December 27th, 1675: A Royal Proclamation orders the closure of all coffee houses in London because they are seen as hotbeds of...

Origins Exactly how and when coffee was discovered is uncertain. A legend of its stimulating effects being identified in Ethiopia is...

The humble sausage The humble sausage is popular the world over with many nations and individual regions having their own characteristic...

During a recent cookery demonstration at Berkhamsted Castle we were chatting to some visitors about the background and history of the...

The Lemon (Citrus limon) is a species of small evergreen tree in the flowering plant family Rutaceae. Believed to be native to South...

The motte-and-bailey castle in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, was built to control a key route between London and the Midlands as part of...

'Military Odyssey' is one of the largest multi-period re-enactment shows in the country. With over 4,000 re-enactors and living history...

"The ACCOMPLISHT COOK, or, The whole Art and Mystery of COOKERY, fitted for all Degrees and Qualities" was first published in London in...

In Britain, many of the foods we eat today, and perhaps take for granted, were actually introduced from further afield during the Roman...

For some reason it is often stated on popular television programmes that Mediæval Europeans drank lots of wine, ale or beer all day,...

Today marks the 457th birthday of William Shakespeare (1564-1616). As he is famously thought to have been born and died on the same date,...

The first thing to note is that what people ate was heavily dependent on where they lived and at what time. For example, Europe covers a...

The popular representation of Roman dining is that of reclining on benches enjoying a buffet style meal. This image, however, only really...

It may be reassuring to know that the wine gods continue to flourish. While many narcotics are now illegal, the Roman god of wine Bacchus...

In 'Kitchenalia' we introduce objects from different historical periods, discover a bit about their history and find out how each was...

Most people are probably familiar with a pestle and mortar. They come in many different guises: board-like, bowl-shaped or, more...

In 'Kitchenalia' we introduce objects from different historical periods, discover a bit about their history and find out how each was...

Silphium may have looked unimpressive, with stout roots, stumpy leaves and bunches of small yellow flowers, but it was much prized in the...

Although synonymous with Christmas, the tradition of wassailing, typically celebrated on Twelfth Night (variously January 5th or 6th),...

Some friends of ours made some sweet chestnut flour and, knowing that our first passion is for Roman history, asked us for some Roman...