The 1970s was a wild decade for British cuisine, bursting with colours, textures, and flavours that might raise eyebrows today. From garish dinner party staples to tinned marvels that graced every pantry, these dishes defined an era before fancy gastropubs and avocado toast.
Grab your fondue fork and time-travel back to the days when dinner meant Arctic Roll for pudding and cheese came on sticks!
1. Prawn Cocktail
Nothing screamed sophistication like prawns drowning in Marie Rose sauce, perched on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce. Served in glass bowls with a slice of lemon and a dusting of paprika, this starter was the height of dinner party glamour.
Housewives across Britain would frantically defrost tiny frozen prawns for this pink masterpiece that kicked off countless suburban soirées.
2. Black Forest Gateau
Layers of chocolate sponge, whipped cream, cherries and kirsch created this dessert monstrosity that no respectable hostess would be without. The more elaborate the decoration, the better – chocolate curls were essential.
Usually bought frozen from the supermarket, this German-inspired cake was defrosted just in time for guests to marvel at its impressive height and boozy cherry kick.
3. Cheese And Pineapple Hedgehog
Cubes of cheddar and tinned pineapple chunks, speared onto cocktail sticks and jabbed into a foil-covered grapefruit. The finished creation resembled a shiny hedgehog that took pride of place at every party buffet.
Mums would spend ages carefully arranging the sticks in neat rows, often adding pickled onions or chunks of processed ham for extra pizzazz.
4. Spam Fritters
Slices of America's gift to British cuisine – tinned spam – dipped in batter and deep-fried until golden. These crispy wonders were a school dinner staple that divided the playground into lovers and haters.
Served with chips and mushy peas, spam fritters were a cheap way to fill hungry tummies when money was tight during the decade's economic wobbles.
5. Arctic Roll
Birds Eye's frozen marvel consisted of vanilla ice cream wrapped in sponge cake with a layer of jam. Sliced into rounds, it was the height of pudding sophistication for millions of British families.
Kids would beg for this treat while parents appreciated how easily it could be whipped from the freezer. The jam layer was often mysteriously thin, but nobody seemed to mind.
6. Coronation Chicken
Created for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, this curry-flavoured chicken salad reached peak popularity in the 70s. Bright yellow from curry powder and studded with sultanas, it filled countless sandwiches and jacket potatoes.
The mix of cold chicken, mayonnaise and exotic spices felt terribly sophisticated, even when made with leftover Sunday roast and a dollop of Vesta curry powder.
7. Angel Delight
Just add milk to this powdered pudding mix, whisk vigorously, and pop it in the fridge for a wobbly, airy dessert that kids went mad for. Butterscotch was the king of flavours, followed closely by strawberry.
Mums would sometimes get fancy by adding mandarin orange segments or creating layers of different flavours. The texture was peculiar – somewhere between mousse and jelly – but utterly addictive.
8. Beef Stroganoff
This creamy beef dish represented foreign sophistication on British dinner tables. Made with strips of beef, onions, mushrooms and sour cream, it was served over rice or pasta for a fancy weeknight dinner.
Often prepared using a packet mix rather than from scratch, the 70s version bore little resemblance to its Russian origins. A splash of brandy made it dinner-party worthy.
9. Chicken Kiev
Frozen food got fancy with these breaded chicken breasts stuffed with garlic butter. The excitement came when cutting into them – would the butter squirt across the tablecloth or stay neatly inside?
Served with chips and peas, Chicken Kiev was the height of convenience food luxury. Marks & Spencer made them popular, and soon every supermarket had their own version.
10. Fondue
No 70s home was complete without a fondue set gathering dust in a cupboard. Dinner guests would gather round to dip bread into bubbling cheese, meat into hot oil, or fruit into chocolate.
The real excitement came from the strict fondue rules – drop your bread in the pot, and you'd have to kiss the person next to you! Many a suburban romance blossomed over melted Gruyère.
11. Scampi In A Basket
The height of pub grub sophistication – breaded scampi served in a small wicker basket lined with greaseproof paper. Always accompanied by chips, garden peas and a wedge of lemon.
Pub-goers felt positively continental ordering this seafood treat. In reality, most 'scampi' was made from reformed white fish rather than langoustine tails, but nobody seemed to notice after a pint or two.
12. Quiche Lorraine
This French tart of eggs, cream, bacon and cheese became the must-have item at every cold buffet. Real men might not eat quiche, according to the saying, but everyone else certainly did.
Housewives would bake them in foil dishes for summer picnics and garden parties. The good hostess always had a quiche ready in the freezer for unexpected guests.
13. Smoked Mackerel Pâté
Blended smoked mackerel with cream cheese and lemon created this simple starter that adorned countless dinner tables. Served with triangles of brown toast or Ritz crackers for true authenticity.
The vibrant orange colour made it look fancy, while the smoky fish flavour seemed sophisticated. Adding a sprig of parsley on top transformed it from everyday to elegant.
14. Baked Alaska
Ice cream encased in meringue and briefly baked – this pudding seemed like magic to 70s diners. How could ice cream survive an oven? The science behind it became dinner party conversation gold.
Made with blocks of Neapolitan ice cream and often doused in alcohol and set alight for extra drama. Getting the meringue browned without melting the ice cream was a true test of cooking skill.
15. Liver With Onions And Bacon
This thrifty dish made the most of cheap offal, fried with onions and topped with crispy bacon. Often served with mashed potatoes to soak up the rich gravy.
Children nationwide would push liver around their plates, trying to hide it under potato. Parents insisted it would 'build strong blood' – a health claim that somehow made the chewy texture even less appealing.
16. Vol-Au-Vents
Tiny puff pastry cases filled with creamy chicken, mushrooms or prawns – no buffet table was complete without a plateful. These bite-sized treats were considered the height of sophistication.
Making them from scratch was a faff, so clever hostesses bought empty cases from the bakery. The fillings might be basic, but the French name made them sound terribly posh.
17. Gammon With Pineapple
A thick slice of gammon topped with a ring of tinned pineapple and a glacé cherry – this sweet-and-savoury combo was peak 70s dinner. Often served with chips and peas for a colourful plate.
The debate over whether fruit belongs with meat raged in kitchens across Britain. Dad would inevitably make a joke about Hawaiian pizza while Mum served up this tropical-inspired creation.
18. Scotch Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried – these portable protein bombs were perfect for picnics and packed lunches. Best eaten cold with a dollop of salad cream.
The supermarket versions were mass-produced, but ambitious home cooks sometimes made their own. The yolk had to be perfectly cooked – not too hard and definitely not runny!
19. Steak Diane
Thin steaks flambéed in brandy with mushrooms and cream sauce – this theatrical dish was a restaurant favourite that adventurous home cooks attempted to recreate. The dramatic flames were half the appeal.
Named after the Roman goddess of the hunt, Steak Diane felt exotic and expensive. Diners would watch in awe as waiters prepared it tableside in fancy establishments.
20. Sherry Trifle
Layers of sherry-soaked sponge, tinned fruit, jelly, custard and cream created this boozy dessert essential. Decorated with glacé cherries and hundreds and thousands, it was the centrepiece of Christmas and Sunday lunches.
Arguments about whether the jelly should be set before adding custard divided families. The amount of sherry added often increased as the evening wore on!
21. Mushrooms On Toast
Button mushrooms fried in butter with a splash of cream on hot buttered toast – this simple supper was a vegetarian staple before meat-free options became commonplace. Sometimes topped with grated cheese and grilled.
Quick, cheap and filling, this was a favourite for late-night suppers or weekend lunches. Adding garlic was considered quite daring in some households!
