Essays

Bubble and Squeak: A WW2 History During the Second World War, Germany sunk thousands of British ships. These ships weren’t warships. They were shipping vessels carrying food and other supplies. As an island Britain is safe from land invasion. But the nation also depended on imported goods from the sea. The Germans knew this and […]

Cheese: A Brief History One day around 10,000 years ago, a farmer left a pail of milk lying in their field. Throughout the day, the scorching sun beat down on the milk. When the farmer rediscovered it, they found it had formed curds. The milk had soured. The farmer discovered cheese. It was an invaluable

The Saveloy Dip: An Awkward WW1 History In May 1915, the British government seized Friedrich Wiegand, shipped him to the Isle of Man and locked him up in a detention centre. Alone and separated from his daughter and pregnant wife, the man had committed no crime that he knew of. 16 years prior, Wiegand had

Henderson’s Relish: A History of a Sheffield Classic During a recent trip to Sheffield, I stopped for lunch on the boulevard outside the Howst Cafe. The waitress and I began to discuss regional foods in the area — Yorkshire puddings, fat rascals and Wensleydale cheese. But, you can find those anywhere in Yorkshire. So I

Steak and Ale Pie: A Football-infused History In 1894 the aptly-named William “Fatty” Foulke stepped onto the football pitch brandishing the red-and-white stripes of Sheffield United. Though Foulke weighed over 300lbs, we know little about his diet. It seemed the fans had an inkling, though, as they barraged the goalkeeper with a chant that would

Beef Wellington: A Legendary Napoleonic History There are few words capable of evoking as much national pride in the British as Waterloo. The term is almost synonymous with nationalism in the UK. How did this come to be? Napoleon Bonaparte, hated by the rest of the European powers, had ruled Europe as Emperor of France

Yorkshire Puddings: A History of Britain’s Famous Side Dish Four-inches tall, half an inch thick. These are the traits of a true Yorkshire Pudding according to “science.” The roast beef side-dish, a milk, egg and flour batter baked to a crisp, exemplifies the stereotypical British allure to bland food. We love it so much that

Scotch Egg: A History of a Once Gourmet Meal Royalty is the last thing you’d associate with scotch eggs. But the hard-boiled egg encased in fried sausage meat hasn’t always had a reputation as a cheap snack. Fortnum & Mason, the Royal Grocer, claim they invented the snack in 1738 for aristocrats travelling from Piccadilly.

Pease Pudding: A Delicious Pea-and-Pudding-less History If you were searching for a vegan-friendly product, the butchers would be the last place you’d go. But that’s not the case with pease pudding. The butchers is the best place to source this legendary North East condiment. The light yellow paste, sometimes referred to as “Geordie Hummus”, may

Eton Mess: An Intriguing and Messy History of Rivalry Misfortune can spur innovation. During an annual cricket match between rivals Eton and Harrow in the 1930s, an unexpected event occurred. According to the legend, a dog accidentally crushed a pavlova. The organisers served resulting “mess” of strawberry, whipped cream and meringue anyway, and thus the

Stotties: A History of Newcastle’s Famous Bread Mohammed Ali, widely considered the world’s greatest boxer, shocked the entire country when he arrived in the North East for a 4-day visit to help raise money for a local boys boxing club. How did the champion spend his time on Tyneside? He paraded in an open-top bus,

Panhaggerty: A History of a Bold North-East Classic Panhaggerty is the quintessential peasant dish: a one-pot bake of sliced potatoes layered with sautéed onions, British cheese and heaps of butter. The potato base and top of the dish are typically fried on both sides and served from a cast-iron pan. The dish originated in the