Episodes
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It’s the end of season seven, so it is time for the traditional special postbag edition of the podcast. Much is covered: feminist dining tables, 17th-century household books, regional gingerbreads, musk-flavoured sweeties and much more.
Thanks to everyone who wrote in with a question, comment or query.
The podcast will return in August.
Support the podcast and blogs by becoming, if you can, a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.
Previous podcast episodes mentioned in today’s episode:
Spices with Ian Anderson
Christmas Special 2023: Mince Pies
The Philosophy of Chocolate with Sam Bilton
Historical Cookery with Jay Reifel
Ormskirk Gingerbread with Anouska Lewis
18th Century Tavern Cooking with Marc Meltonville
18th Century Dining with Ivan Day
Recreating 16th Century Beer with Susan Flavin & Marc Meltonville
Elizabeth Raffald with Alessandra Pino & Neil Buttery
Food in Gothic Literature with Alessandra Pino
Traditional Food of Lincolnshire with Rachel Green
Blog posts mentioned in today’s episode:
Quick & Easy Puff or Rough Puff Pastry
What’s in a Name?: Buttery
#446 Lincolnshire Chine
#174 Grasmere Gingerbread I
#244 Grasmere Gingerbread II
Books mentioned in today’s episode:
The Accomplish’t Cook by Robert May
Good Things in England by Florence White
Food in England by Dorothy Hartley
Lost Country Practices by Dorothy Hartley
Other things mentioned in today’s episode:
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Today I am talking with chef Jay Reifel who specialises in cooking historical food. He has co-written a beautiful book with collaborator Victoria Flexner called The History of the World in 10 Dinners.
We talk about the influence of other cultures on British cuisine as well as the influence British cuisine has had on other cuisines, sweet and sour food, mince pies, mediocre medieval spices, and helmeted cocks – amongst many other things.
This is the last regular episode of the run, meaning that the next episode will be the traditional postbag edition – so send me your comments, questions, and queries. Your deadline is the 28th of May 2024.
Support the podcast and blogs by becoming, if you can, a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.
Follow Jay on Instagram @jayreifel and visit his website jayreifel.com – where you can find more details of his book.
Things mentioned in today’s episode:
Jay’s Helmeted Cock in Vogue
Neil’s Helmeted Cock on Channel 5
Previous podcast episodes pertinent to today’s episode:
The History of Food Waste & Preservation with Eleanor Barnett
Medieval Meals & Manners with Danièle Cybulskie
Spices with Ian Anderson
Christmas Special 2023: Mince Pies
Tudor Cooking & Cuisine with Brigitte Webster
Forme of Cury with Christopher Monk
Previous blog posts pertinent to today’s episode:
Westmorland Sweet Lamb Pie
Favourite Cook Books no.3: The Forme of Cury, Part I
Favourite Cook Books no. 3: The Forme of Cury, part 2 – recipes
Upcoming events:
British Library Food Season 2024, 25 May at 2pm.
We Invented the Weekend festival, Salford, 16th June
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Missing episodes?
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Niche topic alert! Today I am
talking to Anouska Lewis about Ormskirk Gingerbread.
Anouska is the writer and presenter
of the BBC Sounds podcast Hometown Boring? The first episode
being all about Ormskirk gingerbread
We
talk about how one lands getting a podcast series on BBC Sounds in the first
place; the ingredients of Ormskirk gingerbread, the town’s pride in its
gingerbread, the gingerbread ladies who sold them at the train station in the
Victorian period, Ormskirk’s link with Liverpool’s sugar and slave trade, and
the value of having difficult conversations – amongst many other things.
Support the podcast and blogs by
becoming, if you can, a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium
content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.
Listen to Hometown Boring? on BBC Sounds
Follow Anouska on Instagram @history_hun and TikTok @historyhun
Things mentioned in today’s episode:
Ormskirk Gingerbread on the Foods of England website
A Dark History of Sugar by Neil Buttery
Previous podcast episodes pertinent to today’s episode:
Gingerbread with Sam Bilton
Upcoming events:
British Library Food Season 2024, 25 May at 2pm.
Ludlow Food Festival, Friday 13th September.
Warwick Words History Festival, Thursday 3rd October at 4.30pm.
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
Neil’s books:
Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper
A Dark History of Sugar
Both are published by Pen & Sword and available from all good bookshops.
Don’t forget, there will be postbag episodes in the future, so if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email me at [email protected], or on twitter and BlueSky @neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery. My DMs are open.
You can also join the British Food: a History Facebook discussion page:
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Today I am talking to Eleanor Barnett about the history of food waste and preservation.
Eleanor has written a fantastic book about the history of how we as a society have (and sometimes have not) dealt with eliminating waste and preserving precious food resources. It is called Leftovers: A History of Food Waste & Preservation, and it is out now published by Bloomsbury.
We talk about the fabulously wasteful food of 17th century cook Robert May, whose responsibility it was to preserve food in the home (hint: not the man of the house), pies as preservation method, the food waste used in agriculture and industry, food preservation in wartime, and Hannah Glasse’s dubious method for preserving very rank potted birds, plus many other things – we fit a lot into today’s episode.
Support the podcast and blogs by becoming, if you can, a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.
Leftovers: A History of Food Waste & Preservation is out now.
Books mentioned in today’s episode:
Robert May’s The Accomplisht Cook
Sir Hugh Platt’s Delights for Ladies
Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery
Previous podcast episodes pertinent to today’s episode:
London’s Street Food Sellers with Charlie Taverner
Christmas Special 2023: Mince Pies
Upcoming events:
The Leeds Symposium of Food History & Traditions, York, 27 April 2024.
British Library Food Season 2024, 25 May at 2pm. Tickets and info to come soon!
Ludlow Food Festival, Friday 13th September.
Warwick Words History Festival, Thursday 3rd October at 4.30pm.
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
Neil’s books:
Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper
A Dark History of Sugar...
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Today I am talking to three guests about the Scottish Salt Industry – returning guest Aaron Allen, and also Joanne Hambly and Ed Bethune
In today’s most enlightening discussion, we talk about the importance of the salt industry in Scotland from the early modern period, the uses of salt – beyond seasoning of food, the Cockenzie Saltworks Project, the social history of the site and some of the exciting archaeological finds uncovered there, how salt was made, and why Sunday salt is the best salt – amongst many other things.
Support the podcast and blogs by becoming, if you can, a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.
Salt: Scotland’s Oldest Newest Industry is out now and published by Birlinn.
Other things mentioned in today’s episode:
1722 Waggonway Project website
Salt Symposium 2021 on the SCAPE Trust website
Book your ticket for the 2024 Leeds Symposium on Food History and Traditions
Previous podcast episodes pertinent to today’s episode:
Cake Baxters in Early Modern Scotland with Aaron Allen
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
Neil’s books:
Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper
A Dark History of Sugar
Both are published by Pen & Sword and available from all good bookshops.
Don’t forget, there will be postbag episodes in the future, so if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email Neil at [email protected], or on twitter and BlueSky @neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery. His DMs are open.
You can also join the British Food: a History Facebook discussion page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistory
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy -
In today’s episode, I am talking with author and food historian Pen Vogler about her book Stuffed: A History of Good Food and Hard Times in Britain which was published toward the end of last year 2023.
We discuss how precarious our food supply was and is, the Enclosure Acts and their effect upon our relationship with food, allotments, havercakes, adulteration and malnutrition, school dinners and Hannah Woolley’s pumpkin pie, amongst many other things.
Support the podcast and blogs by becoming, if you can, a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.
Pen’s book Stuffed: A History of Good Food and Hard Times in Britain is out now.
Oxford Literary Festival
Hexham Book Festival
Hay Festival
Find Pen on social media: Twitter & Instagram @PenVogler
Books and other things mentioned in today’s episode:
Scoff: A History of Food and Class in Britain by Pen Vogler
My interpretation of Hannah Woolley/W.M.’s pumpkin pie recipe
Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
Previous podcast episodes pertinent to today’s episode:
The School Meals Service with Heather Ellis
English Food, a People's History with Diane Purkiss
A History of Herbalism with Emma Kay
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
Neil’s books:
Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper
A Dark History of Sugar
Both are published by Pen & Sword and available from all good bookshops.
Don’t forget, there will be postbag episodes in the future, so if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email Neil at [email protected], or on twitter and BlueSky@neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery. His DMs are open.
You can also join the British Food: a History Facebook discussion page:
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In today’s episode, I am talking with renowned food historian, chef and confectioner Ivan Day.
The 38th Leeds Food Symposium of Food History and Traditions is coming up – 27 April 2024 to be exact – Ivan is the Chair of the Symposium, so we had a good talk about the history and influence of this most important annual event on the study of food history.
We talked about a pioneer of food history study C. Ann Wilson who was the librarian at the Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds, who, with Peter Brears, Lynette Hunter and Jennifer Staid, created the Symposium in 1986. We also talk about this year's Symposium on 27 April 2024. The topic of this year being ‘Presenting the Food of the Past in Museums and Historic Houses’.
Also discussed: the excellent work of Peter Brears, the speakers of this year’s symposium, the social side of the symposium – including the excellent buffet – and why the Leeds symposium is held in York, amongst many other things.
Support the podcast and blogs by becoming, if you can, a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.
The Leeds Symposium on Food
History & Traditions website
The Symposium’s Eventbrite page
Find Ivan on Instagram @ivanpatrickday
Books and other things mentioned in today’s episode:
Brotherton Library cookery collection, University of Leeds
Food & Drink in Britain from the Stone Age to Recent Times by C. Anne Wilson
Over a Red-Hot Stove edited by Ivan Day
Fairfax House, York
York Castle Museum
Shibden Hall, Halifax
Cooking & Dining in the Victorian Country House by Peter Brears
The Food Museum
Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper by Neil Buttery
Previous podcast episodes pertinent to today’s episode:
18th Century Dining with Ivan Day
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This bonus episode is in fact a pilot for a new podcast show I have made with Sam Bilton and Alessandra Pino.
Enjoy!
In the very first episode, Neil is presenting and gives everyone a free choice as to what topic they want to talk about, as long as it begins with A of course. Alessandra goes for apples, Neil chooses absinthe and Sam looks into adulteration.
Links to things mentioned in this episode:
‘13 Magical Ways to Use Apples’
Glyn Hughes’ Alan Turin sculpture
‘Lancashire man poisoned after eating cherry seeds’ article on BBC News
‘How Did La Belle Époque Become Europe’s Golden Age?’ article on The Collector
‘Site of "The Absinthe Murders"’ article on Atlas Obscura
The Apple Tree (1952) by Daphne du Maurier
Hallowe’en Party (1969) by Agatha Christie
The July Ghost (1982) by A.S. Byatt
Join our free Substack to get extra bonus features: https://substack.com/profile/147444179-sam-bilton
Anything to add? Don’t forget we want to hear your suggestions for future topics.
Contact the pod:
email: aisforapplepod.gmail.com
Social media:
twitter/X: @aisforapplepod
Instagram: @aisforapplepod_
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy -
In today’s episode, I am talking with medieval historian Danièle Cybulskie – also known as the 5-Minute Medievalist – about table manners in the Middle Ages.
Danièle’s excellent new book Chivalry and Courtesy: Medieval Manners for a Modern World is out now and published by Abbeville Press.
We talked about table manners, the importance of sharing and cleanliness, carving terminology, turkey legs and the pressures put on the person organising and overseeing the feasts and meals – the lady of the house…amongst many other things.
Danièle’s website
Danièle is known as @5MinMedievalist on all social media platforms
Find out more about Chivalry and Courtesy: Medieval Manners for a Modern World here
There are four Easter eggs associated with this episode. To become a £3 monthly subscriber, and access them and other premium content, or to buy me a virtual pint or coffee to support the running of the blogs and podcast click here.
Links to things mentioned in today’s episode:
The Goodman of Paris
BBC Food Programme episode about bitter foods on BBC Sounds
Previous podcast episodes pertinent to today’s episode:
Forme of Cury with Christopher Monk
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
Neil’s books:
Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper
A Dark History of Sugar
Both are published by Pen & Sword and available from all good bookshops.
Don’t forget, there will be postbag episodes in the future, so if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email Neil at [email protected], or on twitter and BlueSky @neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery. His DMs are open.
You can also join the British Food: a History Facebook discussion page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistory
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy -
In today’s episode, I am talking with Ian Anderson who has written a fantastic book published by the History Press called The History and Natural History of Spices.
We discuss what a spice is – the definition changes through time, and includes animal as well as plant products – black pepper, the Portuguese spice trade, sugar as a spice, mustard and Thomas Moore’s head – amongst many other things.
Ian’s Instagram page: @ian.d.anderson
Find out more about The History and Natural History of Spices here.
There is one Easter egg associated with this episode. To become a £3 monthly subscriber, and access them and other premium content, or to buy me a virtual pint or coffee to support the running of the blogs and podcast click here.
Links to things mentioned in today’s episode:
Ivan Day’s blog post showing some of his sugar sculptures
The Hoxne pepperpot
Eventbrite page for the 2024 Leeds Food and Drink Symposium April 2024
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
Neil’s books:
Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper
A Dark History of Sugar
Both are published by Pen & Sword and available from all good bookshops.
Don’t forget, there will be postbag episodes in the future, so if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email Neil at [email protected], or on twitter and BlueSky @neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery. His DMs are open.
You can also join the British Food: a History Facebook discussion page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistory
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy -
In today’s episode I am talking to returning guest and friend of the show food historian and writer Sam Bilton about her new book The Philosophy of Chocolate published by the British Library.
Today Sam and I talk about how the peoples of Mesoamerica took their chocolate, how it came to Britain, chocolate houses, the sexualisation of chocolate, and the Cadbury’s Crème Egg Controversy, amongst other things.
Find out more about the Philosophy of Chocolate here.
There are 2 Easter eggs associated with this episode. To become a £3 monthly subscriber, and access them and other premium content, or to buy me a virtual pint or coffee to support the running of the blogs and podcast click here.
Links to things mentioned in today’s episode:
Sam’s podcast Comfortably Hungry
A Flake ad from in 1980s
A Flake ad from the 1990s
The Cadbury’s Caramel rabbit
Sam’s social media handles:
Twitter/Insta/Threads: @mrssbilton
Bluesky: @mrssbilton.bsky.social
Sam’s website: sambilton.com
Previous episodes pertinent to today’s episode:
Lent Episode 3: Pagan Lent & Easter
A Dark History of Chocolate with Emma Kay
The Philosophy of Curry with Sejal Sukhadwala
Gingerbread with Sam Bilton
Saffron with Sam Bilton
Tripe Special
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
Neil’s books:
Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper
A Dark History of Sugar
Both are published by Pen & Sword and available from all good bookshops.
Don’t forget, there will be postbag episodes in the future, so if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email Neil at [email protected], or on twitter...
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S07E03
Apples & Orchards shownotes
Happy New Year and welcome to episode 50 of the British Food History Podcast! I talk to Joanna Crosby about the history of apples and orchards in England. I saved this episode specially for today because it is Twelfth Night – the last day of Christmas – the traditional day of the Wassail, the blessing of the apple orchards. Joanna’s new book Apples and Orchards since the Eighteenth Century is out now from Bloomsbury.
Things discussed today include, the origins of the apple, growing and grafting apple trees, some of the excellent names given to varieties – including Bramley's Seedling and the Cox’s Orange Pippin, Wassailing and the London apple women of the nineteenth century. And more!
There are 4 Easter eggs associated with this episode. To become a £3 monthly subscriber, and access them and other premium content, or to buy me a virtual pint or coffee to support the running of the blogs and podcast click here.
Things mentioned in today’s episode:
The Pomological Personality Picker
Henry Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor (Vol 2)
Neil’s Apple Hat recipe
Neil’s appearance on Fear Feasts podcast
Previous episodes pertinent to today’s episode:
London’s Street Food Sellers with Charlie Taverner
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
Neil’s books:
Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper
A Dark History of Sugar
Both are published by Pen & Sword and available from all good bookshops.
Don’t forget, there will be postbag episodes in the future, so if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email Neil at [email protected], or on twitter @neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery. His DMs are open. He is also on BlueSky at @neilbuttery.bsky.social
You can also join the British Food: a History Facebook discussion page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistory
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy -
Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!
Leaving a mince pie out for Santa this year? I do hope so. This year’s Christmas Special is all about mince pies: the history and baking, as well as the confusion surrounding the fact that there’s no meat in them. Neil makes some early 18th-century-shaped pies and makes a sweet lamb mincemeat from the North of England. He’s on a mission to get the meat back into mincemeat AND to have them on the menu outside of the Christmas period.
A huge thank you to Ivan Day for his help regarding the making of those 18th-century pies.
*blog posts of recipes to accompany the episode will appear on Wednesday 20th December and Friday 22nd December 2023.*
Things mentioned in today’s episode:
Ivan Day’s blog post about mince pies
The Accomplisht Cook by Robert May
The Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth Raffald
Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management
Receipts of Pastry and Cookery by Edward Kidder
Jane Grigson’s Orange Mincemeat
Mrs Beeton’s Mincemeat Recipe
Jane Grigson’s Gooseberry Tarts recipe
Ivan Day’s historical pie-making course
Neil’s appearance on the Full English podcast
Neil’s appearance on the Shackbaggerly podcast
Neil's A Dark History of Sugar talk
Neil's Museum of Royal Worcester talk
Previous episodes mentioned in today’s episode:
Pagan Lent and Easter (includes a section on hot cross buns)
Elizabeth Raffald with Alessandra Pino & Neil Buttery
Christmas Feasting with Annie Gray
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Welcome to a special bonus episode of the podcast which is a collaboration between myself and the Delicious Legacy, hosted by Thomas Ntinas. It’s all about some of the women who were writing cookery books in the 18th century, their characters and the influence they still have upon us today.
Things mentioned in today’s episode:
Thomas’s podcast Delicious Legacy
The Compleat Housewife by Eliza Smith
The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse
Professed Cookery by Ann Cook
The Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth Raffald
Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper
A. Cook’s Perspective: A Fascinating Insight into 18th-century Recipes by Two
Historic Cooks by Clarissa F. Dillon & Deborah J. Peterson
More on Yorkshire Christmas Pyes
Neil’s disastrous Christmas Pye
Ivan Day’s Historic Ices course
Don’t forget, there will be postbag episodes in the future, so if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email Neil at [email protected], or on twitter @neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery his DMs are open. Youcan also join the British Food: a History Facebook discussion page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistory
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
Neil’s books:
Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper
A Dark History of Sugar
Both are published by Pen & Sword and available from all good bookshops....
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It’s the end of the current run so that means it is time for the now traditional end-of-season special postbag edition.
Thank you to everyone who has listened, downloaded, donated and spread the good word. I’ll be back in a couple of months (hopefully) for season seven!
Previous episodes mentioned in the episode:
The School Meals Service with Heather Ellis
Tudor Cooking & Cuisine with Brigitte Webster
Tinned Food with Lindsay Middleton
Cake Baxters in Early Modern Scotland with Aaron Allen
Tripe Special: Sam Bilton & Neil Buttery Talk Tripe
The British Cook Book with Ben Mervis
Forme of Cury with Christopher Monk
Neil’s blog posts mentioned in this episode:
Boiled turkey with celery sauce
Boiled leg of mutton with caper sauce
Sea kale
Sago pudding
Pink sponge & custard
Links to things mentioned in this episode:
Leeds Symposium on Food History and Traditions
Gousto statement about using Tetra Pak
Stephanie Rosenbaum makes Pizza on YouTube
Alan Scott obituary in the New York Times
Museum of Royal Worcester website
Burley’s pudding tree
Handel’s kitchen recreated
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Neil’s guest is Diane Purkiss and they talk about just some of the topics covered in her book English Food a People’s History published by William Collins. Diane is Professor of English Literature at Oxford University, and she has written about such topics as the English Civil War, the supernatural, especially witchcraft; folklore and fairytales; writer’s block and of course food and food history.
They had a rather meandering conversation that covered: bread, and its poor reputation compared to that bake in France; coffeehouses and politics, and coffeehouses as early examples of gay bars; tea and Empire; and foraging – the latter being particularly tricky to get at.
£3 subscribers can hear the full interview with Diane on the Easter Eggs page of the website: http://britishfoodhistory.com/easter-eggs/
Diane’s book English Food: a People’s History available here: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/english-food-a-peoples-history-diane-purkiss?variant=39825973411918
Neil’s blog post about dock pudding (with recipe): http://britishfoodhistory.com/2023/05/26/dock-pudding/
Other bits:
The Elizabeth Raffald Manchester Central Library event at 6pm on 13 September: https://librarylive.co.uk/event/elizabeth-raffald-englands-most-influential-housekeeper/
Neil will be speaking at the Ludlow Food Festival on Sunday 10 September at 2.30pm, talking all things Elizabeth Raffald: https://www.ludlowfoodfestival.co.uk/
He is also talking at Chelsea History Festival on Friday 29 September 2023, at 6pm about the history of sugar: https://chelseahistoryfestival.com/events/dark-history-sugar/
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’ http://britishfoodhistory.com
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’ http://neilcooksgrigson.com
Order Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper at your favourite bookshop, or from the publisher Pen & Sword History: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Before-Mrs-Beeton-Hardback/p/22437
Neil’s other book A Dark History of Sugar is available now from all bookshops as well as from the publisher Pen & Sword: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/A-Dark-History-of-Sugar-Hardback/p/20481
Don’t forget the upcoming postbag episode, if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email Neil at [email protected], or find me on twitter @neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery my DMs are open. You can also join the British Food: a History Facebook discussion page:
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S06E09 The School
Meals Service with Heather Ellis: shownotes
Neil’s guest today is Heather Ellis from Sheffield University. Helen is a historian of Education and she, along with academics from the University of Wolverhampton and UCL, have just embarked on an ambitious project looking at people’s experiences and memories of their school dinners in all four UK Home Nations. School dinners have been supplied by the School Meals Service – i.e. by the Government – since 1908.
They talked about the project, the origins of the School Meals Service in the first decade of the 20th century, the foods served up over the next 100 years or so including pink sponge and custard, liver with the tubes attached and the now infamous turkey twizzlers, Maggie Thatcher – milk snatcher, the fall in the quality of school dinners, as well as Jamie Oliver’s campaign to get them sorted out, and many other things. The School Meals Project wants your food memories if you have had experience with school meals in the UK, however old you may be and whatever the interaction may be.
School Meals Project website: https://www.theschoolmealsproject.co.uk/
Find Heather on Twitter @HeatherLWEllis
Find The School Meals Project on Twitter: @ESRCSchoolMeals
Jamie Oliver’s school meals campaign clip: https://youtu.be/DG66rKiNkw4
When published, Neil’s blog post with a recipe for sago pudding, will be found at www.britishfoodhistory.com
Other past blog post recipes for school dinner-style foods:
Rice pudding: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2015/01/14/rice-pudding/
How to make a steamed sponge pudding: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2023/01/13/how-to-make-a-steamed-sponge-pudding-a-step-by-step-guide/
Jam roly-poly: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2011/11/26/jam-roly-poly/
Proper custard: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2012/03/02/proper-custard/
Eton Mess: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2011/08/11/eton-mess/
Other bits:
The Elizabeth Raffald Manchester Central Library event at 6pm on 13 September: https://librarylive.co.uk/event/elizabeth-raffald-englands-most-influential-housekeeper/
Neil will be speaking at the Ludlow Food Festival on Sunday 10 September at 2.30pm, talking all things Elizabeth Raffald: https://www.ludlowfoodfestival.co.uk/
He is also talking at Chelsea History Festival on Friday 29 September 2023, at 6pm about the history of sugar: https://chelseahistoryfestival.com/events/dark-history-sugar/
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’
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Neil talks to returning guest Kevin Geddes. He told us all about the wonderful, fabulous Fanny Cradock, but today he is talking to me about Television Cookery Shows and their cookbook tie-ins. Kevin wrote a very interesting paper on the early history and origins of TV Cookbooks, and Neil found it so interesting, and he thought you would find it interesting too.
We talked about the early cooking programmes on the BBC before the war, and afterwards; the post-war TV cooks the theatrical Philip Harben and the steady pair of hands Marguerite Patten and how they published their own books whilst working for the BBC; the BBC’s worry about selling commercial products whilst being a public service broadcaster; and the one who really got it all going Mrs Fanny Cradock.
Kevin’s Food and Foodways paper: https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/output/3133885/accompanying-the-series-early-british-television-cookbooks-1946-1976
Find Kevin on twitter, Instagram and Threads @keepcalmandfannyon
Kevin’s blog: https://keepcalmandfannyon.blogspot.com/
Clip of Philip Harben demonstrating boiling techniques: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-tapF1kgU
Clip of Marguerite Patten inducing a show from the 1950s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgG9oMq4l2U
Clip of Fanny Cradock demonstrating fish cookery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EQJ8GnDsiw
Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D95rMYL1T2A
Gary Rhodes and Rhodes Around Britain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=fvJym_0sQ8I
Check out Kevin’s books on his Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/19684992.Kevin_Geddes
Previous podcast episodes pertinent to this episode
Fanny Cradock with Kevin Geddes: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2U50gtyEgV4hcTvMFP2ElG?si=a7cad3d39eab4e13
Other bits:
The Elizabeth Raffald Manchester Central Library event at 6pm on 13 September: https://librarylive.co.uk/event/elizabeth-raffald-englands-most-influential-housekeeper/
Neil will be speaking at the Ludlow Food Festival on Sunday 10 September at 2.30pm, talking all things Elizabeth Raffald: https://www.ludlowfoodfestival.co.uk/
He is also talking at Chelsea History Festival on Friday 29 September 2023, at 6pm about the history of sugar: https://chelseahistoryfestival.com/events/dark-history-sugar/
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’ http://britishfoodhistory.com
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
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Esteemed food historian Marc Meltonville returns to the podcast to talk about taverns, 18th century dining and the cook and author Richard Briggs, the focus of his new book The Tavern Cook: Eighteenth Century Dining Through the Recipes of Richard Briggs which has recently been published by Prospect Books.
We talked about how he found out about Richard Briggs and his book; the similarities and differences between life and cooking then and now; who may have influenced Briggs’ writing; his death; broiling and other older English words the Brits no longer use but North Americans do; authenticity; and much more.
Marc’s website: www.meltonville.uk
Find Marc on Instagram @marcmeltonville
Buy The Tavern Cook: Eighteenth Century Dining Through the Recipes of Richard Briggs from the publisher: https://prospectbooks.co.uk/products-page/current-titles/the-tavern-cook/
There is 1 Easter egg associated with this episode, to access them start a monthly £3 subscription. Subscribers get access to all of the Easter eggs, premium blog content and Neil’s monthly newsletter. Visit https://britishfoodhistory.com/support-the-blog-podcast/ for more details. On that page, you could also donate a one-off ‘virtual coffee’ or ‘virtual pint’. All money received goes into making more content.
Previous podcast episodes pertinent to this episode
Recreating 16th Century Beer with Susan Flavin & Marc Meltonville https://open.spotify.com/episode/6wtjaqTVyqjacVkyvvO3FP?si=b3c29819ed7b453a
Elizabeth Raffald with Alessandra Pino & Neil Buttery https://open.spotify.com/episode/0oPYbFhNAfIHOfj6KL9RWC?si=cfdfadbbf32a4d24
18th Century Dining with Ivan Day https://open.spotify.com/episode/22BHsKHncyk2i6UXEzcIY2?si=92c16fc7a2904e45
Other bits:
Neil’s new blog post about malt loaf, with recipe for subscribers: http://britishfoodhistory.com/2023/07/28/to-make-malt-loaf/
The Elizabeth Raffald Manchester Central Library event at 6pm on 13 September: https://librarylive.co.uk/event/elizabeth-raffald-englands-most-influential-housekeeper/
Neil will be speaking at the Ludlow Food Festival on Sunday 10 September at 2.30pm, talking all things Elizabeth Raffald: https://www.ludlowfoodfestival.co.uk/
He is also talking at Chelsea History Festival on Friday 29 September 2023, at 6pm about the history of sugar: https://chelseahistoryfestival.com/
Neil’s Elizabeth Raffald tour of Manchester on Twitter: https://twitter.com/neilbuttery/status/1634872473396342784
Neil’s blogs:
‘British Food: a History’
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Today Neil talks with Brigitte Webster about her new book Eating with the Tudors which has just been published by Pen & Sword History.
We talked about how she came to live in her Tudor house; how the food changed going in and coming out of the Tudor period; food and the four humours and how ideas about those also changed; favourite cookbooks; fritters; sops; mince pies; cheese; and many other things.
Follow Brigitte on Twitter @tudorfoodrecipe;
Instagram @tudor_experience; Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064747654339
Buy Eating with the Tudors, published by Pen & Sword History: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Eating-with-the-Tudors-Hardback/p/23659
Transcript of The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin on the Foods of England website: http://www.foodsofengland.co.uk/book1594huswife.htm#:~:text=London%201594-,The%20good%20Huswifes%20Handmaide%20for%20the%20Kitchin.,the%20same%20to%20the%20Table.
There are 2 Easter eggs associated with this episode, to access them start a monthly £3 subscription.
Subscribers get access to all of the Easter eggs, premium blog content and Neil’s monthly newsletter. Visit https://britishfoodhistory.com/support-the-blog-podcast/ for more details. On that page, you could also donate a one-off ‘virtual coffee’ or ‘virtual pint’. All money received goes into making more content.
Previous podcast episodes pertinent to this episode
Cheddar& the Cheese Industry with Peter J. Atkins: https://open.spotify.com/episode/19pckHxXKXfQlFf8xINGgW?si=88a8649064494657
The History of Lent: https://open.spotify.com/episode/05EKPFVQaXmVf54tbh1xIC?si=e8dccb1b959c4014
Other bits:
The Elizabeth Raffald Manchester Central Library event at 6pm on 13 September: https://librarylive.co.uk/event/elizabeth-raffald-englands-most-influential-housekeeper/
Neil will be speaking at the Ludlow Food Festival on Sunday 10 September at 2.30pm, talking all things Elizabeth Raffald: https://www.ludlowfoodfestival.co.uk/
He is also talking at Chelsea History Festival on Friday 29 September 2023, at 6pm about the history of sugar: https://chelseahistoryfestival.com/
Neil’s Elizabeth Raffald tour of Manchester on Twitter: https://twitter.com/neilbuttery/status/1634872473396342784
Neil’s blogs: ‘British Food: a History’ http://britishfoodhistory.com
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
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