Today people in the UK eat a more varied¹ diet than ever before. As well as the regional diets of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland the many immigrant communities have introduced their cuisines² to the previously³ unadventurous Britons: Chinese, Greek, Indian, Italian, Thai, American fast foods such as pizza, hamburgers and fried chicken have to some extent displaced the traditional fast food of fish and chips.

Because of the climate and the Germanic origins of many of its early people, the UK has been a traditionally beer drinking rather than a wine drinking country. Nevertheless, in recent years, vineyards in the south of England have proved successful. In the west of England the traditional drink is cider, rather than beer. Over Britain as a whole, however, the traditional drink is tea.