The British Food History Podcast

The British Food History Podcast will return in April 2026!
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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.

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Welcome to the second of a two-part special all about Burns Night.
Burns Night, celebrated on Robert Burns’ birthday, 25th January, is a worldwide phenomenon and I wanted to make a couple of episodes focussing upon the night, the haggis, but also the other foods links regarding Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns.
So, if you’re readying yourself for a Burns supper, I hope this episode gets you even more into the celebratory spirit. If you’re not marking Burns Night – well, hopefully after listening to this, you will be inspired to get yourself some haggis, neeps, tatties and a dram of whisky. Hopefully, a Man O'Words single malt from the excellent Annandale Distillery – why, well, you will find out very soon.
Today’s episode is a jam-packed one where I speak with three guests all about Robert Burns and his links with Dumfriesshire, Southwest Scotland. First of all I speak with Jane Brown, Honorary President of the Robert Burns World Federation, and ex-manager of The Globe, Robert Burns’s favourite haunt when he lived in Dumfries during the last eight years of his life. Jane has attended and spoken at many Burns Nights all over the world, so there's no one better to talk about with Burns’s life which had several links with food and drink: there’s Burns Night and the Address to a Haggis, his time as an exciseman and as a farmer, and his time at the Globe. Then there’s the Globe itself and all of the precious artefacts contained within it that have been painstakingly conserved by owners Teresa Church and David Thomson.
David and Teresa also own the Annandale Distillery, which produces a delicious and unique single malt whisky. It’s available unpeated and called Man O’Words, after Robert Burns, and the other is peated and called Man O’Sword, after the other local historical figure associated with Dumfries, Robert the Bruce. Like the Globe, the old distillery was saved, beautifully conserved and brought back to life by David and Teresa.
In today’s episode we talk about Burns’s before and after graces, Burns’s penchant for scratching poetry on windows, the importance of cask size on the flavour of whisky, and just what exactly possessed David and Teresa to buy the Globe and a falling-down distillery – amongst many other things.
The Globe Inn website
Annandale Distillery website
The Robert Burns World Federation
Follow 1610 at the Globe on social media: Instagram @theglobeinn1610; Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theglobeinn/?locale=en_GB; X @The GlobeInn1610
Follow Annandale Distillery on social media: Instagram: @annandale_distillery; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annandaledistillery/?locale=en_GB; X: @AnnandaleDstlry
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.

This episode was mixed and engineered by Thomas Ntinas of the Delicious Legacy podcast.

Things mentioned in today’s episode
Article: Local whisky maker hailed for its 'world class' and 'immaculate' malt at top awards. From in-Cumbria
Annandale Distillery on Visit Scotland website
MMR website (David and Teresa’s day job!)
The Burns House Museum
David’s article about the importance of cask size when maturing whisky
My ‘Taste of Britain’ series in Countrylife Magazine
Robert the Bruce
My upcoming online talk with Paul Crane as part of the Museum of Royal Worcester’s Winter Talk series on 4 March at 6pm

Previous pertinent blog posts
Chicken Balmoral
Previous pertinent podcast episodes
Haggis and the First Burns Suppers with Jennie Hood
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

Welcome to the first of a two-part special all about Burns Night.
Burns Night, celebrated on Robert Burns’ birthday, 25th January, is a worldwide phenomenon and I wanted to make a couple of episodes focussing upon the night, the haggis, but also the other foods links regarding Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns.
Burns was born in Alloway, Ayrshire on 25 January 1759 and he died in Dumfries on 21 July 1796 at just 37 years old.
My guest today is food historian Jennie Hood, who has written an excellent article for the most recent edition of food history journal Petit Propos Culinares, entitled ‘A History of Haggis and the Burns Night Tradition’, so she is the perfect person to speak with on this topic.
Jennie Hood hails from Ayrshire, just like Robert Burns, and we talk about the origin of Burns Night, but we also talk about the medieval origins of the most important food item on the Burns supper plate – the haggis.
Things covered include the first English recipes for haggis, what makes a haggis a haggis (not as easy a thing as you might expect), Burns’s poem Address to a Haggis and what it tells us about haggises in Burns’s day and how the first Burns suppers started and gained such popularity, amongst many other things.
Follow Jennie on social media: Threads/Instagram @medievalfoodwithjennie; Bluesky @medievalfoodjennie.bsky.social; Facebook https://www.facebook.com/medievalfoodwithjennie
Company of St Margaret, Jennie’s late medieval and renaissance re-enactment group
Issue 133 of Petits Propos Culinaires
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.
This episode was mixed and engineered by Thomas Ntinas of the Delicious Legacy podcast.
Things mentioned in today’s episode
Harlean MS 279
Liber Cure Cocorum
The Good Housewife’s Jewel by Thomas Dawson
The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse (‘Haggas’ recipe p.291)
The Robert Burns World Federation
Address to a Haggis by Robert Burns
Suzanne MacIver’s recipe for haggis
Ivan Day’s recipe for hack pudding
The Philosophy of Puddings by Neil Buttery
BBC Countryfile January 2026 edition
Royal Births, Marriages & Deaths website (Channel 5)

Previous pertinent blog posts
Lamb’s Head with Brain Sauce (from Neil Cooks Grigson)
My review of the year post
Nesselrode Pudding
Turkey & Hazelnut Soup
Lambswool

Previous pertinent podcast episodes
The Philosophy of Puddings with Neil Buttery, Peter Gilchrist & Lindsay Middleton

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

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 couple of 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 website: Keeping Food Traditions Alive with Tom Parker Bowles, which was recorded live at the Serve it Forth Food History Festival on 18 October.
Remember: Fruit Pig are sponsoring the 9th season of the podcast. Visit their website www.fruitpig.co.uk to learn more about them, their journey, to find your local stockist and access their online shop.

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.

This episode was mixed and engineered by Thomas Ntinas of the Delicious Legacy podcast.

The accompanying blog post with images

Things mentioned in today’s episode
Book your place at the Serve it Forth Spooky Christmas Special on 11th of December
BBC article World black pudding championship throwers take aim
Linny’s Kitchen Facebook page
The Ginger Pig
Billingsgate Market
BBC article about the Denby Dale pie play
The seaside town of Morecombe

Books discussed or mentioned in today’s episode
Bilton, S. Fool’s Gold: A History of British Saffron. (Prospect Books, 2022).
Thomas, J. & Schultz, C. How to Mix Drinks, Or, The Bon-Vivant’s Companion. (Dick & Fitzgerald, 1862).
Bilton, S. Much Ado About Cooking: Delicious Shakespearean Feasts for Every Occasion. (Headline, 2025)
Buttery, N. Knead to Know: A History of Baking. (Icon Books, 2024).

Previous pertinent podcast episodes
Black & White Pudding with Matthew Cockin & Grant Harper
Derbyshire Oatcakes with Mark Dawson
Welsh Sheep & Cattle with Carwyn Graves
Housekeepers & Butlers with Peter Brears
Subversive Feasting in Medieval King & Common Tales with Mark Truesdale
Shakespearean Food & Drink with Sam Bilton
Cooking English Food with Nicola Aldren, Simone Blogg and Anthea Craig
Sam Bilton & Neil Buttery Talk Tripe

Previous pertinent blog posts
Blood Ice Cream
Cheese and Leek (or Onion) Pie

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

My guest on The British Food History Podcast today food historian and friend of the show Sam Bilton, podcaster and author of Much Ado About Cooking Delicious Shakespearean Feasts for Every Occasion, published by Headline and commissioned by Shakespeare’s Globe.
It was, of course, a great opportunity to talk about the food of Shakespearean England as well as the food and drink references in Shakespeare’s plays, and what they meant to those watching the plays at the time they were first performed.
We talked about lots of cookery manuscripts, the importance of keeping historical recipes relevant, capons, Early Modern bread and greedy Falstaff’s sack, amongst many other things.
Those listening to the secret podcast can hear about horrible, sweet spinach tarts, Early Modern cakes, possets and more!

Much Ado About Cooking by Sam Bilton
Sam’s website
Follow Sam on BlueSky, Insta and Threads @mrssbilton
Comfortably Hungry
Ais for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink
Remember: Fruit Pig are sponsoring the 9th season of the podcast. Visit their website www.fruitpig.co.uk to learn more about them, their journey, to find your local stockist and access their online shop.

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.

This episode was mixed and engineered by Thomas Ntinas of the Delicious Legacy podcast.

Things mentioned in today’s episode
The Globe Theatre
Who is Falstaff?

Books discussed or mentioned and further reading
First Catch Your Gingerbread by Sam Bilton
Knead to Know: A History of Baking by Neil Buttery
A Dark History of Sugar by Neil Buttery
English Bread & Yeast Cookery by Elizabeth David
The Good Housewife’s Jewel by Thomas Dawson
The English Housewife by Gervase Markham
The Scot’s Kitchen by F. Marion McNeill
Delightes for ladies by Sir High Platt
Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book by Hilary Spurling

Previous pertinent blog posts
Boiled Capon with Sugar Peas
Tudor Salmon en Croute
Manchets and Payndemayn

Previous pertinent podcast episodes
A Rare Early Modern Cheese Manuscript with Alex Bamji
A Tudor Christmas with Brigitte Webster
Tudor Cooking & Cuisine with Brigitte Webster

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