Vanessa Austin

Whether the Eton mess was created by a happy accident or divine design, this thoroughly English dessert is heaven in a bowl. The Eton mess, one of England’s best-loved and prettiest desserts, is an absolute joy to eat. Its sublime proportions of crumbled crisp meringue, softly whipped cream and marinated strawberries don’t need further embellishment – the beauty of this delicate dessert is in its simplicity.

When the weather turns cold, our thoughts turn to the most comforting of comfort foods, including this classic dessert from Britain: bread and butter pudding. In this traditional version, the sultanas are soaked in brandy for extra plumpness and the custard is scented with vanilla seeds, cinnamon and orange rind. The scattering of sugar over the top gives the pudding a delicious crunch. You can serve with ice-cream if desired, too. Sweet as.

Spaghetti, eggs, cheese and guanciale – this is the base of a traditional carbonara recipe. For a true Italian experience, it’s important to serve this pasta dish as soon as you toss the eggs through – leave it any longer, and they’ll keep cooking with the heat of the spaghetti and become scrambled. In fact, you should probably eat this carbonara straight from the pan.