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The British Food History Podcast

The British Food History Podcast

By: Neil Buttery
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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 guests, recipes, re-enactments, foraging, trying his hand at traditional techniques, and tracking down forgotten recipes and hyper-regional specialities. He'll also be trying to answer the big question: What makes British food, so...British? This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpCopyright 2026 Neil Buttery Art Cooking Food & Wine Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • Food & Agriculture in Prehistoric & Medieval Scotland with Maureen Kilpatrick

    Food & Agriculture in Prehistoric & Medieval Scotland with Maureen Kilpatrick
    Jun 27 2026
    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 fortFollow Guard Archaeology in X/Twitter @GUARD_ArchaeolSeason 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 podcastIf 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 episodeARO55: Excavations at the site of Bell’s Pottery, Stafford Street/Kyle Street, GlasgowBBC News Article: 'Whole prehistory of Fife' found in one field, experts sayServe it Forth Food History Festival EARLY BIRD TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!Ludlow Food Festival 2026My appearance on the Offscript podcast as part of their Albion seasonPrevious pertinent podcast episodesBronze Age Food & Foodways with Chris Wakefield & Rachel BallantyneNeil’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 HousekeeperA Dark History of SugarKnead to Know: a History of BakingThe Philosophy of PuddingsDon’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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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/britishfoodhistoryThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
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    39 mins
  • Feeding the Georgian Kings with Adam Crymble and Rachel Rich

    Feeding the Georgian Kings with Adam Crymble and Rachel Rich
    Jun 18 2026
    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 thingsThose 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 tableAdam’s bio on the UCL websiteFollow Adam on social media: @adamcrymble.bsky.social (Bluesky); @dradamcrymble (Insta)Rachel’s bio on Leeds Beckett University websiteFollow 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 podcastIf 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 episodeRachel’s articles on The Recipes ProjectHugh Laurie playing the Prince Regent on Blackadder the Third Previous pertinent podcast episodesEating Out in Georgian London with Peter Ross18th Century Tavern Cookery with Marc Meltonville18th Century Dining with Ivan DayThe 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 HousekeeperA Dark History of SugarKnead to Know: a History of BakingThe Philosophy of PuddingsDon’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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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/britishfoodhistoryThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
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    43 mins
  • Food History Treasures of the Guildhall Library with Peter Ross

    Food History Treasures of the Guildhall Library with Peter Ross
    Jun 7 2026
    Today I am talking with returning guest Peter Ross who was, until recently, the Principal Librarian at the City of London's Guildhall Library. His fantastic book called Insatiable Appetites, Eating Out in Georgian London, published by the Bodleian Library was published last month, May 2026. Today we are talking about the collections in the Guildhall Library, which is a staggering 600 years old.We mention quite a few books and collections, but there are links in the shownotes, and there will be images on the accompanying blog post, so do check that out too.We talk about the history of the library and how it got some of its collections such as the Elizabeth David collection, but also some of the lesser known ones such as the Robert Miller collection, the splendiferous feast put on for James I by the Merchant Tailors, the importance of the author’s voice when it comes to writing popular cookery books, Hannah Glasse’s sauerkraut, and Elizabeth David’s Fanny Cradock avoidance techniques, amongst many other things.Those listening to the secret podcast get some bonus material where we discuss the Hannah Glasse recipes that don’t work, the Worshipful Company of Brewers, poisonous pears in pewter pots and more.The Guildhall LibraryInsatiable Appetites, Eating Out in Georgian London by Peter RossPeter will be at the Chalke History Festival on 27 June 2024 talking about Georgian FeastingAccompanying blog post on British Food: A HistorySeason 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 podcastIf 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 episodeThe Guildhall Library CollectionsThe Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah GlasseThe Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digby kt. OpenedChoice and experimented receipts in physick and chirurgery by Kenelm DigbyLi tre trattati on Abebooks for a mere £12,500A Creative List of Meat Carving Terms from the Middle AgesPrevious pertinent podcast episodesEating Out in Georgian London with Peter RossFanny Cradock with Kevin GeddesEarly Television Cookbooks and Tie-ins with Kevin GeddesThe English Table with Jill Norman50 Years of 'English Food' by Jane Grigson with Sam Bilton, Annie Gray, Ivan Day & Jill Norman18th Century Female Cookery Writers with the Delicious Legacy PodcastPrevious pertinent blog postsCharles Darwin and the OwlNeil’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 HousekeeperA Dark History of SugarKnead to Know: a History of BakingThe Philosophy of PuddingsDon’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 neil@britishfoodhistory.com, 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/britishfoodhistoryThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
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    42 mins
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All stars
Most relevant
Erudite without being heavy going. Not rambling or long winded. Packed with interesting information from unsung experts, interviewed with Neil’s light touch.

Fascinating and entertaining

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Entertaining and informative as always. Looking forward to the next series, can't wait to see what's cooking!

Entertaining and informative as always.

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Neil has a lovely friendly warm voice to listen to. Engaging topics every time, he certainly knows his stuffing! Wonderful!

Treacle sponge to black pudding, who could ask for more!

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