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British classics are part of my life - familiar, reliable and sometimes the only thing that hits the spot. In my 26 years growing up in England , I have had my fair share of British comfort food. I delight in a Friday night fish and chips, the morning-after excuse for a full English, or a school-day dessert that takes me straight back to childhood. But over the years, more chefs and bakers have started putting their own twist on these favourites and I had to find out what the hype is about. I’ll be honest, I’m a fussy eater and I was nervous. Some things are perfect as they are, right? Turns out I was in for a treat. Every single one of these restaurants gave me something I didn’t even know I needed. We started off strong, with Breakfast in Brixton, on Coldharbour Lane SW9 8LP. I'm not stranger to a Jamaican fry up - it’s a staple in Caribbean households and has many similarities with the British version, with a Jamaican touch. I ordered The Brixton Boss Box and it lived up to the name - it came with Ackee and Saltfish (Jamaica’s national dish), accompanied with turkey bacon, turkey sausage, scrambled egg, hash brown bites, fried plantain and French toast and I opted for seasoned beans on the side, because why not? The presentation alone told me it was going to deliver, and it did. It’s the perfect take on a British breakfast - bold, comforting and full of pride. If you haven’t tried this yet, don’t walk... sprint. I spoke to the owner, Nickandra, who told me she was born in Jamaica but moved to England young and wanted her food to represent both cultures. And really, where better than Brixton - home to so many cultures to bring that to life! Next on my list was Every Fish Bar in Harrow, and I was excited for this one. Who doesn’t love a fish and chip night? What sets this chippy apart is how they've put their own twist on Britain’s favourite dish. They still the classics, just with one key difference - the seasoning. That alone elevates the fish and chips in a way you instantly notice. They also do a wide range of dishes, going far beyond fried cod and haddock, they grill almost every fish you could imagine, including whole seabass and snapper. You can then pair it with sides you’d never find in a typical chippy. I went all-in and ordered grilled seabass with jollof rice, something you don’t normally see with fish and chips, but it worked beautifully. Once again, I realised cultural twist on dishes made perfect sense. For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp , for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox. I caught up with the owner, Mohammed Gbadamosi to understand where this amazing take came from, and to my surprise this gem has been hidden in plain sight for eight years, he also told me the idea came from always travelling far for a fish and chips he was happy with, and wanting to finally open one close to home - one that reflects his identity and his community. “If you go to most fish and chips, you'll find things like kebab and things like that, which has been introduced by people usually of Greek and Turkish descent. So, we thought, okay, we're going to do fish and chips, but also introduce our own bit of identity into it,” he said. He added: “Our menu is a reflection of the diverse community we live in - its a blended community.” To finish I needed something sweet, so I headed over to Camberwell to try Cakes on the Corner. Its been years since I’ve had a caramel tart or a sprinkle cake - not by choice, but fear they'd never taste like the ones I remember from school. But this place did the opposite - it nailed that nostalgic sweetness perfectly. I spoke with the owner, Josephine, who told me she's been baking long before you could get a warm cake and custard delivered to your door, and takes pride in "bringing back the old-school cakes." She says the caramel tart was the first recipe that started it all. Everything is baked fresh daily and when Christmas comes around, she introduces rum cake - a Jamaican festive treat. "I do a bit of everyone's culture because I want everyone to walk into the shop and feel like they're a part of it," she told the Mirror . But I couldn’t leave the dessert shop without trying newer cakes, I opted for a lotus brownie and a lotus milk cake - yes, a milk cake. Sounds crazy, however who ever invented this knew exactly what they were doing. The cake was submerged in milk and was fluffy and light - everyone needs to try this cake. They also have a full vegan range, cheesecakes, brownies and more, honestly, there's nothing you can't get here and while the bakes is the main star, there's something extra sweet about how the place blends nostalgia with culture. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
