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? This podcast uses the following third-party services for an ...
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A is for Apple is an encyclopaedia of food and drink that takes a deep dive into food and drink culture letter by letter. Written and presented by Sam Bilton, Neil Buttery and Alessandra Pino.
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The show that sees the world through food. Hosted by chef and researcher Lewis Bassett, with music and mixing from Forest DLG. Winner of the Guild of Food Writers podcast award 2023. Get extra content and support the show on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The most influential cook that you've probably never heard of, according to food historian Neil Buttery. Elizabeth Raffald captured the distinctly modern English food of the 18th century. The Heston Blumental of her time, inspiring cooks like Fergus Henderson today. Neil Buttery is the author of "Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most…
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Obviously we were going to do an episode about Madhur Jaffrey, and so here it is. Madhur Jaffrey: the actress who taught British and American audiences how to cook Indian food. Lewis Bassett speaks about Madur with Mayuk Sen, author of Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America. We talk about Madur's life, some of the ba…
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BONUS EPISODE: Avocado Anxiety with Louise Gray
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In this bonus episode Sam explores the Instagram sensation that is the avocado and why this berry that takes its name from the Aztec word for testicle makes some people rather anxious. This is the full interview with author and environmental journalist Louise Gray, who’s book Avocado Anxiety tracks the stories of our five-a-day from farm to fruit b…
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A is for Anchovy, Alewife & Avocado
1:10:33
1:10:33
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In this episode - the last of the A series! - Alessandra, Neil and Sam take on listeners’ suggestions to create quite the pot pourri mix of anchovies, alewives and avocados. If you have any suggestions for season ‘B’ let us know! You can find A is for Apple on Instagram and X (Twitter) or email us at aisforapplepod@gmail.com Useful links and things…
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Ken Hom taught the British how to cook Chinese food, but Chinese takeaways showed us what it was in the first place. Lewis Bassett talks to journalist Angela Hui about Ken's impact and about her book Takeaway: Stories From a Childhood Behind the Counter. The Full English is produced by Lewis Bassett. Mixing and sound design is from Forest DLG. Foll…
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BONUS EPISODE: Amino Acids, Nitrogen and the Soil
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9:05
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In this extra bonus episode, Neil talks with Sam and Alessandra about why getting plenty of nitrogen in the soil is good for making amino acids and therefore protein. You can follow the A is for Apple Podcast on Instagram and X (Twitter). Sam Bilton also hosts the Comfortably Hungry Podcast and is the author of First Catch Your Gingerbread, Fool’s …
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A is for Aloes, Aspic and Amino Acids
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1:13:30
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In this episode Allie gives Sam and Neil a topic to sink their teeth into as we discuss all things meaty. We chat about fake birds, meat jellies and learn why certain molecules make savoury food so irresistibly scrumptious. Useful Links and things mentioned in the episode Neil cooks Jane Grigson’s recipe for Guards of Honour Eating Ortolans - Gastr…
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Elizabeth David part 2 with Ruth Rogers and Jeremy Lee
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46:37
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Part two on Elizabeth David is all about the impact of her work, with Jeremy Lee and Ruth Rogers. Jeremy Lee's award winning cookery book is called "Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many". The River Cafe have a number of brilliant cookbooks and, in recent news, have also opened a cafe (a River Cafe Cafe) next door to their main restaurant in We…
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Elizabeth David part 1 with Artemis Cooper
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51:45
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Elizabeth David led a life whose story is as compelling as her impact on the way we eat. In part one of two episodes, Lewis speaks to Artemis Cooper, author of Writing at the Kitchen Table: The Authorized Biography of Elizabeth David. Part two featuring Ruth Rogers and Jeremy Lee will appear soon. The Full English is produced by Lewis Bassett. Mixi…
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Here is an extra helping of the A is for Apple podcast following on from our last episode on vegetables. If you listened to the last 'A' episode, you’re probably thinking that we were on our best behaviour. But you should know us better than that by now! As ever Allie, Neil and I talked for ages about our vegetal A’s and inevitably we strayed onto …
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It’s the end of season seven, so it is time for the traditional special postbag edition of the podcast. Much is covered: feminist dining tables, 17th-century household books, regional gingerbreads, musk-flavoured sweeties and much more. Thanks to everyone who wrote in with a question, comment or query. The podcast will return in August. Support the…
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Marco Pierre White, once the "enfant terrible" of the UK restaurant scene today the face of Knor stock cubes. Who is Marco, what impact has he had on how we eat and just why is he so weird? Answering the questions for a change is The Full English's Lewis Bassett. Taking over is Ida Février and her show No Man Land. Join us for this special crossov…
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A is for Asparagus, Arrowroot and Artichoke
1:02:59
1:02:59
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In today’s episode we will be discussing what many a child dreads encountering on their dinner plate. So prepare yourself for a wrinkled nose or two, an impromptu visit to the sick room and a few prickly surprises as Allie, Neil and I explore the verdant world of vegetables. Useful Links Sam’s Recipe for William Verrall’s Sweetbreads With Asparagus…
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Today I am talking with chef Jay Reifel who specialises in cooking historical food. He has co-written a beautiful book with collaborator Victoria Flexner called The History of the World in 10 Dinners. We talk about the influence of other cultures on British cuisine as well as the influence British cuisine has had on other cuisines, sweet and sour f…
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A is for Aga, Aberffraw Cakes & Angelica
1:00:39
1:00:39
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In today’s baking themed episode, Alessandra looks into that classic piece of kitchen kit, the Aga, Neil investigates hyper-regional Welsh biscuits called Aberffraw cakes and Sam goes oh-so-retro with a deep-dive into angelica. Books and other things mentioned in this episode: Joanna Trollope A Village Affair (1989) Televised version (1995) Book on…
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Episode two in our series on cooks that have changed the way we eat. Lewis Bassett speaks to Luke Barr, author of 'Ritz and Escoffier: The Hotelier, The Chef, and the Rise of the Leisure Class' about the French chef Auguste Escoffier, who rose to fame in London at the Savoy in the 1890s. Mixing and sound design from Forest DLG. Follow the Full Engl…
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Niche topic alert! Today I am talking to Anouska Lewis about Ormskirk Gingerbread. Anouska is the writer and presenter of the BBC Sounds podcast Hometown Boring? The first episode being all about Ormskirk gingerbread We talk about how one lands getting a podcast series on BBC Sounds in the first place; the ingredients of Ormskirk gingerbread, the t…
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A is for Almond, Apricot & Aubergine
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Things start to get fruity in this third episode. Neil chooses almonds, fuelling a historical debate that goes a bit nuts. Apricots are more Allie’s jam as she looks at their use in literature and Sam takes the less beaten track of the aubergine, sparking memories of the time she made a parmigiana…on TV! Useful Links Neil's recipe for - or, rather,…
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Get extra content and support the show on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Delia Smith with Felicity Cloake and Zoe Williams
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57:14
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Delia Smith: friend of the royals, a national treasure who taught us how to boil and egg and an advocate for radical spiritualism. In this episode Lewis Bassett, Felicity Cloak and Zoe Williams unpick who Delia is and what her impact has been on how we eat in Britain. This is the first episode of our new series on cooks who've change the way we eat…
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The History of Food Waste & Preservation with Eleanor Barnett
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Today I am talking to Eleanor Barnett about the history of food waste and preservation. Eleanor has written a fantastic book about the history of how we as a society have (and sometimes have not) dealt with eliminating waste and preserving precious food resources. It is called Leftovers: A History of Food Waste & Preservation, and it is out now pub…
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Ever wondered what the origins of the word jerk are? Or how you can tell whether your allspice is fresh? Sam, Neil and Allie seek answers to these questions in this mini bonus episode. Suggested Reading Hans Sloane, A voyage to the islands Madera, Barbados, Nieves, S. Christophers and Jamaica, with the natural history ... (Volume 1) (1707) Hans Slo…
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We’ve been fine tuning our olfactory organs and immersing ourselves in a cloud of wonderful scents. In this episode Neil explains why asafoetida is a substitute for garlic and onions by some religious groups; Sam chats to food writer and broadcaster Melissa Thompson about jerk seasoning (which includes allspice) and Allie has a gripe about a litera…
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The Scottish Salt Industry with Joanna Hambly, Aaron Allen & Ed Bethune
40:06
40:06
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Today I am talking to three guests about the Scottish Salt Industry – returning guest Aaron Allen, and also Joanne Hambly and Ed Bethune In today’s most enlightening discussion, we talk about the importance of the salt industry in Scotland from the early modern period, the uses of salt – beyond seasoning of food, the Cockenzie Saltworks Project, th…
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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, a…
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In this bonus episode, Allie interviews apple detective Tom Adams to discuss his work in uncovering forgotten and nearly extinct apple varieties, and why preserving them is crucial. Contact us: email: aisforapplepod.gmail.com Find our Substack, social media & various other bits and bobs via our Linktree: linktr.ee/aisforapplepod…
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The Leeds Symposium on Food History & Traditions with Ivan Day
40:40
40:40
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In today’s episode, I am talking with renowned food historian, chef and confectioner Ivan Day. The 38th Leeds Food Symposium of Food History and Traditions is coming up – 27 April 2024 to be exact – Ivan is the Chair of the Symposium, so we had a good talk about the history and influence of this most important annual event on the study of food hist…
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BONUS EPISODE: 'A is for Apple' with Sam Bilton, Neil Buttery & Alessandra Pino
56:12
56:12
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This bonus episode is in fact a pilot for a new podcast show I have made with Sam Bilton and Alessandra Pino. Enjoy! In the very first episode, Neil is presenting and gives everyone a free choice as to what topic they want to talk about, as long as it begins with A of course. Alessandra goes for apples, Neil chooses absinthe and Sam looks into adul…
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PILOT: A is for Apple, Absinthe & Adulteration
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54:55
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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 sculptur…
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Who or what are ultra elite restaurants for? Welcome to a pervert's guide to fine dining. Produced and presented by Lewis Bassett, featuring Andy Hayler, Erin McDonnell and Robin Burrow. Mixing and sound design from Forest DLG. Follow the Full English on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Clips from: The Bear, FX Grant Achatz on Chef's Table, Netflix D…
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Medieval Meals & Manners with Danièle Cybulskie
35:43
35:43
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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 an…
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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…
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The Philosophy of Chocolate with Sam Bilton
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40:29
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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 …
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S07E03 Apples & Orchards shownotes Happy New Year and welcome to episode 50 of the British Food History Podcast! I talk to Joanna Crosby about the history of apples and orchards in England. I saved this episode specially for today because it is Twelfth Night – the last day of Christmas – the traditional day of the Wassail, the blessing of the apple…
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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. …
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Why do we eat turkey at Xmas? A Full English festive special!
1:09:11
1:09:11
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Join us, join us, join us for a Full English Christmas special! Get the turkey in the oven and warm some wine as we answer all your questions on why we eat and drink in the ways we do at Christmas. And hear us rate the best and worse mince pies from high street coffee shops. Lewis Bassett is joined by the man of music Forest DLG, master baker Rebec…
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BONUS EPISODE: 18th Century Female Cookery Writers with the Delicious Legacy Podcast
1:16:45
1:16:45
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Welcome to a special bonus episode of the podcast which is a collaboration between myself and the Delicious Legacy, hosted by Thomas Ntinas. It’s all about some of the women who were writing cookery books in the 18th century, their characters and the influence they still have upon us today. Things mentioned in today’s episode: Thomas’s podcast Deli…
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What did the ancient Romans do for us? Well, according to Thom Ntinas from The Delicious Legacy podcast, they were the first to give Britain the burger. Find out more about the lasting culinary legacies of ancient Roman Britain in this special cross over episode. Presented by Thom Ntinas and Lewis Bassett. Produced and edited by Thom Ntinas. Music …
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Costa is the nation's most popular coffee shop. There are 1000 more Costa than Starbucks and 500 more than Greggs. And that's before we take into account Costa's express machines and retail products. How did Costa get so big and why do we love it? Lewis Bassett is joined by co-host Jemma Greenwood, comments from the coffee historian Jonathan Morris…
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The hidden history of state-sponsored canteens
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Few people are aware that in the first half of the 20th century the British government helped establish a huge number of popular canteens, serving food to everyone who wanted it during war time and afterwards. These British Restaurants, as they became known during World War II, were, at their hight, more numerous than today's McDonalds and Wethersp…
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Vines in a Cold Climate is a new book by Henry Jeffreys charting the sparkling rise of English wine and the people behind it. Lewis Bassett and Jemma Greenwood speak to Henry over a couple of bottles of vins anglais about Henry's book, the story of English wine and attitudes towards wine drinking in England. Mixing and sound design is as ever from …
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It’s the end of the current run so that means it is time for the now traditional end-of-season special postbag edition. Thank you to everyone who has listened, downloaded, donated and spread the good word. I’ll be back in a couple of months (hopefully) for season seven! Previous episodes mentioned in the episode: The School Meals Service with Heath…
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What is a caff when it's not a cafe? Where did the caff come from and who will mourn the greasy spoon if, as we hear, they're disappearing? Joining Lewis Bassett is the author and Guardian columnist Felicity Cloake and Isaac Rangaswami, writer and the man behind the Instagram page Caffs Not Cafes. Felicity's book is Red Sauce Brown Sauce. Her writi…
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English Food, a People's History with Diane Purkiss
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42:27
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Neil’s guest is Diane Purkiss and they talk about just some of the topics covered in her book English Food a People’s History published by William Collins. Diane is Professor of English Literature at Oxford University, and she has written about such topics as the English Civil War, the supernatural, especially witchcraft; folklore and fairytales; w…
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The School Meals Service with Heather Ellis
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43:20
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S06E09 The School Meals Service with Heather Ellis: shownotes Neil’s guest today is Heather Ellis from Sheffield University. Helen is a historian of Education and she, along with academics from the University of Wolverhampton and UCL, have just embarked on an ambitious project looking at people’s experiences and memories of their school dinners in …
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There exists a distinctly middle class culture in Britain that has taught us to love our meat, especially if we feel guilty about eating it. But what if rather than caring for the animals we eat, we thought about animals as an exploited class who deserve justice, not a cuddle before they are slaughtered? So argues Amber Husain in Meat Love, a power…
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Early Television Cookbooks & Tie-ins with Kevin Geddes
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40:58
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Neil talks to returning guest Kevin Geddes. He told us all about the wonderful, fabulous Fanny Cradock, but today he is talking to me about Television Cookery Shows and their cookbook tie-ins. Kevin wrote a very interesting paper on the early history and origins of TV Cookbooks, and Neil found it so interesting, and he thought you would find it int…
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By creating a network of pubs that are accessible to anyone with 89p for a coffee, JD Wetherspoon has become something of a public service. But should Britain's most popular pub chain really be owned by Tim Martin and a small group of shareholders? Is it time to nationalise Wetherspoons? In this episode, Lewis Bassett is joined by Jemma Greenwood t…
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18th Century Tavern Cooking with Marc Meltonville (& Richard Briggs)
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Esteemed food historian Marc Meltonville returns to the podcast to talk about taverns, 18th century dining and the cook and author Richard Briggs, the focus of his new book The Tavern Cook: Eighteenth Century Dining Through the Recipes of Richard Briggs which has recently been published by Prospect Books. We talked about how he found out about Rich…
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Tudor Cooking & Cuisine with Brigitte Webster
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45:03
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Today Neil talks with Brigitte Webster about her new book Eating with the Tudors which has just been published by Pen & Sword History. We talked about how she came to live in her Tudor house; how the food changed going in and coming out of the Tudor period; food and the four humours and how ideas about those also changed; favourite cookbooks; fritt…
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