Oxfordshire
What food is Oxfordshire famous for? And what souvenirs to buy when visiting the south west county!
What food is Oxfordshire famous for? And what souvenirs to buy when visiting the south west county!
The table above lists all the local delicacies from Oxfordshire, and souvenirs to purchase on your visit. Click on each name to be taken straight to the part of the blog post for that item.
Banbury Cake by Redrose64 under license CC BY-SA 3.0
Oxfordshire is home to some of the tastiest food in the country. Some of the mouth-watering most famous dishes include Oxford Hollygog Pudding, New College Pudding, Burford Lardy Cake and Oxford Blue Cheese. You can find Oxfordshire foods everywhere, but it’s best when you buy them from a local store or restaurant in the county. All of these delicious items are unique and have their own special flair that makes each dish worth trying at least once! Whether you want to try something sweet like Banbury cake or savoury like Oxford sausages, there’s sure to be something for everyone. So next time you come across an Oxfordshire recipe, don’t hesitate - just give it a go!
Once you've read up on the foods to try on your visit to the beautiful county of Oxfordshire, why not have a look at our posts for the activities that are available to do in this area. You can find them via the button below:
The best dishes from Oxfordshire, try them at home or on your visit!
In this blog post, we will be discussing what delicacies you can expect to find in Oxfordshire.
From traditional English cuisine to more continental fare, there are plenty of tasty options available in one of the food capitals of south England. Here are a few examples we recommend:
Banbury Cakes
Banbury cakes are a delicious, sweet treat that hail from the town of Banbury in Oxfordshire. Thought to have origins going back to the 16th Centrury, these treats are made with flour, sugar, butter, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and currants giving the cake a crumbly texture and a sweet, fruity flavour. They’re perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth! Enjoyed as part of an afternoon tea, the cakes can be found in most cafe's in the county. They are often coated in sugar or icing and can be served either warm or cold.
Frank Cooper's Oxford Marmalade by Kiliweb under license CC BY-SA 3.0
Frank Cooper’s Oxford Marmalade
Oxford marmalade is a unique fruit preserve that hails from Oxford itself. It’s made with Seville oranges, which give it a sharp citrus kick. You can spread this distinctive jam on toast or use it as an ingredient in baking. The marmalade has a Royal Warrant and can be found in supermarkets across the United Kingdom. First created in 1874 in a family kitchen in Oxford, the marmalade has been a popular condiment ever since.
Oxford Sausages
Oxford sausages are some of the tastiest in the country, and you can find them all over Oxfordshire! They’re a distinctive variety of pork and veal sausages with a high level of seasoning. The 'Oxford' style of sausage dates back to the 18th Century when Isobella Beeton first created the mix in her book called 'Book of Household Management'. These tasty sausages have a more interesting texture than your standard pork sausage, and they taste amazing!
Oxford Sauce
Oxford sauce is one of the most unique sauces around! It hails from Oxford, but it has a sweeter, spicier flavour than traditional savoury English brown sauce. This tasty condiment was created by Baron Robert Pouget in the year 2000 (with apparently a recipe made by mistake with an increased chilli content) and has been enjoyed with all meals in Oxfordshire ever since.
Oxfordshire Hollygog Pudding
Hollygog pudding is a delightful, sweet dish that hails from the Oxfordshire village of Kiddington. It’s a golden syrup rolly polly type dessert that is baked in milk. A farm house favourite over the years, the Hollygog pudding is a golden crusted delight that you may be lucky to find in a restaurant or cafe serving the old classics.
Oxford Blue Cheese by Amanda Slater under license CC BY-SA 4.0
Oxford Blue Cheese
Oxfordshire is well known for its blue cheeses, and the town of Burford has a particularly delicious variety. This cheese is made from pasteurised cow’s milk and laced with a local spice mix to give it a slight kick. The soft and creamy cheese is not as strong as a stilton but has been described as a 'French style English blue cheese'. It comes in a distinctive circular package and tastes great with crackers and a glass of red wine.
Burford Lardy Cake
Lardy cake is a classic English treat made with rendered lard, flour, sugar, dried spices and currants with a number of counties laying claim to be the originators of this sweet calorific dish. Eaten hot or cold, the bread cake goes great with some golden syrup (with plenty of finger licking to finish off). These cakes are very popular in the Oxfordshire area especially in the small town of Burford and can be found in many cafes and bakeries across the county!
New College Pudding
If you’re visiting Oxford or its environs, there’s one dish you absolutely must try: New College pudding! This dessert was served to students at New College, Oxford, and has now expanded out to desert lovers across the country. It’s made with breadcrumbs, suet, sherry, sugar and currants. The pudding is similar to a steamed pudding drenched with sugar to finish with a lovely golden brown colour. Served beautifully on its own or with custard for dipping!
And some souvenirs to take home...
Oxford University Memorabilia
Oxford University souvenirs are a great way to show your appreciation for all the work they do at the university, and the wonderful environment they provide. Popular gifts are hoodies, t-shirts, hats, keyrings and more.
Oxford University is one of the oldest universities in England and was founded in 1096. It is home to some amazing spires, libraries and landmarks along with its rich history as being where many prominent people have studied from Benjamin Disraeli, Stephen Hawking and Hugh Grant just to name a few! There are so many ways to support the historic university so why not buy a souvenir from their official shop on your visit.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we have shared some of the most famous Oxfordshire dishes and their origin stories. What is your favorite oxford dish? We hope you enjoyed reading about these delicious foods as much as we did! Please share with us (via our contact form) what you think makes for a perfect food day or if there's an interesting story behind one of our featured dishes. These are just a few of the many delicious Oxfordshire foods you can try. You’ll never find a shortage of tasty dishes in the English countryside! To find out more about things to do in the area, click on the buttons below:
I hope this article has been useful in answering the question 'What food is Oxfordshire famous for?', giving an overview of some traditional local delicacies and items worth buying as souvenirs while visiting. If so please share with your friends on social media.