Discover United Kingdom

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When we think of the United Kingdom, we often imagine London and its double-decker buses... Yet the country is more than just England and the capital. Let's not forget Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales!

The British flag, the Union Jack, brings together their different symbols. The two red crosses intertwined and highlighted in white link England and Ireland, and the white cross on a blue background of Scotland. Wales is not represented because it was attached to the kingdom after the creation of the Union Jack.

It will take more than one trip to discover all that the UK has to offer. The country has a variety of lush green landscapes, historic monuments, tea rooms and pubs with an ambience that is second to none...

Welcome to the UK

Languages in the United Kingdom

The official language is English but it is not the only language spoken in the country. There are several regional languages:

• Welsh in Wales
• Scottish Gaelic in Scotland
• Irish Gaelic in Northern Ireland
• Cornish in Cornwall

Religion and politics

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a monarchy ruled by Queen Elizabeth II of the Windsor Dynasty since 1952.

Most people in the United Kingdom declare themselves Christians. Christianity is divided between Anglicanism (mainly in England), Presbyterianism, Methodism and Catholicism (in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

British cuisine

From British cuisine, we are especially familiar with breakfast with eggs, bacon, kidney beans and the famous pudding. Often criticized, it does not always look very appetizing. However, the British are above all looking for simplicity, dishes are made from quality local ingredients and simple sauces that accentuate the flavours. Their cuisine is influenced by exchanges with India and by Mediterranean cuisine.

British cuisine has many variations, such as English, Scottish and Welsh cuisine. Each has developed its own regional or local dishes.

Among the best known specialities :

• Fish and chips : Fish served with pickled French fries and sometimes mashed peas.
• Sunday roast : Sunday roast, a roast beef with potatoes, vegetables in a horseradish sauce, gravy and Yorkshire Pudding
• Yorkshire Pudding : a dough based on eggs, milk, flour and butter cooked in the cooking fat of the meat
• Full English Breakfast : the famous English breakfast. You can fill your plate with eggs, bacon, fried mushrooms, fried tomatoes, toast, black pudding and beans.
• Kedgeree :  the Anglo-Indian breakfast. It consists of rice, smoked haddock, curry and hard-boiled eggs.
• Potted shrimps : small shrimps peeled and candied in clarified butter and spiced with mace.
• Jellied eel : eel cut into slices, cooked in broth and cooled in the jelly that appears on cooking
• Stargazy pie : a savoury pie made with sardines or mackerel. The fish heads come out of the dough and look up, which explains the name: stargazy = looking up at the stars.
• Coronation chicken : poached chicken, seasoned with a sauce made of sautéed onions, curry, tomato purée, apricot purée, lemon, red wine, crème fraiche and mayonnaise. This dish served cold was invented for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
• Trifle : a dessert from the 16th century, composed of several layers: a sponge cake base soaked in alcohol, a layer of fruit, a layer of custard and finally a layer of whipped cream.
• Sticky Toffee Pudding : a pudding made with eggs, sugar, milk, fresh or dried fruit, spices and jam. It is served with custard, a kind of custard.
• Banoffee pie : a pastry made with banana, cream and caramel on a crumble base.
• Scone : a sweet bread roll of Scottish origin that is most often eaten at tea time, with jam and cream.
• Victoria Sponge cake : a very airy cake. The real Victoria Sponge Cake consists of two layers of cake bound together with raspberry jam and vanilla cream.
• Crumpet : a round pastry made of flour and yeast. Crumpets are eaten hot with butter, sometimes with jam, honey or spread.

Good to know: in the UK, breakfast must be very substantial as lunch is often a sandwich taken during a 15min break. At 5pm it's tea time, but don't eat too much as dinner is usually taken around 6.30pm.

Sex, drugs & Rock'n'roll in the UK

Cigarettes in the UK

Bad news for smokers! As of 15 February 2016, smoking is prohibited in enclosed public places such as workplaces, public transport... but also in pubs, bars and restaurants.

Drug use in the UK

As in many European countries, the use and possession of drugs ("soft" or "hard") is severely punished by law.

Alcohol in the UK

Throughout the United Kingdom, the sale of alcohol is restricted to pubs, restaurants and shops licensed by the local authority. The purchase of alcohol is permitted from the age of 18. Any purchase before that age, or made by an adult on behalf of a minor, is liable to prosecution against both the buyer and the seller.

It should be noted that the legal blood alcohol level when driving in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 0.8 g/L of blood. While the limit in Scotland is 0.5 g/L.

Prostitution in the UK

As in France, the United Kingdom condemns pimping.

Scottish legislation is more specific and punishes soliciting in public places.

Public holidays in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, public holidays differ by region. Here are the common public holidays throughout the country:

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