When traveling to England, it can be confusing when you search or ask for ground beef.
Similar to how a large truck is called a lorry in England, ground beef also has another name in the UK.
Ground beef in England exists and is called mince which is short for minced meat. In England, beef is minced in a mincer similar to how in America beef is ground in a grinder.
Now let’s quickly cover the distinction English folks make between mincing and grinding.
Mincing in England vs America
There are a few words that sometimes mean similar but different things when comparing how words are used in England vs America.
Mincing is a word that is not frequently used with meat in America. However, Americans frequently mention that we mince garlic which means to chop the garlic into smaller pieces.
Similarly, folks in England use the word mince to mean finely chop into small pieces. Given that beef is placed into a mincer in order to make “ground beef” or “minced beef,” you can understand how English folks developed a shorthand for minced beef to be just “minced.”
Here is a photo of a mincer that minces meat in England:
And here is a photo of a meat grinder in America that makes ground beef:
So you can see why the exact same device is called different names in England vs America.
Grinding in England vs America
Now in America, we call minced beef “ground beef” since we place meat into the grinder.
However, in England, the word grind usually means to crush into powder. So grinding beef sounds silly since the beef is not being ground into a powder.
In England, the word grind can be used with items like grain since grains of wheat are ground up to make flour.
So if there was a “ground beef” that exists in England, it would be similar to some sort of meat paste which is not what Americans mean when they ask for ground beef.
What Is The Difference Between Mince and Ground Beef?
Simply put, there is no difference between mince and ground beef.
Both mince and ground beef are exactly the same thing but are just called different names whether you live in America or England.
Effectively mince and ground beef is just hunks of meat that have been fed through a mincer or grinder which will turn the meat into smaller pieces. Generally, mince or ground beef can be used to create burgers and meatloaf.
Now some other countries like South Africa may have both ground beef and mince in stores as separate items which means that there might be a difference between the two.
However, for England and America, ground beef and mince refer to the same food item.
Final Thoughts
So ground beef does exist in England but ground beef is called minced beef or just mince for short.
There are plenty of other food items and objects that have different names in England vs America and ground beef and mince happen to be one of them.
For example, Americans call fried potato slices “french fries,” whereas English folks call fried potato slices “chips.”
