I spent three years visiting thirty-five English cities. Upon visiting these cities, I aimed to eat something traditional to the region – or at least from a local, independent business. Why would I go to a different city just to get a Mcdonalds or a Tesco meal deal? This list counts down some of the best food I had on my travels.

5. £5 fish and chips in Lichfield

If you’ve never heard of Lichfield, I wouldn’t blame you. It’s a landlocked city in the West Midlands – not somewhere you would expect to get great fish and chips. If you are a tourist coming to the UK – the general advice is don’t get fish and chips in a city like London. Chances are it will be frozen or not very fresh. Instead go to the grottiest, dirtiest fish and chippy in the grottiest, dirtiest seaside resort and that’s where you can get the best fish and chips.

Just imagine my surprise when I bought delicious fish and chips from a market stall in the middle of Lichfield city centre. The fish was decently sized and covered with grease. The chips were beautifully seasoned Best of all, it only cost me a fiver. And it was better than the awful fish and chips I had in Portsmouth. But that’s a story for another day.

4. Canterbury – the Fudge Kitchen

Canterbury is only an hour away from London and will make a delightful day trip. You can read why here. Another reason would be the food. I had lunch in a cute French bistro, but the best food I had was the fudge from the Fudge Kitchen.

When I eventually die, it will probably be from diabetes – I just love sweet food that much. And I particularly like fudge. At the fudge kitchen, you can feast on the free samples and admire the many different flavours. Definitely one for those with a sweet tooth.

3.. Truro – Cornish Pasty

Truro is the only city in Cornwall – five hours south-west from London. They say Cornwall is like a different country to the rest of England – in some respects it practically was – they had their own culture, language and food.

Their most famous food? Cornish pasties. Borne during the heights of Cornwall’s tin mining industry, this savoury food can now be found in bakeries across the country, but nowhere does them like Cornwall. Instead of the generic, lightly-spiced minced beef, you have full-on chunks of beef. There’s no way you can go to Cornwall and NOT have a Cornish pasty – they are that emblematic of the county. Go to any one of the numerous bakeries and see for yourself.

2. Chester – Pierogi

This northern city is nowhere near London, but it is well worth the train journey. The River Dee is spectacular to walk along, but the food was delicious too.

For lunch, I went to the Brook Street cafe and got a burger and chips for under a tenner. Fair enough, but it was the pierogi I remembered most.

Fifteen minutes from the station, you will find a small local business called Pierogi and it sold quite possibly the best-tasting pierogi ever. I bought six dumplings – two potato and cheese, two beef and pork and two spinach, garlic and curd cheese. And you could tell that each one was made with passion and love. I ate some of them hot and others cold. Either way they were delicious. Dare I say they better than the pierogi I ate in Poland?

1. Milton Keynes – Dhosa

Yes, Milton Keynes haters, you read that correctly. Milton Keynes features on another of my top five lists. This city gets an unfair reputation with many claiming it is soulless. But it is here that I ate the best food ever.

Fifteen minutes uphill from the station, there is a huge market offering food from all over the world. It is here that I ate the scintillating Dhosa for the first time. I’ve been chasing that high ever since.

Dhosa is a South Indian savoury pancake. It is incredibly versatile and can have any number of fillings. It is usually served with two or three different chutneys. Paired with a mango lassi, it is heaven on a plate.

Since Milton Keynes, I have had Dhosa in Oxford, Wolverhampton, Reading and Harrow and none of them have even come close. Perhaps that’s because they were proper restaurants and this was an independent mum-and-pop store that made everything with love.

Wow. From England to Poland to India. We’ve gone on a whistle-stop tour of the world. Where have you eaten the best food in England? Let me know in those comments below.