Why do so many people now eat out in England? Food and the culture surrounding how we consume it are high on everyone's agenda. England Eats Out is the ultimate book for a nation obsessed with food.

Today eating out is more than just getting fed; it is an expression of lifestyle. In the past it has been crucial to survival for the impoverished but a primary form of entertainment for the few. In the past, to eat outside the home for pleasure was mainly restricted to the wealthier classes when travelling or on holiday- there were clubs and pubs for men, but women did not normally eat in public places. Eating out came to all classes, to men, women and young people after World War Two as a result of rising standards of living, the growth of leisure and the emergence of new types of restaurants having wide popular appeal. England Eats Out explores these trends from the early nineteenth century to the present.
From chop-houses and railway food to haute cuisine, award winning author John Burnett takes the reader on a gastronomic tour of 170 years of eating out, covering food for princes and paupers.

Beautifully illustrated, England Eats Out covers highly topical subjects such as the history of fast food; the rise of the celebrity chef and the fascinating history of teashops, coffee houses, feasts and picnics.

We are now a nation obsessed with food and restaurants: 30% of what we spend on food goes on eating out. Newspapers are stuffed with reviews of new openings and glamour chefs. How did we get to the modern conranmania? What was the Victorian version of Jamie Oliver? How have the curry and the chinese fought it out in the modern city? 'England Eats Out' will tell you all this and much more.

About the Author
John Burnett is an expert on the social history of Britain. His many books include the major Plenty and Want (1989), Idle Hands (1996) and Liquid Pleasures (1999), which won the Andre Simon Prize for best drinks book of the year.

Reviews

'This book is a tour de force which reviews the development of not only restaurants, hotels, and cafes but also the many other eating places that have developed in England over the last 170 years. It is written in Professor Burnett's fluent, easily read style that has engaged his audience in so many books to date.'

Prof. Derek Oddy, University of Westminster, UK

"This book is in a class of it's own as far as I'm concerned,' wrote one juror. This is a serious read. What a lot of original research has gone into its writing. Properly academic books of this kind can be stuffy but not this one - it's brilliant, beautifully written and absolutely fascinating. A real contribution to our knowledge of our nation's past food culture."

Citation by the Guild of Food Writers Judging Panel on the presentation of the Michael Smith Award for Work on British Food

'...unites a love of food, a strong interest in restaurants, and his admirable skills as a social historian.'

S. Caunce, Cultural and Social History, 2006

Book Information
ISBN 9780582472662
Author John Burnett
Format Paperback
Page Count 380
Imprint Longman
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 720g