Stuffed: A History of Good Food and Hard Times in Britain

by Pen Vogler

In times of plenty, we stuff ourselves. When the food runs out, we're stuffed too. How have people in the British Isles shared the riches from our fields, dairies, kitchens and seas, as well as those from around the world? And when the cupboard is bare, who steps up to the plate to feed the nation's hungry children, soldiers at war or families in crisis?

Stuffed tells the stories of the food and drink at the centre of social upheavals from prehistory to the present: the medieval inns boosted by the plague; the Enclosures that finished off the celebratory roast goose; the Victorian chemist searching for unadulterated mustard; the post-war supermarkets luring customers with strawberries. Drawing on cookbooks, literature and social records, Pen Vogler reveals how these turning points have led to today's extremes of plenty and want: roast beef and food banks; allotment-fresh vegetables and ultra-processed fillers.

It is a tale of feast and famine, and of the traditions, the ideas and the laws which have fed - or starved - the nation, but also of the yeasty magic of bread and ale, the thrill of sugary treats, the pies and puddings that punctuate the year, and why the British would give anything - even North America - for a nice cup of tea.

Genres: Food, History, Nonfiction, British Literature, Audiobook

579 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 2, 2023

Reviews

[mfmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting although a bit dense… I found Scoff way more engaging.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nogle fine historier fra GB gennem tiden, bogen er kreativt sat op (inddelt i madgrupper frem for kronologisk), men generelt er det bare en tung bog. Sprang lidt over hist og her, må jeg indrømme.

[Natasha den Dekker · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Scoff a few years ago, I knew that I had to read this with my bookclub.

While it's not as funny as Scoff, probably because it covers material from the 1300s onwards and ties it to the British disconnect from food and the impact on how we govern nutrition and diet in the UK. It's an absolute travesty that we don't learn this type of history in school tbh, enclosures, assizes etc but I guess I appreciate it more as an adult?! Her witty asides are EVERYTHING and if anything they're a little bit sharper than in Scoff and it's just very uniquely British IMO.

She covers a lot, which I can't summarise here, but having a deeper understanding of how the British obsession with the free market has shaped our literal food supply chain is bleak reading and how Marcus's Rashford's campaign during the campaign is nothing but a repeat of things that happened 100s of years ago is worrying because we haven't actually changed that much. There is also a lot of joy in learning about the origins of different food around the UK, i.e. where a Ploughman's comes from, our love of cheese, the deal with bread and bakers (they're pretty evil apparently) the absolute poor management of the UK in the interregnum (did Cromwell do anything good tho?!) Potatoes. A lot potato and pie chat. Why we're obsessed with meat in this country etc.

One of my fave chapters was about how a chef worked with Mary Seacole during one of the wars to ensure that everyone was fed appropriately and that was due to the army realising that malnutrition meant that soldiers from a lower class were literally shorter than their richer counterparts AND in other armies. It's absolute not a surprise that a lot of British policies are based on 'the other countries will laugh at us/are laughing at us'

It's not as class based as the previous book but more focussed on the role of government, the market and how it impacts food consumption. I definitely think if you're interested in understanding why we still haven't got a handle on food and tracing a path through British history this is definitely the book for you. (It's also a great read for sounded super cool at a gathering, and being able to be THAT person when you head to the pub etc).

[hélène]

A bit disjointed but lots of amazing stories are told and progressions observed!!!

[Niamh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very kindly given an advanced audiobook copy by W.F Howes Ltd and Netgalley.

I really enjoyed Scoff when I read it last April, but I do feel it was a situation of 'right book, right time'. Whilst Vogler's follow-up 'Stuffed' is jam-packed full of historical fact, intriguing origins of familiar foods and thoughtful analysis of how food and difficult times are inextricably linked, I found it all a little lifeless as I read. Perhaps it's the length, perhaps it's the denser chapters than the previous book. Nevertheless, it was an interesting read, but didn't quite gather my attention as 'Scoff' did previously.

'Stuffed' will be available from January 25th.

[Snoakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuffed is indeed stuffed with interesting facts about the history of the food we eat.

Rather than being organised chronologically, it is grouped by foodstuff, so there are chapters on goose, oatmeal, sugar and tea. Pen Vogler answers questions such as why we no longer eat goose for Christmas dinner. She doesn't quite get to the bottom of why as an island nation we eat so little fish, although apparently it dates back to the Mesolithic.

Stuffed is very interesting, but a little dry. Although I found it fascinating, it took me a really long time to get through it. Bookended with Pen's thoughts about state intervention and food policy, it's meaty stuff indeed.

[Ariel Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved Scoff but I really struggled to maintain focus on Stuffed at times. The later chapters are better (but maybe that’s because they cover more recent history which I personally find more interesting)…by the end I was forcing myself to finish it. Some interesting parts but overall a bit dry and there were far too many mentions of the ‘obesity epidemic’ and weight gain.

[Vicuña · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Pen Vogler’s book Scoffed and Stuffed is an engaging, informed and highly entertaining follow up. I believe Pen’s research and knowledge as a food historian is impeccable and she puts her learning to great use by writing books which are accessible for any reader.

She raises so many questions about things we take for granted daily. How and where is what we eat sourced? How are today’s supply chains and farming methods shaped by 15th century Enclosure legislation and practice? How and why is the government involved in our eating habit? The list is endless and each chapter examines a specific issue and raises numerous questions about food in Britain. In the last three or four decades, multinationals and supermarkets have clawed their way into the food chain. They have done so insidiously and have shaped a buying and eating market that suits the corporate culture. We no longer have a short chain of seasonal goods, grown and picked locally and sold fresh in markets and eaten fresh whilst packed with taste and flavour. Consumers have allowed this to happen by accepting the overpacked, over aged produce on supermarket shelves. EU regulations placed ridiculous controls on about size and shape.

The subject matter is extensive and complex but presented in a way that will appeal to anyone interested in food or social history. Class divisions are shaped by food and tables. Governments exert controls that should never have been allowed and individuals have forgotten how to choose and use food well. This book is one of the best non fiction titles of all time. I’d make it required reading in schools and open debates with youngsters to inform their choices in later life. It’s simply brilliant.

Narration throughout is excellent. Well paved and entirely in keeping with the content. I have Scoffed in hardback and will be buying this as a stunning

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following on from her previous book Scoff, Stuffed is equally as good. Well researched, how food and Englishness are intertwined. The power of food or how food is used as power, I'm not sure which. Victorian times when children were denied decent food by virtue of being a child. Has it improved? No England has more children living in poverty than ever before. How govt have to be pushed into feeding their children eg footballer Marcus Rashford embarrassed the govt into supplying children with school meals during the holidays. Times when food was good and wholesome, then the opposite. When foods were adulterated with life threatening additives to modern times with over processed foods where we have no idea what is being added. A look over a thousand years and I don't feel reassured that we have learned very much.
Recommended read.

[Oscar Pimlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this by Vogler. Similar to Scoff but with a focus more on the politics of the foods chosen and how they came to be in the limelight or forgotten; it was really interesting to find out about an area of food and politics I had never really considered or thought much about. Some of the sections were rather heavy and quite in-depth on the history, particularly anything medieval, however I think I struggled because of my own lack of historical knowledge, rather than the writing. Overall I really enjoyed it, and it was a very insightful read about many of my favourites bites to eat.

[Miranda YEUNG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stuffed by Pen Vogler
(Narrated by Emma Gregory)

A great book was presented by an awesome narrator! Perfect tone, great pace and fantastic intonation.

The book is about food culture and eating habit in the UK, back to hundred years ago up to present. An interesting, informative and educational book that I have never come across the topic.

This is a perfect book to those who like food and culture, and also health and history!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: Jan 15, 2024

[Frida von K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. I'm not entirely sure why as I love reading about food and also am interested in how people lived in the past, particularly intrigued by what their diet consisted of.

Maybe it was the language / writing style that just didn't engage with me. Perhaps I have gotten too used to humour or fun anecdotes to lighten things up at times in non-fiction texts.

Either way, it was very informative and I have a much better understanding of the history of food in this country.

[Nathalie Larsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 - in two minds about whether to round up or down. I like the idea / premise of history having important lessons for us when thinking about how to tackle UK food policy / crisis, but I felt the links and arguments could have been stronger. Plus a little more modern history would have been more interesting to me.

[Malcolm Balster · Rating 5 out of 5]

The historical side of this book is very informative. The lessons learned from adulteration of basic foodstuffs has been learned but she argues that the UPF of today mirrors those times. So, who's responsibility is it to ensure the poor are fed?

[Imogen Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting but extremely dense!

[Ulla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Well researched and written in an engaging style. Interesting parallels between past and present that never felt forced. Will definitely check out Vogler's other books.