29th December 2025

A small 2026 goal: explore more of the UK's multicultural food landscape

Lately I’ve been watching Black British creators talking about British food - properly defending it from the kind of rude "British food is gross" takes you see online. Even defending the "poverty dish" kind of meals. Black Brits being really clear that this is their culture too. I really, really like that energy.

I’ve also seen people draw little parallels between British comfort foods (mushy peas, meat pasties, these kinds of foods) and other comfort foods - not exactly the same, but similar roles and forms. This has honestly helped my brain stop filing a whole area of the UK food landscape - especially Afro-Caribbean and West African food - under "complete unknown". I’ve been seeing other videos where people who aren’t familiar with the food go to restaurants, order something totally new, and have a great time - which has made me wonder why I’ve always chosen the same foods.

These videos have made me reflect on my own everyday habits, because I don’t always return that respect in the small ways that matter. For years I had plenty of opportunities to try Afro-Caribbean and West African food (Jamaican, Nigerian, etc.) and yet I never did. When I was going into the office every day, I’d head to the food market for lunch, those counters were right there... but I’d still default to more familiar options. Often Asian food, because it was different to what I usually had at home, but I already knew what I liked.

Also, slight confession: I’ve definitely eaten African food before - we had Moroccan food on a team lunch once, and tagine was always on the office canteen menu - yet I somehow never realised that Morocco is in Africa until I started looking at African restaurants in my area. Which kind of demonstrates a blind spot in my knowledge here. It’s made me realise how much of my “preference” is really just what my brain has decided is familiar. And I don’t like that I let "familiar" become my shortcut for "good", especially when this food is part of the UK’s real cultural landscape.

So, a goal I have for 2026 is to try more Afro-Caribbean and West African food here in the UK. Well, I’m also curious about Ethiopian food, because a friend in Leeds mentioned it when I spoke about this, but the main thing I keep noticing is how often I’ve overlooked Afro-Caribbean and West African food when it was right in front of me.

In terms of actions, I’m going to start simple: pick a lunch that looks delicious and works with my sensory aversions, try it, and if I like it, go back again, and make it a normal option rather than a one-off. I don’t go into the city as often anymore, so that’s as much as I can hope for right now. If anyone has a good “start here” dish, I’m all ears. I just want to be more open to the people and culture that are already part of everyday life here.