The British Food History Podcast
Welcome to 'The British Food History Podcast': British food in all its (sometimes gory) glory with Dr. Neil Buttery. He'll be looking in depth at all aspects of food with interviews with special guests, recipes, re-enactments, foraging, trying his hand at traditional techniques, and tracking down forgotten recipes and hyper-regional specialities. He'll also be trying to answer the big question: What makes British food, so...British?
Episodes
Griddle & Bakestone Cookery with Peter Gilchrist & Ross Clarke
Today I am speaking with food historian Peter Gilchrist and food writer Ross Clarke, who specialise in writing about and rediscovering the traditional foods of Scotland and Wales, respectively.Peter is a returning guest who goes under the name Tenement Kitchen and is the co-host of The Scottish Food History Podcast. Ross is a food and travel writer and author of The Welsh Kitchen on Substack.They
Tea, Cake & the American Revolution with Nancy Siegel
Happy 4th of July to my listeners in the USA…and all of those around the world who also celebrate the day!It’s a big one because the US is celebrating 250 years of independence this year. And to mark this special day, I have a special guest, Professor Nancy Siegel, and we are going to talk about the roles food and drink – especially tea and cake – played.Nancy Siegal is Professor of Art History an
Food & Agriculture in Prehistoric & Medieval Scotland with Maureen Kilpatrick
Today I am speaking with Maureen Kilpatrick of Guard Archaeology, a Scottish archaeology firm that has dug sites all over Scotland, but today we are focusing on one site called Guardbridge, in Fife, where the timespan the finds ranged from is astounding: from the Stone Age to the 13th century. Several finds were food-related.The site is amazing – there’s an Iron Age fort, there are field demarcati
Feeding the Georgian Kings with Adam Crymble and Rachel Rich
In this week’s episode I am speaking with Adam Crymble and Rachel Rich about a really exciting piece of research looking at the complexities of feeding the households of King George III and his eldest son George who was Prince Regent whilst George III suffered from his “madness”, and eventually succeeded him as George IV. The focus of the research is the ledgers that still exist, listing the ingre
Food History Treasures of the Guildhall Library with Peter Ross
Today I am talking with returning guest Peter Ross who was, until recently, the Principal Librarian at the City of London's Guildhall Library. His fantastic book called Insatiable Appetites, Eating Out in Georgian London, published by the Bodleian Library was published last month, May 2026. Today we are talking about the collections in the Guildhall Library, which is a staggering 600 years old.We
Children's Food with Deborah Albon & Amy Palmer
Welcome back to The British Food History Podcast. Today I am talking with Deborah Albon and Amy Palmer about the history of children’s food. Deborah Albon is a former early years professional and Amy Palmer is a former infant teacher, and both are lecturers at the University of Roehampton, London. They have written a book called First Helpings: A History of Children’s Food. It’s comprehensive, wel
Eating Out in Georgian London with Peter Ross
Welcome back to The British Food History Podcast. In this episode, I am speaking with Peter Ross. Peter was, until recently, the Principal Librarian at the City of London's Guildhall Library. He is an historian of both food and crime in Georgian London, an Arts Society lecturer, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.He has also written a fantastic book called Insatiable Appetites, Eating Out
British Fish & Seafood with CJ Jackson
Welcome back to the British Food History Podcast. In this episode of the podcast, I am speaking with fish and seafood cookery expert CJ Jackson, author of The Great British Seafood Revival, published by Merlin Unwin We talk about cod alternatives like coley and hake; the loss of the street fishmonger; sustainability; fish farms, and whether they are a good thing; the future of Billingsgate Market;
Special Episode in Memory of Joanna Crosby: Apples & Orchards
I received the sad news of the death Joanna Crosby when I was at the Leeds Symposium of Food History and Traditions in April.Joanna was a talented food historian specialising in the history of apples and orchards, and she came on the podcast in 2024 to talk about her research and excellent book Apples and Orchards since the Eighteenth Century.I thought I would put out the episode we recorded toget
Retro Foods with Briony May Williams
Welcome back to the British Food History Podcast. In today’s episode, I am speaking with Great British Bake Off alumnus Briony May Williams about retro foods. She’s on a mission to bring back some of the foods of the 21st century that are maybe not being enjoyed as much as they should be in the 21st. I am very much in agreement with this – obvs.We talk about how Briony became interested in retro f
Spun Iron Cookware with Netherton Foundry
Today, we are going on an excursion to the Netherton Foundry workshop, nestled in the Shropshire countryside, to find out about spun iron cookware – something that was essentially extinct in this country until owners Neil and Sue Currie brought it back.Neil and Sue are very kindly sponsoring season 10 of The British Food History Podcast makers of high-quality kitchen and outdoor cookware. Netherto
Traditional Food of Derbyshire with Mark Dawson
My guest on The British Food History Podcast today is Mark Dawson, a food historian specialising in the food and social history of the early modern period, but also on the regional food of the Midlands. Today we are talking about the traditional food and drink of his home county of Derbyshire.You may remember he was on last season talking about Derbyshire Oatcakes, well, since then he has written
Healthy Eating in the Middle Ages with Katherine Harvey
Welcome to a brand new season of The British Food History Podcast!On the podcast today is medieval scholar Katherine Harvey, a scholar specialising in medieval and early modern history.Kathryn’s new book The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living is out now, published by Reaktion Books.We talk about humoral theory and health, the dangers of eating fresh fruit and fish, the importance of sauces, drinking
Robert Burns, The Globe Inn & the Annandale Distillery with Jane Brown, Teresa Church & David Thomson
Welcome to the second of a two-part special all about Burns Night.Burns Night, celebrated on Robert Burns’ birthday, 25th January, is a worldwide phenomenon and I wanted to make a couple of episodes focussing upon the night, the haggis, but also the other foods links regarding Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns.So, if you’re readying yourself for a Burns supper, I hope this episode gets you ev
Haggis & the First Burns Suppers with Jennie Hood
Welcome to the first of a two-part special all about Burns Night.Burns Night, celebrated on Robert Burns’ birthday, 25th January, is a worldwide phenomenon and I wanted to make a couple of episodes focussing upon the night, the haggis, but also the other foods links regarding Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns.Burns was born in Alloway, Ayrshire on 25 January 1759 and he died in Dumfries on 21
Special Postbag Edition #6
It’s time for the now traditional end-of-season postbag episode of The British Food History Podcast, where I (attempt to) answer your questions, read out your comments and mull over your queries. Several photos and illustrations are mentioned in this episode: to see them, visit the accompanying blog post on British Food: A History: www.britishfoodhistory.comI’ll be disappearing for a couple of mon
Shakespearean Food & Drink with Sam Bilton
My guest on The British Food History Podcast today food historian and friend of the show Sam Bilton, podcaster and author of Much Ado About Cooking Delicious Shakespearean Feasts for Every Occasion, published by Headline and commissioned by Shakespeare’s Globe. It was, of course, a great opportunity to talk about the food of Shakespearean England as well as the food and drink references in S
Welsh Sheep & Cattle with Carwyn Graves
My guest today is food historian Carwyn Graves, a specialist in the foodways and traditions of Wales, and we are talking about Welsh Sheep and Cattle – and their products. Carwyn has written a wonderful book called Welsh Food Stories, published in 2022 by Calon, which explores more than two thousand years of history to discover the rich but forgotten heritage of Welsh foods – from oysters to cider
Subversive Feasting in Medieval King & Commoner Tales with Mark Truesdale
My guest on The British Food History Podcast today is historian Mark Truesdale, scholar of the fifteenth-century King and Commoner tradition and its early modern afterlife and author of The King and Commoner Tradition: Carnivalesque Politics in Medieval and Early Modern Literature, published by Routledge. We talk about medieval carnival, the plot of a king and commoner tale, spying foresters, rude
Housekeepers & Butlers with Peter Brears
In today’s episode, I speak with Peter Brears, a world-leading food historian. He was director of both York and Leeds City Museums, and is a consultant to the National Trust, English Heritage and Historic Royal Palaces.He is the winner of the André Simon award for his book, Cooking and Dining in Medieval England, published in 2012, which is a must-have, as are his other books in the series that fo
Worcester Porcelain with Paul Crane
In this episode, I talk with ceramics expert Paul Crane FSA about the early years of Worcester porcelain. Paul is a consultant at the Brian Haughton Gallery, St James’s, London, and a specialist in Ceramics from the Medieval and Renaissance periods through to the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. He presently sits as a Trustee of the Museum of Royal Worcester and is also a Fellow of the Society
Ireland, Ale & the Colonising British with Christina Wade
In this episode, I speak with Christina Wade, a beer historian specialising in the UK and Ireland, with a particular focus on women. She has written an excellent book, Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland, which was published by Nine Bean Rows earlier this year (2025). We talk about ale and beer in Ireland, and how colonisation by the English, and then the British, affected beer production
BONUS EPISODE: Serve it Forth Food History Festival Special
Hello there everyone!Here’s a quick special bonus episode for you – the lowdown on the Serve it Forth Food History Festival 2025 sponsored by the excellent Netherton Foundry.My fellow festival coordinators Sam Bilton, Thomas Ntinas and Alessandra Pino and I are here to tell you more about it: how the day will work, what the sessions will be like, the topics and the guests – including my guest Tom
Derbyshire Oatcakes with Mark Dawson
My guest today is Mark Dawson, food historian, specialising in the food of the Tudor period, but also the food of Derbyshire. We met up at Mark’s home in Derbyshire to talk all things Derbyshire oatcakes. Mark and I talk about the oatcakes of Britain, doshens and sprittles, the usefulness of probate inventories, oatcakes as penance, and oatcake goblins – amongst many other thingsThose listening to
A Rare Early Modern Cheese Manuscript with Alex Bamji
My guest today is Alex Bamji, Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Leeds, and we are talking about a rare treatise on cheese dating from the Early Modern Period.We met up at the Brotherton Library which is home to a fantastic collection of cookery books and manuscripts. We talk about cheese, health and humoral theory; what makes a good cheese; the early modern cheese la
Bread & Bakers with David Wright
My guest today is third generation baker, writer and teacher David Wright author of the excellent book Breaking Bread: How Baking Shaped our World published by Aurum.We talk about the social benefits of bread making, milling grain into flour, the anatomy of a grain, roller mills, the Chorleywood process and why gluten can be compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.Those listening to the
Bronze Age Food & Foodways with Chris Wakefield & Rachel Ballantyne
My guests today are archaeologists Chris Wakefield from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit of Cambridge University Rachel Ballantyne from McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, and they are here to tell me about an absolutely amazing site close to Peterborough that tell us a huge amount about daily life in a late Bronze Age settlement. Prepare to have your minds blown!We talk about the uni
A Regional Food Tour with Jenny Linford
My guest today is food writer, podcaster and cheese enthusiast Jenny Linford and we are going on a bit of a regional food tour across the UK.We talk about her new book The Great British Food Tour published by the National Trust. It’s beautifully illustrated and contains recipes too. Also discussed: our mutual appreciation of Jane Grigson, Welsh cakes, English fish dishes, marmalade, champ and Tunn
Black & White Pudding with Matthew Cockin & Grant Harper
Welcome to the first episode of season 9 of The British Food History Podcast!Today I am talking with Matthew Cockin and Grant Harper of Fruit Pig – the last remaining commercial craft producer of fresh blood black puddings in the UK.We talk about how and why they started up Fruit Pig, battling squeamishness, why it’s so difficult to make fresh blood black puddings, and serving suggestions – amongs
Special Postbag Edition #5
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
Alexis Soyer with Lindsay Middleton
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, among
Making Medieval Ale at Home with Alison Kay
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, s
A Tudor Christmas with Brigitte Webster
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
The Philosophy of Puddings with Neil Buttery, Peter Gilchrist & Lindsay Middleton
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
An Irish Food Story with Jp McMahon
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 Pha
Turkey with Tom Copas
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 turk
The English Table with Jill Norman
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 Clau
A History of Baking with Sam Bilton & Neil Buttery
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
Crisps with Natalie Whittle
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:
Cooking 'English Food' with Nicola Aldren, Simone Blagg & Anthea Craig
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
Jane Grigson with Sophie Grigson
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
50 Years of 'English Food' by Jane Grigson with Sam Bilton, Annie Gray, Ivan Day & Jill Norman
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 abou
Special Postbag Edition #4
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 mont
Historical Cookery with Jay Reifel
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 helm
Ormskirk Gingerbread with Anouska Lewis
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
The History of Food Waste & Preservation with Eleanor Barnett
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 fabulous
The Scottish Salt Industry with Joanna Hambly, Aaron Allen & Ed Bethune
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 exciti
Stuffed with Pen Vogler
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 Ha
The Leeds Symposium on Food History & Traditions with Ivan Day
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
BONUS EPISODE: 'A is for Apple' with Sam Bilton, Neil Buttery & Alessandra Pino
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:
Medieval Meals & Manners with Danièle Cybulskie
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
Spices with Ian Anderson
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.Ia
The Philosophy of Chocolate with Sam Bilton
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
Apples & Orchards with Joanna Crosby
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
Christmas Special 2023: Mince Pies
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 minceme
BONUS EPISODE: 18th Century Female Cookery Writers with the Delicious Legacy Podcast
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 SmithTh
Special Postbag Edition #3
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 We
English Food, a People's History with Diane Purkiss
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.
The School Meals Service with Heather Ellis
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
Early Television Cookbooks & Tie-ins with Kevin Geddes
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 pro
18th Century Tavern Cooking with Marc Meltonville (& Richard Briggs)
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 diffe
Tudor Cooking & Cuisine with Brigitte Webster
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 t
Tinned Food with Lindsay Middleton
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 in
Medlars with Jane Steward
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 discov
Recreating 16th Century Beer with Susan Flavin & Marc Meltonville
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, scien
Cake Baxters in Early Modern Scotland with Aaron Allen
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 ove
Tripe Special: Sam Bilton & Neil Buttery Talk Tripe
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 inte
Special Postbag Edition #2
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 spe
Elizabeth Raffald with Alessandra Pino & Neil Buttery
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 w
Traditional Food of Lincolnshire with Rachel Green
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 Lin
Invalid Cookery with Lindsay Middleton
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 d
18th Century Dining with Ivan Day
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.Thi
London's Street Food Sellers with Charlie Taverner
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 coll
Hogmanay and Hamely Kitchen with Paula McIntyre
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. Pa
Christmas Feasting with Annie Gray
Neil kicks off the season with a Christmas special, talking Christmas feasting – and cooking – with scholar and author Dr Annie Gray. Annie is author of books such as the excellent The Greedy Queen: Eating with Victoria and Victory in the Kitchen: The Life of Churchill’s Cook. Her new book At Christmas We Feast: Festive Food Through the Ages, published by Profile Books, is out now in paperback, an
Special Postbag Edition #1
Welcome to the first postbag edition of ‘The British Food History Podcast’. On this episode: memories of Glyn Hughes; listeners letters; Yorkshire puddings; and new book news.Links to things mentioned on this episode:‘The Foods of England’ website: http://www.foodsofengland.co.uk/Glyn Hughes’s book ‘The Surprising History of Fish and Chips’: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1471631656Contain the Samari
Yorkshire Pudding with Elaine Lemm
Today’s guest is food writer and Yorkshire Pudding expert Elaine Lemm to discuss the good old Yorkshire Pudding.They discussed many things including: the origins of the Yorkshire pudding, what links it to Yorkshire anyway, excellent cooking tips, including the importance of the vessel it is cooked in as well as the fat used; YP haters; and toad-in-the-hole. ‘The Great Book of Yorkshire Puddin
The Philosophy of Curry with Sejal Sukhadwala
Today Neil talks to journalist and author Sejal Sukhadwala about her new book The Philosophy of Curry. Her book charts the history of the curry, how it has changed over time, why it could be viewed as a British construct, and why some people reject the word completely. Some of the things we talked about were: why the idea of the curry is for some a controversial one; the way Indian food chan
The British Cook Book with Ben Mervis
Neil talks to food writer, journal editor and now author of The British Cook Book, Ben Mervis, published by Phaidon on 22 September in the UK and 8 October the rest of the world. It’s quite possibly the most comprehensive book on British cooking ever published, so Neil just had to get him on.They talk about just how one goes about writing a book with 550 recipes in it, and on what grounds should a
British Saffron with Sam Bilton
On the show today is author, food historian and returning guest Sam Bilton to talk about British Saffron – both growing it and eating it – Sam has a brand new book about to come out called Fool’s Gold A History of British Saffron, published by Prospect Books on 8th September 2022.We talk about when, where and why saffron was grown in the country, how common it used to be in the British diet, it’s
