Course overview

Discover the changes in our food with time: how it was cooked, how it was eaten, where it came from, and how it affected our society and language, from the early Stone Age to this century, with an emphasis on British history. Find out which of our table manners date back to the Middle Ages, and how some of the most up-to-date and expensive restaurants are re-inventing Stone Age techniques; what advice from the fourteenth century still holds good today, and which most certainly does not. Each session will include some adapted recipes that you may (or may not) wish to try for yourself.

Course description

The course starts with an overall timeline of the major changes in food technology and sources, then studies a few periods in depth starting with Roman and medieval, then going on to Victorian, and the World Wars. For each one, we look at where food came from, how social history affected food and vice versa, how it was served, and how food has affected our language, looking at original source documents wherever possible (no knowledge of their languages is expected, but you may learn a little Middle English as a result). On the way we will study some specific foods such as sugar, and the potato, find out the effects of “Britannia Rules the Waves”, look at how the really spectacular feast items were produced, and the various forms of evidence available to us and how they can be (mis-)nterpreted.

Some “recipes” were intended for health, and we will look at those and check to what extent they are actually healthy.

The final session will look at Lent and Easter food. Each session will normally end with a few recipes for you to try at home (and most of those on offer are vegetarian!)

What financial support is available?

We don't want anything to stand in your way when it comes to bringing Adult learning within reach so if you need anything to support you to achieve your goals then speak to one of our education experts during your enrolment journey. Most of our courses are government funded but if you don't qualify or need alternative financial help to access them then let us know.

What other support is available?

All of our digital content, teaching and learning activities and assessments are designed to be accessible so if you need any additional support you can discuss this with the education experts during your enrolment journey and we will do all we can to make sure you have optimal access.

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