The British Food History Podcast

By Neil Buttery

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 guest... more

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The podcast currently has 114 episodes available.

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Number 1: 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, well-researched and an entertaining read. I recommend it. We talk about the early years: the changing ideas about breastfeeding and wet nurses, the Victorian moralistic ideas surrounding withholding food, weaning the kids on wine and turtle doves, and children’s birthday parties, amongst many other things. Those listening to the secret podcast get 20 minutes of bonus material where we discuss in more depth Deborah and Amy’s approach to writing the book, breastmilk alternatives, including the changing advice with respect to formula milk, creepy feeding schedules plus more. First Helpings: A History of Children’s Food Follow Deborah and Amy on Instagram @albonandpalmer Deborah & Amy’s website Season 10 of the podcast is sponsored by Netherton Foundry, makers of high-quality kitchen and outdoor cookware. Netherton Foundry ships to several countries outside of the UK, including the USA and Canada. Visit www.netherton-foundry.co.uk to find out more about their wonderful products – approved not just by me but by folk such as Tom Parker-Bowles, Diana Henry and Nigella Lawson. The mixing and sound engineering are by Thomas Ntinas of The Delicious Legacy podcast If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, including bonus blog posts and recipes, access to the easter eggs and the secret podcast, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here. Things mentioned in today’s episode York Festival of Ideas 2026 Previous pertinent podcast episodes Retro Foods with Briony May Williams The School Meals Service with Heather Ellis Food in Gothic Literature with Alessandra Pino Previous pertinent blog posts Sago & Tapioca Pudding Colostrum (Beestings) Negus Neil’s blogs and YouTube channel: ‘British Food: a History’ The British Food History Channel ‘Neil Cooks Grigson’ Neil’s books: Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper A Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of Baking The Philosophy of Puddings 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 [email protected], 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 This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
May 29, 202642min
Number 2: 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 demarcations, evidence of food and how it was processed and cooked, as well as lots of evidence of the community moving from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a settled farming one. We talk about the material objects found on site, such as saddle querns, axes and ploughing tools, food remains like emmer wheat, barley, cockles and the indestructible hazelnut, non-slip pottery and the surprisingly late appearance of oats, amongst many other things. Those listening to the secret podcast get some bonus material where we discuss whether modern agriculture with its mechanised ploughs is a help or a hindrance to archaeologists these days. Read the full report: ARO61: Guardbridge, Fife: A multi-period settlement with a multi-vallate fort Follow Guard Archaeology in X/Twitter @GUARD_Archaeol Season 10 of the podcast is sponsored by Netherton Foundry, makers of high-quality kitchen and outdoor cookware. Netherton Foundry ships to several countries outside of the UK, including the USA and Canada. Visit www.netherton-foundry.co.uk to find out more about their wonderful products – approved not just by me but by folk such as Tom Parker-Bowles, Diana Henry and Nigella Lawson. The mixing and sound engineering were done by Thomas Ndinas of The Delicious Legacy podcast If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, including bonus blog posts and recipes, access to the easter eggs and the secret podcast, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here. Things mentioned in today’s episode ARO55: Excavations at the site of Bell’s Pottery, Stafford Street/Kyle Street, Glasgow BBC News Article: 'Whole prehistory of Fife' found in one field, experts say Serve it Forth Food History Festival EARLY BIRD TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW! Ludlow Food Festival 2026 My appearance on the Offscript podcast as part of their Albion season Previous pertinent podcast episodes Bronze Age Food & Foodways with Chris Wakefield & Rachel Ballantyne Neil’s blogs and YouTube channel: ‘British Food: a History’ The British Food History Channel ‘Neil Cooks Grigson’ Neil’s books: Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper A Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of Baking The Philosophy of Puddings 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 [email protected], 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 This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
June 27, 202639min
Number 3: 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 ingredients ordered, foods that were prepared and the people who ate them. Over 40,000 dishes were counted. They have analysed the ledgers from two royal palaces – George III’s Kew Palace and the Prince Regent’s Carlton House – with two other food historians Sarah Fox and Lisa Smith, and assimilated them to produce a book called The King’s Dinner: Family, nation, and identity on the British table, 1760-1820, which was published by UCL Press on 11 June 2026. The book is available from wherever you buy your books, but it is also available open access as a free PDF. So is the data they used in their analysis. We talk about the differing characters of the two Georges and how these were expressed in the foods they ate, Georgian food identity, the concept of oeconomy, the exotic food cultures NOT appearing on royal dinner tables, French cuisine and famous French chef Careme’s tenure in the Prince Regent’s kitchens, as well as their fruit and veg suppliers, one of whom was called Savage Bear, amongst many other things Those listening to the secret podcast get some bonus material where we discuss the upper servant’s fancy foods, the huge amounts of meat consumed, and the politics of wine. The King’s Dinner: Family, nation, and identity on the British table, 1760-1820(open access) 3000 dishes on a Georgian table Adam’s bio on the UCL website Follow Adam on social media: @adamcrymble.bsky.social (Bluesky); @dradamcrymble (Insta) Rachel’s bio on Leeds Beckett University website Follow Rachel Rich on social media: @drrachelrich (Insta) Season 10 of the podcast is sponsored by Netherton Foundry, makers of high-quality kitchen and outdoor cookware. Netherton Foundry ships to several countries outside of the UK, including the USA and Canada. Visit www.netherton-foundry.co.uk to find out more about their wonderful products – approved not just by me but by folk such as Tom Parker-Bowles, Diana Henry and Nigella Lawson. The mixing and sound engineering were done by Thomas Ntinas of The Delicious Legacy podcast If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, including bonus blog posts and recipes, access to the easter eggs and the secret podcast, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here. Things mentioned in today’s episode Rachel’s articles on The Recipes Project Hugh Laurie playing the Prince Regent on Blackadder the Third Previous pertinent podcast episodes Eating Out in Georgian London with Peter Ross 18th Century Tavern Cookery with Marc Meltonville 18th Century Dining with Ivan Day The Philosophy of Curry with Sejal Sukhadwala Neil’s blogs and YouTube channel: ‘British Food: a History’ The British Food History Channel ‘Neil Cooks Grigson’ Neil’s books: Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper A Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of Baking The Philosophy of Puddings 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 [email protected], 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 This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
June 18, 202644min
Number 4: Special Postbag Edition #7
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.com I’ll be disappearing for a few months, unless of course, you are a monthly subscriber, where there will be a bonus episode coming up for you to listen to via the secret podcast. Season 10 of the podcast is sponsored by Netherton Foundry, makers of high-quality kitchen and outdoor cookware. Netherton Foundry ships to several countries outside of the UK, including the USA and Canada. Visit www.netherton-foundry.co.uk to find out more about their wonderful products – approved not just by me but by folk such as Tom Parker-Bowles, Diana Henry and Nigella Lawson. If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, including bonus blog posts and recipes, access to the easter eggs and the secret podcast, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here. Things mentioned in today’s episode Ludlow Food Festival 2026 Serve it Forth mailing list Serve it Forth Eventbrite page Brecon Agricultural Show Mamgu Welsh cakes English Food by Jane Grigson Café Erol Ivor Cutler’s Life in a Scotch Sitting Room Vol.2 ep.6 Ivor’s obituary The Feasts of Autolycus, by Elizabeth Robins Pennell Comfortably Hungry: Bleeding Cows & Black Puddings The Great Cream Tea Debate on my YouTube channel The English Housewife by Gervase Markham Delia Smith's famous rallying cry Previous pertinent blog posts To Make Welsh Cakes (Pice ar y maen) Singin’ Hinnies Blood ice cream Scones: A brief history Four Scone Recipes Cornish Splits Pease Bread Syllabubs Previous pertinent podcast episodes Griddle & Bakestone Cookery with Peter Gilchrist & Ross Clarke Eating Out in Georgian London with Peter Ross Retro Foods with Briony May Williams Hogmanay & Hamely Kitchen with Paula McIntyre British Fish & Seafood with CJ Jackson The History of Food Waste & Preservation with Eleanor Barnett Black & White Pudding with Matthew Cockin & Grant Harper A History of Baking with Sam Bilton & Neil Buttery Spices with Ian Anderson Historical Cookery with Jay Reifel 50 years of ‘English Food’ by Jane Grigson with Sam Bilton, Ivan Day, Annie Gray & Jill Norman Breakfast with Felicity Cloake Special Postbag Edition #6 18th Century Dining with Ivan Day Eel Special 1: Elvers with ‘Elver’ Dave Medieval Meals & Manners with Danielle Cybulskie Shakespearean Food & Drink with Sam Bilton Lent episode 1: Preparing for Lent C is for Caudle, Cider & Cappuccino Neil’s blogs and YouTube channel: ‘British Food: a History’ The British Food History Channel ‘Neil Cooks Grigson’ Neil’s books: Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper A Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of Baking The Philosophy of Puddings 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 [email protected], 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 This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
August 01, 202652min
Number 5: 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 both use a bakestone or griddle (or whatever you call yours – there are quite a few names for the usually round, usually iron piece of iron we bake our crumpets, drop scones, muffins and Welsh cakes upon) and I thought we should discuss using them and some of the best of British bakestone bakes. We talk about the place of bakestones and griddles in British food culture, Welsh cakes, bannocks and pikelets, classic writers such as Bobby Freeman and F. Marion McNeill and the applied uses of bacon fat, amongst many other things. Those listening to the secret podcast get plenty of bonus material where we discuss adapting traditional recipes to keep them relevant, how annoyed I get when classic recipes get messed around with, what we get out of recreating historical recipes and buttermilk – plus more. Follow Peter on social media: @TenementKitchen on Facebook, Insta, Bluesky, X and TikTok Follow Ross on Social Media: @theguiri on Insta, @rosswclarke on X and Facebook Tenement Kitchen website The Welsh Kitchen on Substack Season 10 of the podcast is sponsored by Netherton Foundry, makers of high-quality kitchen and outdoor cookware. Netherton Foundry ships to several countries outside of the UK, including the USA and Canada. Visit www.netherton-foundry.co.uk to find out more about their wonderful products – approved not just by me but by folk such as Tom Parker-Bowles, Diana Henry and Nigella Lawson. If you can, support the podcast and blogs by becoming a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, including bonus blog posts and recipes, access to the easter eggs and the secret podcast, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here. Things mentioned in today’s episode A Book of Welsh Bakestone Cookery by Bobby Freeman First Catch Your Peacock by Bobby Freeman First Principles of Good Cookery by Lady Llanover The Scots Kitchen by F. Marion McNeill English Food by Jane Grigson Knead to Know: A History of Baking by Neil Buttery World Bannock Day Ross’s article about Welsh cakes Ross’s article The Joy of the Bakestone (with bara planc recipe) The Scottish Food History Podcast episode about F. Marion McNeill – part 1 with Jeremy Lee Peter’s morning rolls UNSECO bid Serve it Forth Food History Festival EARLY BIRD TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW! Previous pertinent blog posts The Griddle Cakes & Pancakes section on Neil Cooks Grigson Pancake Day To Make Muffins To Make Crumpets The Muffin-Crumpet Continuum Singin’ Hinnies Previous pertinent podcast episodes A History of Baking with Sam Bilton & Neil Buttery The Philosophy of Puddings with Neil Buttery, Peter Gilchrist & Lindsay Middleton Derbyshire Oatcakes with Mark Dawson Lent episode 1: Preparing for Lent B is for Bakestone, Bechamel & Barbecue C is for Custard, Chancellor’s Buttocks & Crumpets Neil’s blogs and YouTube channel: ‘British Food: a History’ The British Food History Channel ‘Neil Cooks Grigson’ Neil’s books: Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper A Dark History of Sugar Knead to Know: a History of Baking The Philosophy of Puddings 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 [email protected], 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 This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
July 20, 202647min