Meal Times and Titles in the UK That May Confuse

“Hi! Can you meet me for dinner on Friday?”

It sounds pretty straightforward, right?

But!

We have 3 main meals in the UK each day. I call them “breakfast,” “dinner,” and “tea.” But that’s because I’m originally from the North of England and working class. In the South of the country, the same meals may be referred to as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the middle/upper classes would refer to the same meals as breakfast, lunch, and supper!

Are you confused? Don’t worry!

To make matters more confusing, there’s also the less used brunch, elevenses, afternoon tea, high tea, and supper, a different type of “supper” to the already mentioned “supper.”)

Breakfast can happen from 6 am (or even earlier) till about midday and be something as simple as a cup of coffee/tea with some toast, cereal, yoghourt, and fruit. However, we also have a “full English breakfast,” which is a large plate containing bacon, sausages, eggs, beans, toast, mushrooms, tomatoes, hash browns, and toast. This is not eaten by most people every day, and more likely by those in physical labouring jobs which may also not have time for a large dinner/lunch.

Elevenses is a short break at about 11 am, often consisting of a biscuit or small cake with a cup of tea or coffee, most often eaten by those who have had a small breakfast.

Brunch is often taken between 10 am and 2 pm and is a mixture of breakfast and lunch, most commonly eaten by those who have not had any breakfast or got up for their beds very late! It’s similar to the full English breakfast but served with the likes of pancakes, avocado, and salad and accompanied by an alcoholic drink.

Dinner/Lunch is served between 12 and 2 pm. It is one of the main meals of the day and can be served with an alcoholic drink. When I was studying at school, it was called dinner and served up by “dinner ladies.” However, if I took my own sandwiches to school, it was called a “packed lunch” and carried in a “lunch box!”

Afternoon Tea or High Tea is a stop-gap, similar to brunch, served between 3 and 4 pm, that consists of sandwiches and cakes served with a pot of English tea. Of all of the meals listed in this article, this is the least common in day-to-day life and may be only served as a treat. In the work environment, it may be something as little as a mid-afternoon cup of tea.

Dinner/Tea/Supper is eaten between 5 pm and 7 pm. It is a large meal and, for some, is the largest meal of the day, often accompanied by wine or beer.

Supper №2 is a small meal taken just before bedtime. It may be something as simple as a piece of toast with a hot chocolate or something similar that is comforting and easy to digest before bedtime.

Bon Appetit!