Staycations, Or Britain's Best Food Tours

From souvlaki to paella and from moussaka to gelato, the food is one of the best parts of a summer holiday for many of us. But if you’re opting for a staycation rather than a foreign holiday this year, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on some amazing food.

Okay, so we might not do pizza like the Italians and we may get a little squeamish at the thought of frog’s legs, but we so have some culinary delights all of our own. In fact, Premier Inn has recently published an Ultimate Foodie Tour of the UK map, which highlights where to find some Great British classics, including hearty rumbledethumps, laverbread (nothing to do with volcanoes) and scouse (the stew, not the accent – well, it doesn’t really matter, it’s the same location).

Let’s take a look at where to find a few of our faves from the list, as well as a few of our own that we’ve added in to help with your staycation planning. And if you’re a massive foodie, maybe you could even plan a road trip taking in some of these Great British delights?

Ok, so the first stop off on our foodie tour of Britain isn’t very specific, but that’s because crispy battered cod/haddock/plaice and hot fluffy chips dripping in salt and vinegar (who else’s mouth is watering just thinking about it?!) can be enjoyed best anywhere there are seagulls squawking and there’s the sound of waves lapping the shore.

Yes, there’s always a risk of having one of your chips pinched by a swooping bird, but that’s all part of the charm, isn’t it? No longer do you get the newspaper wrappings, but those little wooden forks aren’t showing any signs of disappearing anytime soon – especially with the current war on plastic. The old ways are the best, after all.

There is some debate among cake experts (which is a category that we would very much like to join) as to whether parkin originates from Yorkshire or Lancashire. We are not qualified to say (maybe we’re not experts after all? Sad face) but we do know that it makes for an absolutely lovely ginger-y, cake-y, treacle-y snack.

You’ll find classic parkin in all good tea rooms in this part of the world, and if you want to recreate it for yourself once you’re back home, try out this recipe from Grandma Abson. It might be most traditional on Bonfire Night, but when in Yorkshire… (or Lancashire)…

Soft scones, still warm from the oven, slathered in melting butter, and topped with homemade strawberry jam and thick clumps of clotted cream, all washed down with a pot of piping tea. Are you salivating yet?

A traditional cream tea is one of the highlights of a holiday to Devon or Cornwall, but you do risk angering the locals with your cream tea etiquette unless you do your revision before you go; remember, it’s jam then cream if you’re in Cornwall, but cream then jam if you’re in Devon. But does it really matter as long as it’s going in your mouth and no one else’s?

It wouldn’t be a trip to Blackpool without needing some emergency dental work afterwards, thanks to having your jaw wedged shut and your fillings removed by a stick of rock.

It tastes a little bit like toothpaste, it practically glows in the dark, it’s usually got some completely illegible text running through the middle of it, and one stick can last for approximately three months. But despite all that, we absolutely must buy at least ten sticks every time we’re at the seaside. Sorry teeth.

Of course, Brighton isn’t the only place you can find candy floss, but when the sun is shining, you’ve had so many goes on the big wheel that you feel slightly sick and you’re enjoying a walk along the world-famous pier, a bag of fluffy pink candy floss is an absolute must. And just think how Instagrammable that pink’ll look next to the blue sea…

Yes, it looks like cotton wool on a stick. Yes, it feels like cotton wool too. But it’s actually delicious spun sugar, thank you very much. We’ll take six bags.

We’re not sure that this one deserves the title of delicacy, but it’s certainly something. Yes, it’s deep-fried in the same way a chip shop would deep fry a piece of fish, to hand to you coated in batter. But instead of a flaky fillet of white fish inside your batter, you’ll find a soft, melty, caramel-y, nougat-y Mars bar.

Did the world really need the deep-fried Mars bar to be invented? Possibly not, but make sure you try one if you’re staycation-ing in Scotland this summer – just maybe eat only salad for the rest of your trip.

Shortbread comes in many forms, but you cannot beat the traditional Scottish crumbly, buttery kind. Preferably, it should be sliced into finger shapes, with a few holes pricked in the top and a smattering of sugar granules sprinkled on top for a truly satisfying crunch as you bite into your biscuit.

To serve: a hot cup of tea for shortbread-dunking. Leave it in for a good few seconds – proper Scottish shortbread’s tough stuff. Happy holidays indeed.