Tag Archives: events

11/10/2025 · 4:38 pm

Serve it Forth Food History Festival: 1 week to go!

Hello everyone – I do hope you are all having a great weekend.

This is just a super-short post just to remind you that the first Serve it Forth Food History Festival is just one week away – it’s online and on Saturday 18 October!

We are all very thankful to the fantastic Netherton Foundry and Steenbergs Spices for sponsoring the day.

If you want to get hold of a ticket, visit the Eventbrite page, but remember to use the offer code SERVE25 at the checkout to get 25% off the ticket price.

So, come and join my and my cohosts – Sam Bilton, Thomas Ntinas and Alessandra Pino for an educational and fun day with guests such as Tudor food expert and author Brigitte Webster and food writer, journalist and author Tom Parker Bowles. Check out the full Bill of Fare here.

If you didn’t catch it, here’s a podcast episode we made to let you know more about the day, but also to get to know us all a little better.

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25/05/2025 · 1:13 pm

‘Knead to Know: A History of Baking’ talk now on YouTube

Hello everyone. I do hope your Bank Holiday Weekend is going swimmingly and that you are enjoying the sunshine (& showers!).

I have uploaded my ‘Knead to Know’ Zoom talk from September last year to my YouTube channel. I know there were several people who couldn’t make it on the night. It’s completely unedited except for the Q&A section at the end.

I talked about how I approached writing Knead to Know: A History of Baking by asking myself, “What is baking?”, a trickier and more philosophical question than you might think; the origins and history of the very first bakers; Early Medieval bread and bakers; Yorkshire Christmas Pyes; and the Denby Dale Pie.

I’ll be adding more content to my channel throughout the year, so please give it a follow if you are a YouTube user: click here to view and follow the channel.

Knead to Know: A History of Baking is published by Icon Books and is available from all good bookshops.

If you like the blogs and podcast I produce and would to start a £3 monthly subscription, or would like to treat me to virtual coffee or pint: follow this link for more information. Thank you.

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29/04/2025 · 4:35 pm

‘Monsters & Their Meals’ event with Alessandra Pino now on YouTube

Last Hallowe’en I hosted an online event with food historian and expert in Gothic food Alessandra Pino called Monsters and Their Meals. The discussion focused upon the function of food and drink in Gothic stories, Dracula and Frankenstein, stories that contain two of horror’s most iconic monsters. We also talked about the more subtle monsters and the food in Jane Eyre and Rebecca. To top everything off, we talked about some real-life grotesque foods from history that are stranger than fiction. I’ve just uploaded it to my YouTube channel for your viewing pleasure.

I hope you enjoy it. We hope to host another event this Hallowe’en, so watch this space for announcements. In the meantime, give the channel a follow, I’ll be adding more videos over the coming months.

If you like the blogs and podcast I produce and would to start a £3 monthly subscription, or would like to treat me to virtual coffee or pint: follow this link for more information. Thank you.

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14/11/2024 · 7:00 am

Two free talks this December (one online & one in person)

Hello there folks. A very quick post just to let you all know that I am giving two free talks this December.

The first is taking place at Manchester Central Library at 6pm on 5 December and is entitled The History of Pies & Puddings. Because it’s December I shall be looking at some festive examples but also a few other favourites. There will also be some of the library’s antiquarian cookery books to view as part of it. Book your spot here.

The second is a free Zoom talk on 17 December at 7pm (GMT) called The Philosophy of Puddings where I will look at the history of this very British food in the kitchen and in our culture. Will any of your favourites be mentioned? Book your spot here.

There are new events cropping up all of the time so make sure that you check the Upcoming Events tab regularly.

Looking forward to seeing some of you there!

If you like the blogs and podcast I produce and would to start a £3 monthly subscription, or would like to treat me to virtual coffee or pint: follow this link for more information. Thank you.

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09/05/2024 · 5:59 pm

An in-person event at the British Library, 25 May 2024: Tea & Revolution!

Hello everyone. A very quick post just to tell you about the in-person event at the British Library I am taking part in as part of the British Library’s Food Season Big Weekend 2024. I will be in conversation with historian and food expert Professor Nancy Siegal discussing ‘Revolution & Tea in the USA’.

It’s on Saturday 25 May 11.15 am at the British Library Piazza Pavilion, tickets £5/2.50 (barg!). There will be tea and there will be cake! Click here to book.

It would be great to see you there if you are in or around London on the 25th. You can also buy a weekend pass for the full weekend. See here for weekend passes.

More info from the website:

“Taste the past and find out how 18th century American women, armed with tea and cake, helped stoke a revolution. Nearly 300 years after the United States of America successfully freed itself from Britain, historian and food expert Professor Nancy Siegal moves beyond the battlefields and weapons to meet the women who harnessed the kitchen to champion freedom and American nationalism. Nancy will be in conversation with food historian Dr Neil Buttery. Tea and cake, made from original recipes, will be served. 

‘Morning Tea’ by Richard Houston (1758; British Museum)

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09/11/2023 · 7:04 pm

Free Zoom talk in collaboration with the Museum of Royal Worcester, 15 Nov 2023

Hello everyone. Just a very quick post to let you know that I am giving a talk as part of the Museum of Royal Worcester’s Winter Online Talk series. The title of my talk is ‘Navigating Nineteenth-century English Meals – changing manners and fashions explored through Worcester porcelain’.

The talk is free and can be viewed online via Zoom. It’s on 15 November 2023 at 6pm (UK time). Click here to book your place.

It’s been really fun writing it and looking through the museum’s collection to find some interesting specimens to show and tell.

I do hope you can make it.

I’ll be talking about this item, amongst many others, but what is it? Find out on 15 November! (pic: Museum of Royal Worcester)

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03/10/2023 · 5:39 pm

A Dark History of Sugar: online talk 26 October 7pm

Hello everyone!

After A Dark History of Sugar won Best First Book at the Guild of Food Writers Awards 2023 last month, I thought I would give a free online Zoom talk about the project and the history. I’ve given the talk several times, but I never did one via Zoom like I did with Before Mrs Beeton. Well, I am rectifying that with a talk on 26 October at 7pm (UK time), and I would really like it if you came. Like last time the tickets are available via Eventbrite.

The talk itself will be about 45 minutes long, but there will be plenty of time at the end for questions and general chat.

Since the last time I did a talk, both Zoom and Eventbrite have changed their packages and I can only offer 100 tickets for this event, so make sure you book quickly. Click this link to book via the Eventbrite website.

I’ll hopefully see you later this month!

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03/08/2023 · 5:21 pm

Three live in-person September events

Hello everyone, a quick message for any readers in, or around, Manchester, Ludlow and Chelsea this September because I am taking part in events in all of these places, and I thought you might be interested in attending:

I’ll be speaking at Manchester Central Library about Elizabeth Raffald. The event is called ‘Elizabeth Raffald – England’s Most Influential Housekeeper’, and not only will folk hear a talk about Elizabeth, but the library with be showing items from their Elizabeth Raffald archives – so something not be missed! The event is on 13 September 2023 at 6pm. Tickets are free but you do need to book. Click this link to book a ticket.

I will be at Ludlow Food Festival talking about Elizabeth Raffald, her achievements and her legacy. The talk is on 10 September at 2.30pm For more information, and to book a ticket, click on this link.

I am talking at Chelsea History Festival on the dark history of sugar on 29 September at 6pm. Tickets are £10/£8. Click here for more information to buy tickets.

I will also be selling and signing copies of my books, A Dark History of Sugar and Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper.

I do hope that you can come to one of these events – if you do, please and say hello!

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07/04/2023 · 1:03 pm

Elizabeth Raffald talk: 26 April 7PM (BST)

Hello folks!

I hope you are about to have a nice relaxing long Easter weekend. I’m just doing a very quick post to let you all know about a free Zoom talk I am giving on 26 April at 7pm (BST).

It is called The Extraordinary Life of Elizabeth Raffald, and over the course of about 45 minutes I’ll tell you about her remarkable achievements (in life AND death), as well as her dramatic rise and fall story. I’m leaving plenty of time afterwards for questions and discussion. I do hope that you can come.

You can order a free ticket to the Zoom talk via this Eventbrite link, or use the widget below.

Hopefully I shall see you soon.

Don’t forget that my book, Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper, is available to buy from all good bookshops, and (at time of writing) at a discounted rate from publisher Pen & Sword.

P.S. I am also doing a talk in Manchester on 14 May, but I’ll tell you about that in a week or so.

Register on Eventbrite

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07/04/2021 · 4:55 pm

‘A Bite of History’ Event Saturday 10th April 2021

Hello all – a very quick post to let you all know that this Saturday 10th April at noon (GMT) I’m taking part in a free event called ‘A Bite of History’. I’ll be in conversation with poet Dan Simpson and we’ll be discussing allsorts of things: food history and historical cooking, the evolution of our never-sated desire for sugar, the trials of running a restaurant and of course the blog. There’ll be a Q&A session too, so if you have any burning questions I shall do my best to answer them.

I’m also going to attempt a live cook spot – what could possibly go wrong!?

The event is part of the Inter-Action Book Club Cook Book Club which has been putting on free events throughout lockdown.

Hopefully see you there on the 10th of April.

Link to event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-bite-of-history-with-food-historian-neil-buttery-tickets-149301421571

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