Question: which part of Alnwick Castle was once considered the finest of its kind in the world?

Answer: it was the Victorian Kitchens, which were created in the 1850s to be an architectural, culinary and technological marvel!

In this episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast, we explore some of the history of the castle kitchens - from the original medieval kitchen area to the developments of the Victorian period. You will hear reports from newspapers of the time, find out about the underground tunnels that delivered food, and hear about a few of the people who worked in these spaces.

The Kitchen spaces have changed over time. In the 20th century, a school, a training college and St Cloud State University have all used the Great Kitchen and the larder rooms nearby. Last year, a long-term project began to rediscover the history of this area within Alnwick Castle - look out for next month's episode to hear more about that!

This episode was recorded in various castle locations, so you may hear the sound levels change slightly as it is playing.

Bon appetit!