Few everyday items have the ability to stir up feelings of patriotism than a country’s national food and drink. Political leaders are well aware of the potential food has to connect them favourably with the experiences of ordinary people.
The British prime minister Boris Johnson and most of his government ministers were all privately educated at one of the country’s most elite schools. Johnson also allegedly earned more money in a few hours than most people in the UK do in an entire year. Yet, despite this, he has managed to successfully construct an image of himself as ‘one of the people’ – and food has been an important feature of his public profile.
After becoming prime minister in 2019 with the promise that he would “Get Brexit Done”, Johnson’s first official state visit was to Estonia, where he served a traditional Christmas lunch to British troops based there on a NATO mission. Asking the soldiers “Who wants turkey?”, Johnson underlined how important it is for Brits to spend the holiday season enjoying meals together with family and friends, in a demonstration of the prominent role food plays in the nation’s cultural life.
