The British Food History Podcast

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 plan...

I'm on a break so to fill the gap here are some of my favourite episodes 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 ear...

I'm on a break so to fill the gap here are some of my favourite episodes 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...

I'm on a break so to fill the gap here are some of my favourite episodes 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...

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 unl...

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 h...

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 his...

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 farm...

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, sup...

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: cli...

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...

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 po...

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 f...

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 publi...

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:‘B...

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 Feas...

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....

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 comm...

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 li...

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...