Mediæval Feasting

Tastes of History for All

Possibly the most significant year in English history, 1066, saw the end of Anglo-Saxon England and start of the reigns of first the Norman and later the Plantagenet kings. Throughout the following centuries, and in most households, 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 a separate kitchen began to appear.

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Tastes Of History’s display recreates a simple kitchen that can transport visitor back in time to experience the sights and smells of Olde England.

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Our inspiration is the Forme of Cury (‘The Method of Cooking’),an extensive 14th-century collection of medieval English recipes thought to have been written by the chefs to King Richard II.