hi! there's room for more input on this (particularly how the stereotype may have developed (or not) in various cultures), but FYI, there have been a few threads on British cuisine

• How old is the stereotype of British food being awful?

• Why was food rationing in the UK continued into the mid 1950s?

• How long has Britain been dependent on food supplies from elsewhere?

• and this from 2 days ago, which devolved into a discussion on the development of Worcestershire sauce How did English cuisine get its popular reputation for blandness?