For the early May bank holiday weekend we jumped back 80 years to wartime Britain where Audley End House once again became a school for spies, soldiers and top secret training, During the Second World War, Audley End House, near Saffron Walden in Essex, was used by the Polish Section of the Special Operations Executive to train Polish special forces soldiers. Known as the Cichociemni – the Silent Unseen – these soldiers were elite paratroopers trained in covert operations, s

At just under 2 kg, a single Ostrich egg weighs about the same as a whole chicken and remarkably is the equivalent of 24 normal-sized chicken eggs. If you can obtain one, cook it and open it, then one Ostrich egg can feed up to 10 people. A typical egg is 200 mm tall, with a circumference of c. 450 mm, provides 2,000 calories and 144 g of protein. The latter is three times an adult’s recommended daily protein allowance but Ostrich eggs also contain calcium, iron and vitamin

Dispelling a myth that Cheshire cheese has Roman origins.

A brief introduction to the meals served on board the RMS Titanic, which tragically sunk on the night of April 15th, 1912.

Grain and legumes Peas and beans, which made up a very large part of the diet of the Mediæval poor, were still treated as a staple food, but to a lessening extent during the Stuart period being replaced by cereals and the potato. The many varieties of grain remained the most important crop and were the daily staple for most segments of 17th century society. Differentiation was in the varieties, its quality and how it was prepared. The lower classes ate coarse bread of consi

A brief introduction to the sort of foods and drink available to sailors from reign of Queen Anne and the Georgian period, and specifically the Golden Age of Piracy (c. 1650 to c. 1726).

A brief introduction to the Home Front and rationing in both The Great War and World War Two.

A brief history of food innovation in Victorian Britain.

An introduction to the Mediæval kitchen. During the period household meals were cooked on an open hearth in the middle of the main living area, making efficient use of the heat. For most of the Mediæval period this was the most common arrangement, even in wealthy households, where the kitchen and dining hall were combined. Later separate kitchens began to appear.

Here are the World War Two recipes that Tastes Of History cooked 'on the ration' at Tanfield Railway's 1940s Weekend (September 24th & 25th 2022).

A brief history of foods and their origins. This time, sugar.

Medieval recipes suitable for celebrating the Battles of Bosworth Field, the final battle in England's Wars of the Roses.

The Forme of Cury (‘The Method of Cooking’ is an extensive 14th-century collection of medieval English recipes.

Isabella Mary Beeton was an English journalist, editor and writer who is most associated with her first book, the 1861 work "Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management".

Introducing Eliza Acton a cookery pioneer who is far too often forgotten. She established the format for written recipes still used to this day that includes a description of the process, a list of ingredients, and the cooking time. Before her, cook's relied on just a list of ingredients and their own skill to create dishes. Eliza's innovative style allowed anyone to reproduce a recipe from scratch.

"Kitchenalia" introduces objects from different historical periods, discovers a bit about their history and how each was made. We look at how, through our practical experiments, we have learnt to best use them, and offer some recipes for you to try at home. Today's objects are "fish eaters". which became popular in the Victorian period.

A brief history of the orange inspired by a delicious Georgian era recipe for Orange Cake.

In an earlier article, we challenged the idea that Roman soldiers cooked farinata, a type of unleavened bread made from chickpea flour, on their shields (link here). Given that Roman shields (Latin scutae; sing. scuta) were typically made of wood this is highly unlikely and at best a myth. So, if not using their shields, then what utensils might the average Roman soldier carry to cook with?

In the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme in Roma there is a mosaic, dating from the early 1st-century AD, depicting various food items including a basket of fruit brimming with figs, grapes, pomegranates, and one curious object. Some viewers see a pineapple and this has led others to postulate this as clear evidence that the ancient Romans had contact with South America. Find out why it's a myth.

A brief history of the pineapple, a tropical plant with an edible fruit indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuries.