British Food throughout the ages

The Romans AD 43 – AD 410

The facts The Romans ate a varied diet consisting of vegetables, meat and fish. The poorest Romans ate quite simple meals, but the rich were used to eating a wide range of dishes using produce from all over the Roman Empire. Bread was a staple part of the Roman diet. Three grades of bread were made, and only rich ate refined white bread. The Romans kept animals for their meat. The rich ate beef, pork, wild boar, venison, hare, guinea fowl, pheasant, chicken, geese, peacock, duck, and even dormice (served with honey)

Roman Food! The rich ate meat like venison They drank watered down wine for every meal. The Romans ate food that they could grow themselves such as vegetables. Calda was warm water and wine laced with spices

The Vikings 1016 – 1042

Viking food There was salted fish and pork, goat and plenty of fresh bread. For dessert the Vikings ate fresh fruit and a little honey on buttered bread. Beer was drunk as well as mead, a beverage made from honey. Horsemeat was spitted and roasted rather like a kebab.

The Middle Ages 1066 – 1485

The Middle Ages Most people in Medieval England had to make their own food. Food shops were found in towns but most people were peasants who lived in villages where these did not exist. Drink should have meant water which was free from rivers but usually water was far too dirty to drink. Most people in Medieval England ate bread. However, only the richer farmers and lords in villages were able to grow the wheat needed to make white bread. Wheat could only be grown in soil that had received generous amounts of manure, so peasants usually grew rye and barley instead. Rye and barley produced a dark, heavy bread. Maslin bread was made from a mixture of rye and wheat flour. After a poor harvest, when grain was in short supply, people were forced to include beans, peas and even acorns in their bread. Lords of the manor, did not allow peasants on his land to bake their bread in their own homes. All peasants had to pay to use the lord’s oven. There was a big difference between the diet of the rich and the peasants

Peasant Food Breakfast was eaten at sunrise. It would consist on dark bread (probably made of rye) with ale to drink. Lunch was what we would call a “ploughman’s lunch” as it was eaten in the fields where the peasant was working. He would have dark bread and cheese. If he was lucky, he might have some meat. He would carry a flask of ale to drink. He would have this meal at about 11 to 12 o’clock. Supper would be eaten towards sunset, so this would vary with the seasons. The main meal was vegetable pottage. Again, if the family was lucky there might be some meat or fish to go round. Bread would be available and ale.

Rich Food Breakfast was eaten between 6 and 7 in the morning. It was a leisurely affair. A lord might have white bread; three meat dishes; three fish dishes (more fish on a saint’s day) and wine or ale to drink. Lunch was eaten between 11 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. A lord would usually have three courses but each course might have between four to six dishes in it! There would be meat and fish on offer with wine and ale. It is likely that only small parts from each dish were eaten with the rest meant to be thrown away –  though the lord’s kitchen workers and servants might be able to help themselves if the lord was not looking! Supper was eaten between 6 and 7 in the evening. It would be very similar to the dinner but with slightly more unusual dishes such as pigeon pie, woodcock and sturgeon. Wine and ale would also be available.

The Tudor Age 1485 – 1603

The Tudors The Tudor age was similar to the Medieval Age in that there was a great divide between rich and poor. The poor ate soups and would be very lucky to even get a scrap of meat. The rich ate lavishly with all sorts of animal (including seals and porpoise) being consumed. Their lunches would take hours. The rich ate a diet of approximately 80% protein, but the introduction of salad from Spain meant that more fresh vegetables were eaten than before. The introduction of expensive sugar also meant that sugary dishes and desserts became very popular.

The Industrial Revolution 1780 -1837

The Industrial Revolution Lots of people moved out of the fields from farming and started working in factories instead. Women and children worked there too as there was no requirement for them to go to school. They worked all day, from sunrise to sunset, only having 30 minutes to eat quickly – usually porridge or oatcakes as it was cheap and filling. They no longer had access to their own fresh food from the farms and had to start to buy food from shops and bakeries – therefore they needed wages.

Breakfast : oat cake put into a can with boiled water and milk poured into it Dinner : potato pie with bits of bacon Supper : was the same as breakfast Some common food and drinks were: Oatcakes Porridge Bread and soups Mutton (cheap meat from old sheep) Bacon Potatoes Gruel (a thin soup made from oats or potatoes mixed with milk and water it was very cheap and filling) Apples, pears and berries depending on the season Beer (even children were allowed to drink it) Tea Some less popular food and drinks were : Water - it was polluted Milk and dairy products - expensive but a shortage led to rickets (It makes your bones go soft)

The Victorian Era 1837-1901

The Victorians Certain foods were incredibly popular which was partly down to how readily available they were. These were: Beef, mutton, pork, bacon, cheese, eggs, bread, potatoes, rice, oatmeal, milk, vegetables in season, flour, sugar, treacle, jam and tea. These foods would form a stable of most diets and would be a basis for most meals As before there was still a huge gap between the diets of the rich and the poor. The rich ate well due to the invention of the railways and steam boats as it meant new food could be imported. Farmers ate well as they had fresh produce and many city dwellers had to go to shops to buy what they could. The poorest children lived on potato peelings, rotten vegetables and beef fat. Towards the end of this era food from the British Empire was introduced such as curry from India and spices from the West Indies.

WWII Rationing 1939-1954

WWII Rationing On 8 January 1940, bacon, butter and sugar were rationed. This was followed by successive ration schemes for meat, tea, jam, biscuits, breakfast cereals, cheese, eggs, lard, milk and canned and dried fruit. Fresh vegetables and fruit were not rationed but supplies were limited. People had to limit what they ate and create new recipes with the items they had in stock

Modern Era 1954 -

Modern Era 9 years after the war rationing was lifted and food was in plentiful supply again. The war had meant that more people had travelled and tried new foods and immigrants from other Commonweath countries brought their own dishes. As fewer people worked on the farms, less fresh food was available and due to a lack of time in the full time workers, Britain’s taste started to change to convenience food and more exotic food…