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About the talk
This talk will explore the diet of the Bishop of London from the medieval period to the 19th century.
As one of the wealthiest and most powerful figures in the country, the Bishop had access to the best food and drink. As well as buying in food and wine, there was a farm, vegetable garden, orchard and brewery on the Palace site.
Some highlights of this talk will include the earliest turkey found in London (dating to the early 16th century), an example of the Bishop being able to buy the latest imports, and the exotic taste of the great plant collector Bishop Compton (1675-1713) – who liked to sprinkle chillies on his salads.
About the speaker
Alexis Haslam, community archaeologist, joined Fulham Palace Trust in May 2017. He holds a BA in History and is a Member of the Institute for Archaeologists. He began working in archaeology upon graduating in 2000, working his way up from a field technician to a project officer. He has directed and published numerous archaeological excavations including his most recent work ‘Tales from the Vaults and other Newington Horror Stories’. After 16 years he left Pre-Construct Archaeology to join Fulham Palace Trust and is currently working on writing up the Palace’s long and complex history for a monograph due to be published in 2024.