Food & Drink

In our own times, issues of the sustainability of food production and equity of its distribution are hot topics. In this series of 14 talks, we explored how food was produced and consumed in the past by our Luminaries to help inform discussions on the future of food and drink.

Much food was produced locally; great houses such as Chiswick House and Fulham Palace had their own kitchen gardens and Alexander Pope boasted of the sources of his meat supply: ‘To Hounslow Heath I point, and Banstead-Down, / Thence comes your Mutton, and these chicks my own.’ Yet modern luxuries such as tea and coffee stretched supply chains around the globe. Wining and dining also provided hosts with opportunities to display their hospitality and particular taste through the choice of menu and table setting. This varied banquet of 14 talks thus also explored cultural dimensions of food and drink.

The series ran from 5 October to 17 November 2022.

“Watched the talk with my daughter. We really enjoyed it – so interesting with fun and interesting facts.”