Cooking for a Crowd with Traditional British Food

National Dishes

British National Dishes make perfect sharing food.

Nothing shouts British more than Roast Beef and Yorkshire Puddings. Fill the tables with trays of puddings, slices of beef and lashings of gravy. If that's too much,  are too much then consider Toad in the Hole, Yorkshire puddings filled with sausage with onion gravy  is always welcome.
Deep-fried fish in a crispy batter with fat golden chips is still one of England's favorite meals and the best way to eat Fish and Chips is outdoors served with a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of vinegar, or mushy peas.
Curry is now a staple English food and there are many curry recipes to consider including British favorite from Chicken Tikka.

Warm and Comforting

If inclement British weather may be a problem for your gathering think of something warm and comforting. Traditional English beef stew and dumplings, classic British faggots or a tasty Shepherd's pie is just the thing if the weather turns a little cool and are by far the best for sharing when cooked in large pans.

British food has a wealth of different stews and casseroles perfect for a crowd, here are 10 of my favorite casserole recipes.

A Class Act - Beef Wellington

If you want a classy dish to feed your crowd then look no further than a classic British food - a Beef Wellington.
Beef Wellington was named after the Duke of Wellington in 1851 and has graced British tables ever since. It is based on a classic French boeuf en croute - beef wrapped in pastry. When perfectly cooked, the beef remains soft and melting and the pastry jacket, crisp and golden. Cooking several Wellingtons is no easy job but the results are fabulous. Serve with huge tureens of vegetables and you are on to a winner.

A Little Lighter

If you want food that is a little lighter than the conventional British foods for your party, then an all-time British traditional dish of Bangers and Mash.    are great to serve.  Bangers and mash are perfect sharing food, pile platters full of mash, squish the sausages on top and provide huge jugs of rich onion gravy and let everyone dip in.

Even lighter, then enjoy the best of local produce and prepare a Ploughman's Lunch.  A basic Ploughman's is crusty bread, cheese plus pickled onions and chutney but this can vary considerably and it may also contain a selection of cold meats, ham, maybe a slice of pate and/or a slice of pork pie, sometimes slices of apple or other seasonal fruit.

Don't Forget the Cakes and Puddings

Cakes and puddings are so important when you are feeding a crowd, there are plenty to choose from with British Food. We built our nation with our puddings....

• British Puddings for a Crowd