The British Food History Podcast

It's time for the fifth traditional postbag episode, where I (attempt to) answer your questions, read out your comments and mull over your queries. In this edition: giant turkeys, great crisps we have known, burnt bread and Yorkshire puddings – plus much, much more!Thank you for your support in this eighth season of the podcast. It shall return later in the year.If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.Things mentioned in today's episodeBurnt cobs – BBC Leicester article PennyroyalTomato-Flavoured Snaps are not dead!A Baghdad Cookery Book by Charles PerryKirkcudbright Book Week ticketsThe 39th Leeds Symposium of Food Drinks & Traditions on EventbriteNeil's appearance on That Shakespeare LifeNeil's appearance on History Rage The Accomplisht Cook by Robert May (1660)Amuse Bouche by Carolyn BoydPlenti and Grase by Mark DawsonNeil's Country Life County Foods seriesA is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & DrinkThe Delicious LegacyComfortably Hungry: Bleeding Cows & Black Puddings Podcast episodes pertinent to today's episodeA History of Baking with Sam Bilton & Neil ButteryMaking Medieval Ale at Home with Alison KayTurkey with Tom CopasAn Irish Food Story with Jp McMahonThe Philosophy of Puddings with Neil Buttery, Peter Gilchrist & Lindsay MiddletonCrisps with Natalie WhittleThe School Meals Service with Heather EllisThe History of Food Waste & Preservation with Eleanor...

Today I speak with food historian, podcaster and friend of the show Lindsay Middleton about arguably the first celebrity chef, Alexis Soyer, focusing mainly on two of his books: The Gastronomic Regenerator and The Modern Housewife.We talk about the kitchens at the Reform Club, Soyer's literary inspirations, cookery books as entertainment and his meta approach to writing The Modern Housewife, amongst many other things.If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.The Scottish Food History PodcastFind Lindsay on social media: Insta/Threads lindsaymiddleton_ and Bluesky @drlindsaymiddleton.bsky.socialThings mentioned in today's episodeThe Reform ClubCharles BarryThe Gastronomic RegeneratorThe Modern HousewifeWilliam KitchinerNeil's Country Life County Foods seriesPodcast episodes pertinent to today's episodeThe Philosophy of Puddings with Neil Buttery, Peter Gilchrist & Lindsay MiddletonTinned Food with Lindsay MiddletonInvalid Cookery with Lindsay MiddletonA is for Apple: B is for Banana, Banting & BerriesNeil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of BakingThe Philosophy of PuddingsDon'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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistory

Today I am talking with podcaster and blogger Alison Kay of Ancestral Kitchen all about recreating medieval ale at home – and how one adapts the making of them to modern kitchens.We talked about the difference between ale and beer; the process of ale-making; sterilisation versus good old cleaning; wild yeast; and (most importantly) what the ale tastes like – amongst many other things.If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.Ancestral Kitchen podcastAncestral Kitchen website – including those posts about medieval ale.Ancestral Kitchen on Instagram: @ancestral_kitchenThings mentioned in today's episodeAle, Beer & Brewsters in England by Judith M. BennettChristmas on the Croft, The Scottish Food History PodcastMy YouTube channel with my short video about haggisBlog posts pertinent to today's episodeA Trip to the Sarson's Vinegar FactoryHappy New Year – a review of 2024Previous podcast episodes pertinent to today's episodeRecreating 16th Century Beer with Susan Flavin & Marc MeltonvilleA is for Anchovy, Alewife & AvocadoNeil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of BakingThe Philosophy of PuddingsDon'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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, or on twitter and BlueSky @neilbuttery, or...

I'm on a break so to fill the gap here are some of my favourite episodes from the podcast's vaults.Welcome to episode one of the new fourth season of The British Food History Podcast.Kicking us off is Neil's guest Felicity Cloake. Neil & Felicity talk all things breakfast and Felicity's new book Red Sauce, Brown Sauce, a celebration of the breakfast in all four home nations of the UK.We talk about how breakfast might be the only thing uniting all 4 countries that make up the UK, the complexities of planning a nation-wide breakfast tour, injuries, why it's okay to like both red and brown sauce, as well as neither, the importance of pudding on a fried breakfast, regional specialities and recipe writing. Felicity's book Red Sauce, Brown Sauce is published by Harper Collins: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/red-sauce-brown-sauce-a-british-breakfast-odyssey-felicity-cloake?variant=39584484687950Felicity will be appearing at the Abergavenny Food Festival 17 & 18 September 2022 (https://www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com/), Divizes Food Festival 24 Sept to 2 Oct 2022 (https://www.devizesfoodanddrinkfestival.info/category/events/) and the Dartmouth Food Festival 21 Oct to 23 Oct 2022 (https://www.dartmouthfoodfestival.com/). Follow Felicity on twitter and Insta @felicitycloake.Neil's recent podcast appearances:Season's Eatings: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4GJlffoU9dVYCdGyJGOvDX?si=90285119f6644271The Well-Seasoned Librarian: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5wps3FiGdVDynPQVl62G4M?si=b0e53ab4fe1c4c1bThat Shakespeare Life: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2w7xGGBye93jvO39IuntTO?si=e5bf9543b9794eafNeil's 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

I'm on a break so to fill the gap here are some of my favourite recipes from the podcast's vaults.Today Neil talks to Susan Flavin and Marc Meltonville about recreating as close as possible beer from the accounts of Dublin Castle right at the end of the 16th century. This investigation is part of a much larger project called Food Cult, which is, according to their website “a five-year project funded by the European Research Council. This project brings together history, archaeology, science and information technology to explore the diet and foodways of diverse communities in early modern Ireland. It will serve as a model for future comparative and interdisciplinary work in the field of historical food studies.”In today's episode we talk about the Food Cult project, the aims of the beer project, misconceptions about beer and beer drinking in the past, when beer becomes porridge, how to source 16th century ingredients and – of course – what the beer tasted like!Follow Susan Flavin on Twitter @flavin_susanFollow Marc on Instagram @marcmeltonvilleMarc Meltonville's website: www.meltonville.uk/The FOOD CULT website: https://foodcult.eu/ Their journal article: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/historical-journal/article/understanding-early-modern-beer-an-interdisciplinary-casestudy/76C118F73B8D35FED9E5B69CB3E966FBThere are 4 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. Other bits:Neil's new blog post ‘Forgotten Foods #10: Porpoise': http://britishfoodhistory.com/2023/06/25/forgotten-foods-10-porpoise/Neil's blogs:‘BritishFood: a History' http://britishfoodhistory.com ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' http://neilcooksgrigson.com

I'm on a break so to fill the gap here are some of my favourite recipes from the podcast's vaults.Neil has a most enlightening chat with Kevin Geddes about the fabulous television cook Fanny Cradock (1909-1994). Fanny has a reputation for being difficult to work with, cruel and monstrous, and that she was a fake. In this chat Kevin upturns SOME of those preconceptions. We talk about her way into radio and television, her manner and presenting style, the fantastic Christmas special, as well as her decline and fall from television cookery. Much of her life is fabricated and it is difficult to see where the real Fanny stops, and the celebrity Fanny begins.Subscribers: don't forget to check out the Easter Egg tab on the website to listen to the many extras from this episode: http://britishfoodhistory.com/easter-eggs/Kevin's book Keep Calm and Fanny On! The Many Careers of Fanny Cradock is published by Fantom https://www.fantompublishing.co.uk/product/kevin-geddes-fanny-cradock/It's All in the Booklet: Festive Fun with Fanny Cradock is also published by Fantom https://www.fantompublishing.co.uk/product/kevin-geddes-its-all-in-the-booklet-festive-fun-with-fanny-cradock/Follow Kevin on Twitter and Insta @keepcalmandfannyon

I'm on a break so to fill the gap here are some of my favourite recipes from the podcast's vaults.Today Neil talks with Paula McIntyre about Hogmanay and her BBC TV show, the excellent Hamely Kitchen. Paula is an Ulster-Scots chef who lives on the north coast of Northern Ireland and she specialises in combining those two cuisines, reviving traditional recipes and shouting about good producers. Paula has a Hamely Kitchen Hogmanay special out on 30th December, 7.30pm on BBC1 Northern Ireland. Paula and Neil talked about Hogmanay traditions, like first footings and gifting shortbread, cockie-leekie soup, clootie dumplings and boiled/steamed puddings in general, TV show Two Fat Ladies and dulse – and much more.Hamely Kitchen's BBC webpage: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000zmyh Find Paula on social media: Twitter @paula_mcintyre; Instagram @paulacooksThings mentioned in today's episode:Kilchoman distillery: https://www.kilchomandistillery.com/ Ursa Minor bakery: https://www.ursaminorbakehouse.com/ Abernethy Butter: https://abernethybutter.com/ Two Fat Ladies BBC TV programme on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu9yUU0fTAk Neil's blog post on the classic Scottish Hogmanay treat the black bun: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2022/12/27/black-bun-scotch-bun-part-1-history/

Merry Christmas everyone! Welcome to the 2024 British Food History Podcast Christmas special. Today I am talking with Tudor Food historian Brigitte Webster about what Christmasses were like in Tudor times – just what were the Tudors eating and drinking at this time of year?We talked about harrowing Advent and its stockfish, food as gifts, the boar's head, venison, frumenty and the similarities and differences between Christmasses then and now – amongst many other things.If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.Brigitte's book Eating with the Tudors is available from all good book shops.Brigitte's websiteYou can find Brigitte on social media: Twitter @tudorfoodrecipe; Instagram/Threads tudor_experience; Bluesky @tudorfoodrecipe.bsky.socialThings mentioned in today's episodeThe work of Andrew BoordeDon't forget to check out the website on Christmas Day for my Irish coffee recipeListen to the Delicious Legacy Christmas special hereBlog posts pertinent to today's episodeMy recipe for roast venisonMy recipe for medieval frumenty (subscribers only)Previous podcast episodes pertinent to today's episodeLent Episode 2: The History of LentTudor Cooking and Cuisine with Brigitte WebsterChristmas Feasting with Annie GrayChristmas Special 2023: Mince PiesNeil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of Baking

The tables are turned today for I am being interviewed by Lindsay Middleton and Peter Gilchrist of The Scottish Food History Podcast about my book The Philosophy of Puddings, published by the British Library.We talk about the origins of puddings, the emergence of the pudding cloth and the pudding mould, blancmange, the work of Catherine Brown and the Be-Ro book, amongst many other thingsIf you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.The Philosophy of Puddings is out now and available from all good book shops.The Scottish Food History Podcast is available on all podcast appsPeter's website Tenement KitchenPeter can be found Instagram @tenementkitchenLindsay can be found on Instagram @lindsaymiddleton_ ; Twitter @lindsmiddleton ; Bluesky @drlindsaymiddleton.bsky.social Things mentioned in today's episodeNigella Lawson's gift book recommendationsCatherine Brown's websiteThe Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened by Kenelm DigbyThe Compleat Housewife by Eliza Smith The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah GlasseBlog posts pertinent to today's episodeThe Be-Ro BookBlancmangeSpotted DickNeil's basilica mould can be seen on this post for subscribersWhat is a pudding?How to make a steamed sponge puddingPrevious podcast episodes pertinent to today's episodeInvalid Cookery with Lindsay MiddletonTinned Food with Lindsay MiddletonThe Philosophy of Curry with Sejal SukhadwalaThe Philosophy of Chocolate with Sam BiltonNeil's blogs:

Today I talk about Irish food, food history and identity with Michelin-starred chef Jp McMahon. Jp is the culinary director of the EatGalway Restaurant Group and runs the restaurant Aniar in Galway, Ireland. He's the founding chair and director of the Galway Food Festival, Jp is an ambassador for Irish food. He has written several books including the excellent Irish Cook Book published by Phaidon. However, the subject of our discussion was his new book, An Irish Food Story: 100 Foods That Made Us, published by Nine Bean Rows, which delved into Irish food identity, traditions and history. We talked about food in Ireland versus Irish food, oysters and stout, the deliciousness of seaweed, Irish stew and dulse-flavoured croissants – plus many other things.If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.Find Jp on Instagram: @mistereatgalwayAnair websiteAn Irish Food Story: 100 Foods That Made UsThe Irish Cook Book An Alphabet of AnairThings mentioned in today's episodeThe Great Cream Tea Debate on YouTubeBBC Countryfile magazine websiteNeil's blog post and recipe for Bakewell puddingUpcoming events:Find out about upcoming events on the website here.Neil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of BakingThe Philosophy of PuddingsDon'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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, or on twitter and BlueSky @neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery. My DMs are open.You can

It's December, Advent has begun, and we can officially start discussing Christmas so I have put together an episode about turkey that is very much of two halves. There's an interview with Tom Copas, a turkey farmer who really looks after his flock: slow-grown, high welfare, and I have bought many a turkey from him over the years. Before that, I have prepared a little bit on the history of the turkey in Britain, spanning from Tudor times to the 20th century where it went from regal food to Christmas Day staple. Tom and I talked about farming family history, the intricacies of turkey farming, when the term ‘free-range' is misleading, cooking tips and turkey crackling: amongst many other things.If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.Order your Christmas turkey from the Copas Farm shopFind Copas Turkeys on social media: Twitter/X @CopasTurkeys; Insta: @copasfarmshop or @tomcopasPodcast episodes pertinent to today's episode:Christmas Feasting with Annie GrayTudor Cooking & Cuisine with Brigitte WebsterTurkey history references:At Christmas We Feast: Festive Food Through the Ages (2021) Annie GrayEating with the Tudors: Food and Recipes (2023) Brigitte WebsterThe Good Housewife's Jewel (1596) Thomas DawsonThe Compleat Cook (1662) W. M.E. Kidder's Receipts of Pastry and Cookery (1741) Edward KidderA Christmas Carol (1843) Charles DickensUpcoming events:Find out about upcoming events on the website here.Neil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of BakingThe Philosophy of PuddingsDon'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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistoryThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Today I am in conversation with Jill Norman – author of several books, and editor at Penguin. She very kindly talked to me about Jane Grigson and the book English Food at the start of this season. Well, Jill is on the podcast today to talk about her new book The English Table.We talk about service a la française and a la russe, important food writers throughout history like Hannah Woolley and Claudia Roden, the origins of fish and chips, and the time she met Dorothy Hartley, amongst many other thingsIf you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.Jill's websiteThe English Table by Jill NormanPodcast episodes pertinent to today's episode:50 Years of 'English Food' by Jane Grigson with Sam Bilton, Annie Gray, Ivan Day & Jill NormanThings mentioned in today's episode:The Queen-Like Closet by Hannah WoolleyA New System of Domestic Cookery by Mrs RundellA Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia RodenLost Country Life by Dorothy HartleyUpcoming events:Find out about upcoming events on the website here.The Foyle's Christmas Evening 28 NovemberNeil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of BakingThe Philosophy of PuddingsDon'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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, or on twitter and BlueSky @neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery. My DMs are open.You

The tables have turned today because I am being interviewed by author, food historian and friend of the show Sam Bilton. My book Knead to Know is out now and published by Icon Books, and Sam very kindly agreed to interview me about it for the podcast. We talk about baking evolution, bakestone cookery, Jaffa Cakes and taxation, what's so great about wheat plus many other things.If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.Sam Bilton's websiteSocial media: mrssbiltonSam's blog Comfortably HungryNeil's book Knead to Know is out now and published by Icon Books. The Philosophy of Puddings is also out now, published by The British LibraryBlog posts pertinent to today's episode:Manchets and PayndemaynMy Best Yorkshire Pudding RecipeClotted CreamPodcast episodes pertinent to today's episode:Cake Baxters in Early Modern Scotland with Aaron AllenYorkshire Pudding with Elaine Lemm50 Years of 'English Food' by Jane Grigson with Sam Bilton, Annie Gray, Ivan Day & Jill NormanThe Philosophy of Chocolate with Sam BiltonTripe Special: Sam Bilton & Neil Buttery Talk TripeBritish Saffron with Sam BiltonGingerbread with Sam BiltonThings mentioned in today's episode:Hodmedod's websiteDoves Farm websiteThe Art of Cookery by Hannah GlasseThe Whole Duty of a WomanUpcoming events:Find out about upcoming events on the website here.The Foyle's Christmas Evening 28 NovemberNeil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential Housekeeper

Today is an exciting day because we are tackling a topic that I consider extremely important, CRISPS, with food writer and journalist Natalie Whittle.We talk about the North American origins of the crisp, the excitement of discovering the crisps of other countries, iconic brands like Walkers and Tayto, and most importantly what the best flavour is – amongst many other things.Natalie's book Crunch: An Ode to Crisps is published by Faber & Faber. Natalie's websiteIf you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.My new books Knead to Know: AHistory of Baking and The Philosophy of Puddings are out now.Things mentioned in today's episode:Tayto CrispsWalkers CrispsUpcoming events:Find out about upcoming events on the website here.Neil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of BakingThe Philosophy of PuddingsDon'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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistoryThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

The book English Food by Jane Grigson was published 50 years ago this year. It's a book that has completely changed my life and I wanted to celebrate it with a three-part special. This is part three.I am going back to my roots here talking with three good friends of mine Nicola Aldren, Simone Blagg and Anthea Craig, all of whom were there at the inception of my idea to cook every recipe in English Food.We talk about memorable recipes, the large amounts of offal that were consumed, sous cheffing, pudding clubs and portion sizes, the horrorshow that was the stewed eel recipe, and many other things.I also give you my top 10 recipes to try (& a few to avoid)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.Neil's new book The Philosophy of Puddings is out now and published by the British Library.Books and other things mentioned in today's episode:English Food by Jane Grigson Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery by Jane GrigsonPrevious episodes pertinent to today's episode:50 Years of English Food by Jane GrigsonJane Grigson with Sophie Grigson18th Century Tavern Cooking with Marc MeltonvillePrevious blog posts pertinent to today's episode:Read Neil Cooks Grigson hereUpcoming events:Monsters & their Meals Hallowe'en eventFind out about upcoming events on the website here.Neil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of BakingThe Philosophy of PuddingsDon'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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistoryThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

The book English Food by Jane Grigson was published 50 years ago this year. It's a book that has completely changed my life and I wanted to celebrate it with a three-part special. This is part two.In this very special episode, I am talking with award-winning food writer, broadcaster, and teacher Sophie Grigson, Jane's daughter, not just about English Food but Jane as a writer, cook, person—and mum and role model, of course. We talk about what inspired Jane to write three editions of English food, why I chose Jane's book to cook from, Singin' Hinnies, Sussex pond pudding, Jane's dislike of rhubarb, and many other things.Sophie's websiteSophie's Waterstones pageFollow Sophie on Twitter @trullidelicious; Instagram @trulli_delicious; or Threads @sophie_grigson_herselfSupport 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.Things mentioned in today's episode:The Jane Grigson Collection at Oxford Brookes UniversityThe Jane Grigson TrustBooks and other things mentioned in today's episode:English Food by Jane Grigson Jane Grigson's Fruit BookJane Grigson's Vegetable BookSussex Pond Pudding article by Felicity CloakePrevious episodes pertinent to today's episode:50 Years of English Food by Jane GrigsonPrevious blog posts pertinent to today's episode:Read Neil Cooks Grigson hereMy first attempt at Singin' Hinnies (it didn't go well. But I have improved since!)Upcoming events:Monsters & their Meals Hallowe'en eventPudding workshops at the Museum of Royal WorcesterFind out about upcoming events on the...

The book English Food by Jane Grigson was published 50 years ago this year. It's a book that has completely changed my life and I wanted to celebrate it – and there are four excellent guests in today's slightly longer-than-usual episode: Sam Bilton, Ivan Day, Annie Gray and Jill Norman It is because of Jane and her book that I am doing what I'm doing today – she taught me how to cook, told me about England's fine and rich food culture and how to reconnect with it.We talk about the unique way Jane's book was published, Jane's approach to research and writing, her attention to detail, her friendship with Elizabeth David, favourite recipes, and her frustrations regarding low-quality shepherd's pie.Find out more about Sam Bilton and her work here.Find out more about Ivan Day and his work here.Find out more about Annie Gray and her work here.Find out more about Jill Norman and her work here.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.Things mentioned in today's episode:Neil's recent appearances on The Delicious Legacy, The Full English and Gastropod Neil's recent Daily Express articleTo see Neil's Country Life articles, please visit the website's Media pageThe Jane Grigson TrustBooks mentioned in today's episode:English Food by Jane Grigson Jane Grigson's Fruit BookGood Things in England by Florence WhiteThe Taste of Britain by Laura Mason & Catherine BrownThe Scots Kitchen by F. Marion McNeillPrevious blog posts pertinent to today's episode:Read Neil Cooks Grigson...

The podcast will return for its 8th season later this month and there are some great episodes coming up for you.I've got a new book out called Knead to Know a History of Baking is out on the 12 September published by Icon Books I will be doing a free Zoom talk at 7pm (UK time) on 10 September. To book your spot, please click this link to the Eventbrite page.See you all properly toward the end of the month.Neil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA Dark History of Sugar 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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/britishfoodhistoryThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In this episode from the BFHP vaults, the tables are turned, and Neil is the guest on his own podcast, interviewed about his new book Before Mrs Beeton, Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential Housekeeper, about c18th cook and Manchester legend Elizabeth Raffald, which won the Best Food Book at the Guild of Food Writers Awards 2024.In the interviewer's chair is previous guest and friend of the show Alessandra Pino. Alessandra is co-author of A Gothic Cookbook which is an illustrated cookbook inspired by classic and contemporary Gothic texts. She is also co-host of Fear Feasts which is a podcast about food and horror in books and the films based on those books. She is also the co-host of A is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink alongside Neil Buttery and Sam Bilton.They talked about how I discovered Elizabeth, her great achievements, the problem of Mrs Beeton, her recipes, my recipe section of updated Raffald recipes, "Rabbits Surprised", comparisons with modern chefs like Heston Blumenthal, why there's no statue of her, the time she exorcised a house from an evil spirit and much, much more.Pre-order Neil's new book Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential Housekeeper at you favourite bookshop, or from the publisher Pen & Sword History: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Before-Mrs-Beeton-Hardback/p/22437 Things mentioned in today's episode:The Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth Raffald (1769): https://archive.org/details/experiencedengl01raffgoog/page/n9/mode/2up Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1880 edition): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Book_of_Household_Management/otoAAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse (1780 edition): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/_/fe8HAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjPiaaExKz9AhUMQ8AKHazyCXkQre8FegQIHRAJ Previous podcast episode 18th Century Dining with Ivan Day: https://open.spotify.com/episode/22BHsKHncyk2i6UXEzcIY2?si=3afcd447af0b4eb9 Previous Podcast episode Food in Gothic Literature with Alessandra Pino: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Nt55uQLXp6vrqH6MZsdPY?si=7b342ca391514232Alessandra links:A Gothic Cookbook: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63143496-a-gothic-cookbook Find her on Instagram @sasacharlie and twitter @foodforfloNeil's 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 there will be another postbag episode at the end of the season. If you have any questions or queries about today's episode,...

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 AndersonChristmas Special 2023: Mince PiesThe Philosophy of Chocolate with Sam BiltonHistorical Cookery with Jay ReifelOrmskirk Gingerbread with Anouska Lewis18th Century Tavern Cooking with Marc Meltonville18th Century Dining with Ivan DayRecreating 16th Century Beer with Susan Flavin & Marc MeltonvilleElizabeth Raffald with Alessandra Pino & Neil ButteryFood in Gothic Literature with Alessandra PinoTraditional Food of Lincolnshire with Rachel GreenBlog posts mentioned in today's episode:Quick & Easy Puff or Rough Puff PastryWhat's in a Name?: Buttery#446 Lincolnshire Chine#174 Grasmere Gingerbread I#244 Grasmere Gingerbread IIBooks mentioned in today's episode:The Accomplish't Cook by Robert MayGood Things in England by Florence WhiteFood in England by Dorothy HartleyLost Country Practices by Dorothy HartleyOther things mentioned in today's episode:

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 VogueNeil's Helmeted Cock on Channel 5Previous podcast episodes pertinent to today's episode:The History of Food Waste & Preservation with Eleanor BarnettMedieval Meals & Manners with Danièle CybulskieSpices with Ian AndersonChristmas Special 2023: Mince PiesTudor Cooking & Cuisine with Brigitte WebsterForme of Cury with Christopher MonkPrevious blog posts pertinent to today's episode:Westmorland Sweet Lamb PieFavourite Cook Books no.3: The Forme of Cury, Part IFavourite Cook Books no. 3: The Forme of Cury, part 2 – recipesUpcoming events:British Library Food Season 2024, 25 May at 2pm. We Invented the Weekend festival, Salford, 16th June

Niche topic alert! Today I amtalking to Anouska Lewis about Ormskirk Gingerbread.Anouska is the writer and presenterof the BBC Sounds podcast Hometown Boring? The first episodebeing all about Ormskirk gingerbreadWetalk about how one lands getting a podcast series on BBC Sounds in the firstplace; the ingredients of Ormskirk gingerbread, the town's pride in itsgingerbread, the gingerbread ladies who sold them at the train station in theVictorian period, Ormskirk's link with Liverpool's sugar and slave trade, andthe value of having difficult conversations – amongst many other things.Support the podcast and blogs bybecoming, if you can, a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premiumcontent, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.Listen to Hometown Boring? on BBC SoundsFollow Anouska on Instagram @history_hun and TikTok @historyhunThings mentioned in today's episode:Ormskirk Gingerbread on the Foods of England websiteA Dark History of Sugar by Neil ButteryPrevious podcast episodes pertinent to today's episode:Gingerbread with Sam BiltonUpcoming 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 HousekeeperA 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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:

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 CookSir Hugh Platt's Delights for LadiesHannah Glasse's The Art of CookeryPrevious podcast episodes pertinent to today's episode:London's Street Food Sellers with Charlie TavernerChristmas Special 2023: Mince PiesUpcoming 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 HousekeeperA Dark History of Sugar...

Today I am talking to three guests about the Scottish Salt Industry – returning guest Aaron Allen, and also Joanne Hambly and Ed BethuneIn 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 websiteSalt Symposium 2021 on the SCAPE Trust websiteBook 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 AllenNeil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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/britishfoodhistoryThis 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 FestivalHexham Book FestivalHay FestivalFind Pen on social media: Twitter & Instagram @PenVoglerBooks and other things mentioned in today's episode:Scoff: A History of Food and Class in Britain by Pen VoglerMy interpretation of Hannah Woolley/W.M.'s pumpkin pie recipeUltra-Processed People by Chris van TullekenPrevious podcast episodes pertinent to today's episode:The School Meals Service with Heather EllisEnglish Food, a People's History with Diane PurkissA History of Herbalism with Emma KayNeil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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:

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 FoodHistory & Traditions websiteThe Symposium's Eventbrite pageFind Ivan on Instagram @ivanpatrickdayBooks and other things mentioned in today's episode:Brotherton Library cookery collection, University of LeedsFood & Drink in Britain from the Stone Age to Recent Times by C. Anne WilsonOver a Red-Hot Stove edited by Ivan DayFairfax House, YorkYork Castle MuseumShibden Hall, HalifaxCooking & Dining in the Victorian Country House by Peter BrearsThe Food MuseumElizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential Housekeeper by Neil ButteryPrevious podcast episodes pertinent to today's episode:18th Century Dining with Ivan Day

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 ObscuraThe Apple Tree (1952) by Daphne du MaurierHallowe'en Party (1969) by Agatha ChristieThe July Ghost (1982) by A.S. ByattJoin 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.comSocial media:twitter/X: @aisforapplepodInstagram: @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 websiteDanièle is known as @5MinMedievalist on all social media platformsFind out more about Chivalry and Courtesy: Medieval Manners for a Modern World hereThere 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 ParisBBC Food Programme episode about bitter foods on BBC SoundsPrevious podcast episodes pertinent to today's episode:Forme of Cury with Christopher MonkNeil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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/britishfoodhistoryThis 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.andersonFind 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 sculpturesThe Hoxne pepperpotEventbrite page for the 2024 Leeds Food and Drink Symposium April 2024Neil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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/britishfoodhistoryThis 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 HungryA Flake ad from in 1980sA Flake ad from the 1990sThe Cadbury's Caramel rabbitSam's social media handles:Twitter/Insta/Threads: @mrssbiltonBluesky: @mrssbilton.bsky.socialSam's website: sambilton.com Previous episodes pertinent to today's episode:Lent Episode 3: Pagan Lent & EasterA Dark History of Chocolate with Emma KayThe Philosophy of Curry with Sejal SukhadwalaGingerbread with Sam BiltonSaffron with Sam BiltonTripe SpecialNeil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, or on twitter...

S07E03Apples & Orchards shownotesHappy 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 PickerHenry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor (Vol 2)Neil's Apple Hat recipeNeil's appearance on Fear Feasts podcastPrevious episodes pertinent to today's episode:London's Street Food Sellers with Charlie TavernerNeil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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/britishfoodhistoryThis 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 MayThe Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth RaffaldMrs Beeton's Book of Household ManagementReceipts of Pastry and Cookery by Edward KidderJane Grigson's Orange MincemeatMrs Beeton's Mincemeat RecipeJane Grigson's Gooseberry Tarts recipeIvan Day's historical pie-making courseNeil's appearance on the Full English podcastNeil's appearance on the Shackbaggerly podcastNeil's A Dark History of Sugar talkNeil's Museum of Royal Worcester talkPrevious 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

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 LegacyThe Compleat Housewife by Eliza SmithThe Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah GlasseProfessed Cookery by Ann CookThe Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth RaffaldBefore Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA. Cook's Perspective: A Fascinating Insight into 18th-century Recipes by TwoHistoric Cooks by Clarissa F. Dillon & Deborah J. PetersonMore on Yorkshire Christmas PyesNeil's disastrous Christmas PyeIvan Day's Historic Ices courseDon'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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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/britishfoodhistoryNeil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' Neil's books:Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential HousekeeperA Dark History of Sugar Both are published by Pen & Sword and available from all good bookshops....

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 EllisTudor Cooking & Cuisine with Brigitte WebsterTinned Food with Lindsay MiddletonCake Baxters in Early Modern Scotland with Aaron AllenTripe Special: Sam Bilton & Neil Buttery Talk TripeThe British Cook Book with Ben MervisForme of Cury with Christopher MonkNeil's blog posts mentioned in this episode:Boiled turkey with celery sauceBoiled leg of mutton with caper sauceSea kaleSago pudding Pink sponge & custardLinks to things mentioned in this episode:Leeds Symposium on Food History and TraditionsGousto statement about using Tetra PakStephanie Rosenbaum makes Pizza on YouTubeAlan Scott obituary in the New York TimesMuseum of Royal Worcester websiteBurley's pudding treeHandel's kitchen recreated

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=39825973411918Neil'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/22437Neil'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/20481Don'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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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:

S06E09 The SchoolMeals Service with Heather Ellis: shownotesNeil'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 @HeatherLWEllisFind The School Meals Project on Twitter: @ESRCSchoolMealsJamie Oliver's school meals campaign clip: https://youtu.be/DG66rKiNkw4When 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'

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-1946-1976Find Kevin on twitter, Instagram and Threads @keepcalmandfannyonKevin'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 episodeFanny 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'

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 @marcmeltonvilleBuy 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 episodeRecreating 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'

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=100064747654339Buy Eating with the Tudors, published by Pen & Sword History: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Eating-with-the-Tudors-Hardback/p/23659Transcript 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 episodeCheddar& 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=e8dccb1b959c4014Other 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'

Today Neil talks to food historian and returning guest Lindsay Middleton about the history of tinned food –something one doesn't really think about, tinned food being just so every day.We talked about what led her to take on the topic, its origins, how people had to be convinced by such an alien concept, the big sell to the navy, and to well-to-do housewives, the big tined food scandal, and the inherent snobbishness around using tinned foods, and many other things.Follow Lindsay on Instagram and Threads @lindsaymiddleton_ and on Twitter @lindsmiddleton.Read Lindsay's paper about tinned foods: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1220&context=dgsListen to Lindsay's appearance on the BBC Radio 4 programme Free Thinking talking about tinned foods: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001jcr0There 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. Other bits:Lindsay's previous appearance on the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6S2YCcfFMqipsOrZ48wVAp?si=12e95b1ce4454bca 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 very long Twitter thread of cocktails: https://twitter.com/neilbuttery/status/1678814821406392320?s=20 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:

In this week's episode, Neil talks to medlar expert Jane Steward. Jane has done sterling work in the area of medlar awareness, and now the medlar is not the forgotten fruit it once was. She has a medlar orchard and associated business Eastgate Larder selling a whole range of medlar products, and is the author of Medlars: Growing & Cooking, published by Prospect Books.We discuss how Jane discovered the fruit and made a business out of it, the domesticated varieties and wild fruits, growing medlar trees, the importance of medlars in the past, medlars in the kitchen, the subtleties of making medlar jelly and much more.Follow Jane on Instagram and Twitter @eastgatelarderThe Eastgate Larder website: www.eastgatelarder.co.ukJane's book Medlars: Cooking & Eating: https://prospectbooks.co.uk/products-page/new-and-forthcoming-titles/medlars-growing-cooking/There are 3 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. Read Neil's work on the medlar:Forgotten Foods #7: Openarses (also available as part of the mini-season on the Easter Eggs page of the website) https://britishfoodhistory.com/2017/11/12/forgotten-foods-7-openarses/How to Make Medlar Jelly: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2017/11/17/how-to-make-medlar-or-quince-or-crab-apple-jelly/Medlar Tart: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2018/11/19/medlar-tart/That Shakespeare Life ‘Medlars' episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2w7xGGBye93jvO39IuntTO?si=395c4f240f7d4f5dOther bits:Neil's blogs:‘British Food: a History' http://britishfoodhistory.com ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' http://neilcooksgrigson.com Buy 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 there will be postbag episodes, 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...

Today Neil talks to Susan Flavin and Marc Meltonville about recreating as close as possible beer from the accounts of Dublin Castle right at the end of the 16th century. This investigation is part of a much larger project called Food Cult, which is, according to their website “a five-year project funded by the European Research Council. This project brings together history, archaeology, science and information technology to explore the diet and foodways of diverse communities in early modern Ireland. It will serve as a model for future comparative and interdisciplinary work in the field of historical food studies.”In today's episode we talk about the Food Cult project, the aims of the beer project, misconceptions about beer and beer drinking in the past, when beer becomes porridge, how to source 16th century ingredients and – of course – what the beer tasted like!Follow Susan Flavin on Twitter @flavin_susanFollow Marc on Instagram @marcmeltonvilleMarc Meltonville's website: www.meltonville.uk/The FOOD CULT website: https://foodcult.eu/ Their journal article: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/historical-journal/article/understanding-early-modern-beer-an-interdisciplinary-casestudy/76C118F73B8D35FED9E5B69CB3E966FBThere are 4 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. Other bits:Neil's new blog post ‘Forgotten Foods #10: Porpoise': http://britishfoodhistory.com/2023/06/25/forgotten-foods-10-porpoise/Neil's blogs:‘BritishFood: a History' http://britishfoodhistory.com ‘Neil Cooks Grigson' http://neilcooksgrigson.com Buy 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 wellas from the publisher Pen & Sword: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/A-Dark-History-of-Sugar-Hardback/p/20481 Don't forget there will be postbag episodes, 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, or find me on twitter @neilbuttery, or Instagram dr_neil_buttery my DMs are open. You can now find me at Mastodon too:...

We kick off the new season with a fascinating chat with Aaron Allen at Edinburgh University about cake baxters in Early Modern Scotland – usually women – who were unfree, and how they fit into society at this time. Making and selling of baked goods were highly controlled, and – quelle surprise – it was not in their favour. We also discuss the ways oatcakes and wheaten bread were baked, beehive oven tech, horse bread and many other things.Find Aaron on Twitter at Mary'sChapelProject: @MchapelprojectA list of Aaron's research: https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/persons/aaron-allen‘Baking on the Margins: Pastry Women and Cake Baxters in the Early Modern Bread Market', in History Scotland (May/June 2023), 20-5, available at: https://www.historyscotland.com/store/back-issues/history-scotland/history-scotland-vol23issue3-mayjun23-issue-131/Building Early Modern Edinburgh: A Social History of Craftwork and Incorporation: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-building-early-modern-edinburgh-hb.htmlThings from the web mentioned in this episode:Neil's recipe for seed cake: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2021/05/23/to-make-a-seed-cake/ Neil's recipe for peasebread: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2017/04/09/forgotten-foods-6-pease-bread/ Hodmedod's website: https://hodmedods.co.uk/ Video of Josh Townshend making a clay oven: https://youtu.be/i0foHjPVbP4 Other bits:Neil's Raffald talk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9SyiYvHq-Q Neil's media page where you can see his Country Life article, as well as links to the podcasts he's guested on, radio spots or TV shows: http://britishfoodhistory.com/media/ Don't forget to catch up on Neil's blog posts published over the last few months. 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 there will be postbag episodes, so if you have any questions or queries about today's episode, or...

In a special bonus of the podcast, Sam Bilton and Neil Buttery have combined forces to make a whole episode about all things tripe. We discuss our experiences, and why it is viewed rather differently in different countries and it's indelible association with poverty. Sam interviews chef and food writer Rachel Roddy for some tripe inspiration, and Neil visits Chadwick's stall at Bury Market to interview one of the few remaining tripe sellers in the country. He also takes some home to cook up.Things mentioned in today's episode:Rachel Roddy's blog, Rachel Eats: https://racheleats.wordpress.com/ An article by Rachel on tripe alternatives, from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/nov/09/rachel-roddy-recipe-for-eggs-in-tomato-sauce Chadwick's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/chadwicksbbp/ Neil eats andouillette: https://twitter.com/neilbuttery/status/1560893580788506624?s=20 Sam links:Twitter: @sjfbilton; Insta: @mrssbilton ; website: https://www.sambilton.com/ Sam's podcast, Comfortably Hungry: https://open.spotify.com/show/3iSZMea3TBwMx1tZ1c9rN7?si=a57a4e98a0414b3a Neil's Elizabeth Raffald talk at Station South in Levenshulme Manchester 14 May 7pm: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/elizabeth-raffald-englands-most-influential-housekeeper-tickets-604909158577 The Culinary Worlds of 18th-Century Women in Britain, USA and Türkiye event at The British Library 25 May at 5pm: https://www.bl.uk/events/the-culinary-worlds-of-18th-century-women-in-britain-usa-and-turkiye Neil's appearance on Tony Robinson's Cunningcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1KIk11FeFs0bVqiiT3XIkL?si=936fa20808b34b58 Neil's appearance on the Bread and Thread podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3EouGD3HqeMLkMpgVx8am8?si=191cfe91c9654dd5 Neil's new book Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential Housekeeper at you favourite bookshop, or from the publisher Pen & Sword History: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Before-Mrs-Beeton-Hardback/p/22437 Neil's 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 If you want to buy a signed copy of either book directly from Neil for £18 + postage (£2.85 if within the UK, the going rate if...

Neil's polishing off season 5 with a postbag edition of news, readers' questions, comments and queries, special events and other miscellany.Previous Episodes discussed in this episode:Invalid Cookery with Lindsay MiddletonTraditional Food of Lincolnshire with Rachel GreenChristmas Feasting with Annie GrayHogmanay and Hamely Kitchen with Paula McIntyreEel special: 1. Elvers with 'Elver' DaveEel special: 2. Silver Eels with John Wyatt GreenleeEel special: 3. The Plight of the Eel with Andrew Kerr18th Century Dining with Ivan DayChristmas Special 2021: Christmas PuddingThe British Cook Book with Ben MervisYorkshire Pudding with Elaine LemmUpcoming Events:Celebrations. 37th Leeds Symposium of Food History & Traditions 20 May 2023: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celebrations-37th-leeds-symposium-of-food-history-traditions-tickets-554704063787?fbclid=IwAR3f6l4dlB23S0_0TYNvQhXTVpyDIqpAc3eb4FmatS2kFvkW5csaqb-8dpg The Wilder Wedmore Eel Release Project crowdfunder and festival: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-wilder-wedmore-eel-release-project---june-23 Things from the web mentioned in this episode:Food Matters Live podcast, featuring Neil talking about food innovations: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5y5RWFFDQfQx8vXIHogKQQ?si=36b94a2985e14084 Chambers' Book of Days: https://www.thebookofdays.com/ Clarissa Dickson-Wright's BBC TV programme about pigs & Lincolnshire chine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0X37TOqjGA Raised Pies post on Neil Cooks Grigson: https://neilcooksgrigson.com/2011/03/17/282-raised-pies/ BBC News article on the eel spawning mystery: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63259738 Cornish Pasty post on British Food: a History: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2019/09/13/cornish-pasties/ Early Scots recipe manuscripts: https://digital.nls.uk/recipes/introduction.html Early Welsh recipe manuscript: https://www.library.wales/discover-learn/digital-exhibitions/manuscripts/early-modern-period/merryell-williamss-book-of-recipes#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-1322%2C-1%2C6102%2C4894 Christopher Monk's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MonksModernMedievalCuisine Dr Cheung's breakfast nonsense:

Today the tables are turned, and Neil is the guest on his own podcast and is interviewed about his new book Before Mrs Beeton, Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential Housekeeper, about c18th cook and Manchester legend Elizabeth Raffald, published on 28 February.In the interviewer's chair is previous guest and friend of the show Alessandra Pino. Alessandra is co-author of A Gothic Cookbook which is an illustrated cookbook inspired by classic and contemporary Gothic texts. She is also co-host of Fear Feasts which is a podcast about food and horror in books and the films based on those books. Like Neil, she is also interested in the history of sugar and has a chapter coming out soon in The Palgrave Companion to Memory and Literature about memory, sugar and Cuba.They talked about how I discovered Elizabeth, her great achievements, the problem of Mrs Beeton, her recipes, my recipe section of updated Raffald recipes, "Rabbits Surprized", comparisons with modern chefs like Heston Blumenthal, why there's no statue of her, the time she exorcized a house from an evil spirit and much, much more.Pre-order Neil's new book Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential Housekeeper at you favourite bookshop, or from the publisher Pen & Sword History: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Before-Mrs-Beeton-Hardback/p/22437 Things mentioned in today's episode:The Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth Raffald (1769): https://archive.org/details/experiencedengl01raffgoog/page/n9/mode/2up Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1880 edition): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Book_of_Household_Management/otoAAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse (1780 edition): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/_/fe8HAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjPiaaExKz9AhUMQ8AKHazyCXkQre8FegQIHRAJ Previous podcast episode 18th Century Dining with Ivan Day: https://open.spotify.com/episode/22BHsKHncyk2i6UXEzcIY2?si=3afcd447af0b4eb9 Previous Podcast episode Food in Gothic Literature with Alessandra Pino: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Nt55uQLXp6vrqH6MZsdPY?si=7b342ca391514232Alessandra links:A Gothic Cookbook: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63143496-a-gothic-cookbook Fear Feasts podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5IV7dms3DLxrVF81zj6ZRY?si=deac902534cd442d Find her on Instagram @sasacharlie and twitter @foodforfloNeil's book A Dark History of Sugar is available now from all bookshops as well as from the publisher Pen & Sword:

In this episode, Neil talks to chef and food writer Rachel Green about the traditional foods of Lincolnshire. Rachel is a chef, author, TV presenter, demonstrator, food campaigner and passionate ambassador of British produce, especially that from Lincolnshire. She comes from 14 generations of Lincolnshire farmers. spoke to Rachel in her home in the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside about Lincolnshire chine, Grimsby haddock, the importance of pigs, haslet, Lincolnshire poacher cheese, plum bread (contains no plums) and savoury duck (contains no duck), and much more. Find Rachel on Instagram: rachelgreen.chefRachel's website: www.rachel-green.co.uk/ Read about Rachel's books: www.rachel-green.co.uk/what-i-do/food-author-writer/ Things mentioned in today's episode:Lincoln Red Cattle: https://www.southormsbyestate.co.uk/estate/nature/lincoln-red-cattle/ Lincolnshire Curly Coated Pig: http://www.bramblegate.co.uk/pigs.html The new Lincolnshire blog post on Neil Cooks Grigson: https://neilcooksgrigson.com/2023/02/15/446-lincolnshire-chine/ Dennetts Ice Cream: https://www.dennetts.co.uk/ Tim & Simon Jones's Lincolnshire Poacher cheese: https://lincolnshirepoachercheese.com/about-us/our-ethos/ May & Micheal Davenport's Cotehill Blue cheese: https://www.cotehill.com/our-cheese/ Woldsway Meat & Game (supplier of the chine): https://woldswaymeats.co.uk/ The first podcast episode from the Lent season of BFAH: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/44012758-e0ed-41be-a407-e95f14732999 Pre-order Neil's new book 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 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 If you want to buy a signed copy of either book directly from Neil for £18 + postage (£2.85 if within the UK, the going rate if outside!). Contact him via email or social media if you fancy it (see below).Don't forget there will be another postbag episode at the end of the season. 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, or find me on twitter @neilbuttery, or Instagram dr_neil_buttery my DMs are open. You can now find me at Mastodon too: @neilbuttery@mastodon.gastrokon.com.Join the new British Food: a History Facebook discussion page:

In this episode, Neil talks to food historian Lindsay Middleton about invalid cookery – an important part of cookery books of the 18th to early 20th centuries. Lindsay has produced an excellent online resource called Dishes for the Sick Room, and has trawled through the collection of cookery books at Glasgow Caledonia University that date from the 18th and 19th centuries. Cook books at this time didn't really contain medicines but general foods to give to the sick people at home under your care. The focus of Lindsay's Dishes for the Sick Room project, the books, and the cookery school were created by some really forward thinking women who were really at the forefront of the new science of dietetics, so we don't just talk about weird and wonderful foods, but also how these foods, the cookery books and the women writing and using them all fit into a wider historical context.We talked about what inspired Lindsay to produce this excellent online resource, the archived books at Glasgow Caledonian University, the women behind the first domestic cookery school in Scotland, why providing free cookery lessons isn't always a good idea, foods such as beef tea and toast water, the science behind the school's work, and the administration of predigested food for the ill – amongst other things.Find Lindsay on Twitter @lindsmiddletonFind Lindsay's Dishes for the Sick Room at: www.dishesforthesickroom.com Things mentioned in today's episode:Neil's blog post and recipe for Seftons: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2015/02/03/seftons/ Neil's blog post and recipe for Carrageen Pudding: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2022/06/21/forgotten-foods-9-carrageen-pudding/ Pre-order Neil's new book Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential Housekeeper at you favourite bookshop, or from the publisher Pen & Sword History: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Before-Mrs-Beeton-Hardback/p/22437 Neil's 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 If you want to buy a signed copy directly from Neil for £18 + postage (£2.85 if within the UK, the going rate if outside!). Contact him via email or social media if you fancy it (see below).Also, don't forget there will be another postbag episode at the end of the season. 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, or find me on twitter @neilbuttery, or Instagram dr_neil_buttery my DMs are open. You can now find me at Mastodon too: @neilbuttery@mastodon.gastrokon.com.Join the new British Food: a History Facebook discussion page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistory If you like my blog posts and podcast episodes, please consider a monthly subscription or buying me a virtual coffee or a pint? Go to

In this special episode Neil's guest is esteemed food historian Ivan Day. Ivan is a social historian of food culture and a professional chef and confectioner. He has contributed to dozens of tv and radio programmes over the years, and he is also the author of a number of books and many papers on the history of food and has curated many major exhibitions on food history in the UK, US and Europe.This special episode compliments Neil's upcoming book, a biography the 18th cookery writer Elizabeth Raffald. Ivan kindly invited Neil into his home to talk about all things 18th century dining.They talked about ostentatious coronation feasts, the rise of female food writers in the c18th, including Elizabeth Raffald, market gardens, the presentation of food at the table like, and jelly and flummery moulds. We also talked about how crockery, cutlery and, well, the whole dining experience changed going into and going out of the c18th, authenticity, and the practicalities of spit roasting – amongst many other things.Find Ivan on Instagram: @ivanpatrickdayIvan's blog: http://foodhistorjottings.blogspot.com/Things mentioned in today's episode:The Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth Raffald, 10th edition, 1786: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Experienced_English_Housekeeper/1I4EAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0The History of the Coronation of James II by Francis Sandford 1687: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_History_of_the_Coronation_of_James_I/R75UAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0The House-keeper's Pocket-book by Sarah Harrison 1777: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_House_keeper_s_Pocket_book/vMSIUOGoEEUC?hl=en&gbpv=0Ivan's blog post about the Solomon's Temple in flummery: http://foodhistorjottings.blogspot.com/2011/10/solomons-temple-in-flummery-culinary.htmlIvan's Ice Cream Demo which shows many of the items discussed in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNptu7XXqmwThe Elizabeth Raffald dinner table Ivan dressed in The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston: https://www.mfah.org/exhibitions/english-taste-dining-eighteenth-century/Some of the books Ivan has written, edited or been a contributing author:Over a Red Hot Stove: https://prospectbooks.co.uk/products-page/current-titles/over-a-red-hot-stove/Feast & Fast: The Art of Food in Europe 1500-1800: https://curatingcambridge.co.uk/products/feast-fast-the-art-of-food-in-europe-1500-1800Cooking in Europe 1650-1850:

Happy New Year! In the first episode of 2023 Neil talks to historian Charlie Taverner about London's street food sellers. Charlie's book ‘Street Food: Hawkers and the History of London' is published by Oxford University Press on the 12th of January 2023, and it looks at every aspect of sellers' lives from the latter 16th to the early 20th century.They talked about how one approaches collecting data from so long a period; what was meant by the terms hawker, costermonger and fishwife; their importance to London society and economy; ice cream; fruit; and the logistics of delivering fresh milk to an ever-growing population. Find Charlie on Twitter: @charlietavernerCharlie's website: www.charlietaverner.com‘Street Food: Hawkers and the History of London' is available to buy from all bookshops from 12th January 2023, including Amazon and Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/street-food-hawkers-and-the-history-of-london/9780192846945Review of Charlie's book in History Today: https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/hawk-wayThings mentioned in today's episode:Volume 1 of ‘London Labour and the London Poor' by Henry Mayhew e-book: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/London_Labour_and_the_London_Poor_the_Co/mO09AAAAcAAJ?hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwivqZbGmr_8AhWZ_7sIHdq_CF8QiqUDegQIDRAC ‘Food Cult', the Irish food project Charlie is involved in: https://foodcult.eu Neil's 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 If you want to buy a signed copy directly from Neil for £18 + postage (£2.85 if within the UK, the going rate if outside!). Contact him via email or social media if you fancy it (see below).Also, don't forget there will be another postbag episode at the end of the season. 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, or find me on twitter @neilbuttery, or Instagram dr_neil_buttery my DMs are open. You can now find me at Mastodon too: @neilbuttery@mastodon.gastrokon.com.Join the new British Food: a History Facebook discussion page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistoryIf you like my blog posts and podcast episodes, please consider a monthly subscription or buying me a virtual coffee or a pint? Go to https://britishfoodhistory.com/support-the-blog-podcast/ for more details.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Today Neil talks with Paula McIntyre about Hogmanay and her BBC TV show, the excellent Hamely Kitchen. Paula is an Ulster-Scots chef who lives on the north coast of Northern Ireland and she specialises in combining those two cuisines, reviving traditional recipes and shouting about good producers. Paula has a Hamely Kitchen Hogmanay special out on 30th December, 7.30pm on BBC1 Northern Ireland. Paula and Neil talked about Hogmanay traditions, like first footings and gifting shortbread, cockie-leekie soup, clootie dumplings and boiled/steamed puddings in general, TV show Two Fat Ladies and dulse – and much more.Hamely Kitchen's BBC webpage: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000zmyh Find Paula on social media: Twitter @paula_mcintyre; Instagram @paulacooksThings mentioned in today's episode:Kilchoman distillery: https://www.kilchomandistillery.com/ Ursa Minor bakery: https://www.ursaminorbakehouse.com/ Abernethy Butter: https://abernethybutter.com/ Two Fat Ladies BBC TV programme on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu9yUU0fTAk Neil's blog post on the classic Scottish Hogmanay treat the black bun: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2022/12/27/black-bun-scotch-bun-part-1-history/ Neil's 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 If you want to buy a signed copy directly from Neil for £18 + postage (£2.85 if within the UK, the going rate if outside!). Contact him via email or social media if you fancy it (see below).Also, don't forget there will be another postbag episode at the end of the season. 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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, or find me on twitter @neilbuttery, or Instagram dr_neil_buttery my DMs are open. You can now find me at Mastodon too: @neilbuttery@mastodon.gastrokon.com. Join the new British Food: a History Facebook discussion page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1474543579696033 If you like my blog posts and podcast episodes, please consider a monthly subscription or buying me a virtual coffee or a pint? Go to https://britishfoodhistory.com/support-the-blog-podcast/ for more details.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy