In this unique and fascinating book Peter Hammond examines the extraordinary range of food which found its way onto the tables of medieval English society, its production and distribution. Although bread, ale, meat and fish were staples, fish often came from as far away as Iceland, and as early as 1480 over 100,000 oranges were being imported to augment the English diet. Every aspect of medieval food is described here from hunting, fish-breeding, brewing and baking to hygiene, storage and the way in which the food supply of a large household was organised.

The nutritional value of the food is evaluated in order to consider how well fed the people were, and there are details of the elaborate regulations that existed on the serving of food in great households. The book concludes with an examination of medieval feasts, such as that held at York on 26 December 1251, which took six months to prepare and saw the consumption of no fewer than than 68,500 loaves of bread, 170 boars and 25,000 gallons of wine. Firmly based on archaeological and documentary evidence, this book provides a fascinating introduction to a vital but often neglected topic of medieval life.

About the Author
Peter Hammond is the author/co-editor of many books on medieval history, including The Coronation of Richard III and The Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury. He is also the editor of The Complete Peerage Vol. XIV.


Book Information
ISBN 9780750937733
Author Peter Hammond
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint The History Press Ltd
Publisher The History Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 190g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 127mm * 10mm