmon, layer of cream cheese and repeat. This is then cut up into squares so makes about 40. It's not a traditional sandwich but looks like a miniature version.

Savory pies are fairly unique (I know there are various types of pasties) cheese and potato would be an option.

I agree scones and jam and cream would go well.

@Reginabambina I think U.K. bread only makes sense if toasted or used to make a sandwich. @katy1213 I was thinking of that I’ll be in Kent the day before and there’s a very good cheesemaker, I m going to get some “ real” cheeses and display along with apples and pears. @sashh thanks for all the ideas. Having some recipes to hand out would be good. Even if people don’t take them, it kind of promotes the idea that there is something to English/ British cooking. I will look up Kentish gypsy tart.

I don't know how many people you're expecting but there's a lot of printing/waste paper if you out hand out recipes; people tend to pick them up for the sake of it, then lose them/drop them.
For events like this, I tend to print out once and let those who are interested copy on their phones.
Are you in Kent? You'll need a very sweet tooth for gypsy tart - it was a real school dinners special but I still see it in bakers' windows. Apple cake might be nice though the recipes I have are West Country origin.

Hope you have some willing helpers!