At Christmas We Feast

by Annie Gray

'A joy to immerse oneself in' Andi Oliver

'In the field of food history, Annie Gray leads the pack' Jay Rayner

For many people Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a turkey and trimmings, pudding and brandy butter. And yet it wasn't always that way. Gone are the gluttonous banquets featuring boar's head and brawn - but how did we get to the Christmas food of today?

Historian Annie Gray digs into the evolution of our festive meal, from the birth of the twelve-day celebration under Edward I and the the restoration of holiday splendour under Victoria to the present day. Organised by festive dish and illustrated throughout, At Christmas We Feast is a delectable trip through time - stuffed full of classic recipes, doused with history and tradition, and sprinkled with the joy of the feasts of Christmas past.

Genres: Christmas, Nonfiction, History, Food, Food History, Cooking, British Literature

256 pages, Paperback

Published November 3, 2022

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun final nonfiction book of the year! I love food history and Annie Gray combines humor with excellent research in such an engaging way. I have several more of her books on my wishlist that I am eager to read. At the end of each chapter about a different aspect of the English (mostly) Christmas feast, she includes a historic recipe (and sometimes a menu!). These were so funny to read--obviously so much of our cooking nowadays is very shaped by our access to electricity, supermarkets, etc. This makes historic recipes quite something--the proportions are wild too since these recipes would often be made for wealthy families with a big kitchen staff. I loved learning about the elements of English Christmas cooking too since I often come across such food in novels, but it's very different from my experience as a (mostly) 21st century American.

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight that shows with humour and enthusiasm a great deal about the British Christmas menu. The various shifts in fashion over what we eat and what hasn't really changed. (A love of big eating.) There are some fascinating antique recipes and some given a slightly more modern touch to make it feasible to play about with things.

[Mitch Karunaratne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really enjoyable - full of little facts, micro histories and the tracing backwards of traditions my family have held for so long! We always think we're the first - but free range Turkeys emerged in 1751 and the Terry's Chocolate Orange has been tapped and unwrapped since 1936! It felt a bit rushed in places - I almost wanted a whole book on each chapter. 400 years of history in a few paragraphs wasn't very satisfying at times. But as an overview it was fab - and has given me lots to share in dinner conversation on the 25th!

[Ellena Downes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Annie Gray, she is one of the best food writers around. This book was really entertaining and the recipes look really intriguing. Was a great read up to the festive season

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

generally pleasant and interesting (the asides about the plagiarism between cookbook authors were the best parts) but a bit sickeningly 'good ol' blighty eh wot'. I did get a lot of enjoyment out of telling everyone that pudding was originally served with roast beef.

I could put up with the English twee until the description of the Irish famine as a 'killer over-reliance' on potatoes. how is this narrative still worming its way into books? I know it's intended to be a light book about Christmas but if you're going to go there...

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun and completely upended my beliefs on Christmas food.

[Seamus · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I thought would be a fun festive read turned out to be an excellent history of food in Britain, and a thoughtful meditation on the role of class and gender in the biggest meal of the year. It also made me homesick and prompted me to cook a Christmas dinner on New Year’s Day.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Brilliantly written, easy to ready, and learnt a lot. I think I'll be trying some of the older recipes next year!

[liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

a sharp, witty deep dive of british christmas food lore, though i was personally wounded to learn parsnips were once the culinary sign of utter desperation - apparently i've been joyfully eating my way through rock bottom

[Vivienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who knew that Christmas food traditions could be made so interesting?! Now I'm not a cook, but I am, like most of us I suppose, a fan of eating, and, while I admit to not reading every recipe in this book in absolute detail, I was fascinated to read about the changing (and sometimes not-so-changing) traditions of Christmas food through the centuries.
While this book reads in what I would call a jolly and quite light-hearted way, with an amusing tone, in fact, it is quite an academic work. Annie Gray has clearly done endless hours of research (there are page upon page of references and notes) and has produced a book which is both entertaining, informative and, presumably, accurate.
I would not say that it caused me to saliva over prospective Christmas recipes (although I do like mince pies and, what I refer to as a Christmas pudding) as many of the culinary offerings presented were less than appealing (no matter how much time and effort they involved!)
In the end, I really liked Annie's suggestion that, at Christmas, as, I would add, at any other time, we should just eat what we like!***

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a bit of a nerd about food history, but even if you weren’t, this treasure of a book is utterly *ahem* digestible. With short chapters discussing each element of a traditional English Christmas, broken up with festive menus and genuine old recipes, it’s a book that can be picked up and put down, or binged in one sitting, without losing any value.

I will say that it focuses specifically on English festivities; plum pudding and mince pies are discussed at length. As an English person, I was fine with this, and it may well be an attracting factor for anglophiles, but for a global audience the scope may feel a little limited.
HOWEVER, it’s history after all! There’s so much to cover, you have to limit scope in order to actually find any detail worthy of one’s time. Especially so when it comes to gastronomical and sociological history - humanity has always eaten, and each social strata and culture has eaten differently.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and will definitely crack it out in December to try some of the historic recipes!

[Danielle Lade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book for Christmas & absolutely devoured it (pun intended) my family & I having read a few winter time history books are currently embracing the 12 days of Christmas (mostly meaning, continued snacking & hiding from the outside world as much as possible as we can get away with), so this was an ideal companion. I learn so much & definitely interrupted my husbands playing of Assassins Creed by outbursts, ‘oh my god did you know…’. I will also be referring to myself as the whore of Babylon everytime I eat a mince pie, as a little nod to the pilgrims. Really enjoyed this book, and will definitely be re-reading each Christmas time.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lovely book about the foods associated with British Christmas is smart, well written, and immensely funny, as well as thoroughly researched, which comes as no surprise for something from Annie Gray, who really is one of the best food history folks out there. If there’s someone in your life who loves Christmas and is a bit of an Anglophile, this should be their early Christmas present (early so as not to deprive them of the fun of reading it during the Christmas season).

[Alex Doenau · Rating 3 out of 5]

A theoretically interesting examination of English Christmas food traditions over the centuries, which is never quite as lush as it promises to be. A truly horrifying cover masks the fact that you might learn a few things, and it effectively works to re-contextualise and explain certain elements of that perennial classic, A Christmas Carol.

[Sinead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Thought it was so fascinating to see how Christmas food has evolved (and stayed the same) over the centuries. Some great recipes to try as well. Full of historical information without being academic, fantastic read!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 star but not for me. I picked this up on a whim as I try to read a Christmassy non fiction book over the festive period. The content is great if you like food history however I have found reading this that it's not for me.

[Tansy Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting historical overview (with recipes!) that provides a chronology for British Christmas traditions surrounding the dinner table and associated snacks. Easy to read and enjoyable with short, thoughtful chapters.

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

so cool i literally have so many facts to tell ppl and i love Christmas and i got to eat gingerbread right after reading the gingerbread chapter (unexpected treat - extremely exciting!) and now i have told all my cool art friends all my cool facts and my street cred has gone up like loads :)

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

finally admitting defeat with a dnf.

i did like this book, food history is not something i’ve really ventured into before, but it did take me a while to get through.

i got about halfway through this book and now it’s past christmas. i’ll pick up where i left off next christmas.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

At Christmas We Feast is an entertaining and enjoyable exploration of the history and traditions of festive food in Britain. With wit and warmth, Annie Gray traces the evolution of iconic dishes like mince pies and plum pudding, linking past customs to modern celebrations.

Rich with anecdotes and historical insight, and with plenty of Yuletide recipes, some of which I might make, some, like brawn that I definitely won’t (!), the book is perfect whether you're a history enthusiast, a foodie, or simply someone who loves Christmas. This book is an interesting and satisfying read that captures the spirit of festive feasting through the ages.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A joyful book about a joyous topic written in a highly enjoyable manner. As you might guess, this book is a joy to read.

[Pamela Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and research supported book about the popular culinary history of England's Christmas table!

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read about the food we associate with Christmas and its historical significance. I look forward to reading more food history books in the future.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved how chatty and funny it was! Very informative but made me want to eat Christmas diner 10 times over!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book, it's full of Christmassiness and it made me hungry!

[Matilda Stannard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really entertaining and insightful read. Annie Gray's writing is so engaging, really bringing to life winter food through the ages.

[Denise Gossow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book and Annie Gray is an engaging author.

[Sophie Amalya]

An interesting and festive dive back into the past of Christmas food traditions and British festive cheer 💓🦃🍻

[Laura Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Christmas. I love food writing. And I love eating. This was always going to be a winner!

[Ann Moorhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, entertaining book which is well researched and beautifully written