Taste: The Story of Britain through Its Cooking

by Kate Colquhoun

Written with a storyteller's flair and packed with astonishing facts, "Taste" is a sumptuous social history of Britain told through the development of its cooking. It encompasses royal feasts and street food, the skinning of eels and the making of strawberry jelly, mixing tales of culinary stars with those of the invisible hordes cooking in kitchens across the land. Beginning before Roman times, the book journeys through the ingredients, equipment, kitchens, feasts, fads, and famines of the British. It covers the piquancy of Norman cuisine, the influx of undreamed-of spices and new foods from the East and the New World, the Tudor pumpkin pie that journeyed with the founding fathers to become America's national dish, the austerity of rationing during World War II, and the birth of convenience foods and take-away, right up to the age of Nigella Lawson, Heston Blumenthal, and Jamie Oliver. The first trade book to tell the story of British cooking-which is, of course, the history that led up to American colonial cooking as well-"Taste" shows that kitchens are not only places of steam, oil, and sweat, but of politics, invention, cultural exchange, commerce, conflict, and play.

Genres: History, Food, Nonfiction, Food and Drink, Food History, Cookbooks, Cooking

508 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Kate Colquhoun is a biographer and historian. Her first book A Thing in Disguise: the visionary life of Joseph Paxton (Fourth Estate, 2003) was shortlisted for the Duff Cooper prize, nominated for the Samuel Johnson award and was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. Other books include Taste: the history of Britain through its cooking (Bloomsbury, 2007) and The Thrifty Cookbook: 476 Ways to eat well with leftovers (Bloomsbury, 2009).

Mr Briggs’ Hat (Little, Brown, 2011) was shortlisted for a Crime Writers’ Association silver dagger award, translated widely and filmed for BBC TV. Her next book Did She Kill Him? (Little, Brown 2014), investigates the story of Florence Maybrick, an American ingénue tried for the murder of her older cotton-broker husband James in Liverpool in 1889.

Kate reviews and writes widely for the national papers, particularly the Sunday Times and the Daily Telegraph. She helped to make The Truth about Food for Channel 4’s Dispatches series, and appears often on radio and TV. She particularly loved teaching Faber Academy’s narrative non-fiction course in 2011. For her next project, Kate will investigate gender equality around the world, asking ‘How Equal is Almost Equal?’ She lives in west London with her two sons.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

the beginning part was fascinating - reading about feasts that included dolphin and whale and the huge variety of insane food that was eaten in the middle ages. and i never really realized just how extensive rationing was during wwII. but the more recent the history, the less interesting and it felt as though the author herself was less interested in the modern chapters. which is understandable. Stuart-era dining habits are cooler t than those of the 1970s.

[Becka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful read for Anglophiles and foodies. It's a considered a reference book, so it may prove too dense for some readers, but it was worth it. It would help to already be familiar with some British dishes, as the author doesn't always explain what they are. Also, I couldn't read more than 10 pages or so without getting hungry - so bedtime reading may not be favorable.

[caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any book that offers a recipe for flamingo...

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am no chef. I most certainly do not read cookery books. But I found this most interesting. Perhaps, because I have not read anything like this before it captured my attention. If you read this, then read it alongside: ENGLSIH SOCIAL HISTORY by G.M. Trevelyan. How we lived coupled with what we eat, fantastic.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent microhistory, using England’s (surprisingly) changing menu to explore its history.

From Neolithic farmers’ proto-breads to today’s on-the-go worker’s take-out curry, England has seen the food on the table constantly evolving with new inventions and new imports.

We see here how the history of food is a much the history of immigration and out-of-the-box thinking as much as it is about what is available in the backyard, so to speak.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough examination of British food culture from Roman times too today ! Lots of interesting facts ! Struggled with it at times but worth it for an understanding

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very enjoyable, but I did have one problem: Pages that were nothing but endless lists of names of foods. I get what the author was going for, but after the 12th royal feast being described in minute detail, it gets really tiring. I feel like you could get your point across just as well without listing every single one of the 52 dishes included in the first course of this one feast.

Trim the fat and this is a fine book. I particularly liked that, unlike most books, it looked at both what the wealthy and the poor ate simultaneously and how food fashion trickled down between classes. But it really needs those enormous lists gutted; I can say with confidence that the book would lose nothing because after a while I literally just skipped those passages and my enjoyment (and understanding) of the book was not impacted at all.

[Wealhtheow · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely fantastic history of food in England, beginning in the Stone Age up through the ages as the British learned to cook and refine ingredients.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gift, and ended up being a fortuitous one. Not necessarily something I would have picked up on my own, but I found it quite good.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads #History of Food and Cuisine

Taste: The Story of Britain Through Its Cooking by Kate Colquhoun is a captivating exploration of British culinary history, weaving together food, culture, and society across centuries. Colquhoun takes readers on a journey that is part history lesson, part cultural commentary, and part culinary delight, showing that Britain’s relationship with food is far richer, more inventive, and more surprising than its reputation for bland fare might suggest.

From mediaeval feasts to modern-day pub meals, the book explores how geography, empire, trade, and social hierarchy shaped what people ate and how they ate it. Colquhoun’s narrative demonstrates that British cuisine is a reflection of broader historical currents: the influx of spices via colonial trade, the rise of coffeehouses, the evolution of social dining rituals, and the transformations brought by industrialisation and urbanisation.

Food becomes a lens for understanding Britain itself, offering insights into class, identity, and the shifting tastes of society.

A strength of the book lies in its storytelling. Colquhoun mixes historical scholarship with vivid anecdotes and lively descriptions, bringing the past to life. Readers encounter eccentric cooks, inventive recipes, and social customs that make each era feel tangible. For instance, the evolution of the Sunday roast reveals not just culinary preference but also social structure and family life, while the rise of fish and chips illuminates urban industrial culture. The book is peppered with such examples, making history both accessible and entertaining.

Colquhoun also pays attention to the technical and material aspects of cooking: ingredients, techniques, and kitchen tools are discussed in ways that reveal their historical significance. The book balances this practical detail with cultural analysis, showing how innovation in the kitchen reflected broader societal changes. The introduction of new ingredients, from spices to sugar to foreign vegetables, demonstrates Britain’s connectedness to the wider world and the ways culinary practices evolved in response to these connections.

The narrative does not shy away from complexity. Colquhoun addresses the interplay between social class and diet, illustrating how the wealthy often dictated culinary trends while working-class households adapted and improvised. She also explores regional diversity within Britain, highlighting the richness of local traditions and how these intersected with national tastes. Through these discussions, the book underscores that British cuisine cannot be reduced to clichés; it is dynamic, adaptive, and deeply intertwined with history.

Writing is another standout feature. Colquhoun’s prose is clear, engaging, and occasionally witty, making the text lively without sacrificing scholarly rigour. Anecdotes and vivid descriptions animate the historical narrative, and occasional asides on taste, texture, and flavour invite readers to engage their senses while reading.

Photographs, illustrations, and reproduced recipes further enhance the experience, offering visual context that complements the text.

Ultimately, Taste succeeds in showing that Britain’s culinary history is a story of adaptation, innovation, and identity. Colquhoun convincingly demonstrates that food is far more than sustenance; it is a cultural marker, a reflection of social norms, and a medium of historical insight. By the final page, readers are left with a newfound appreciation for British cooking, understanding that even the humblest dish carries a story of people, places, and time.

In sum, Kate Colquhoun delivers a rich, flavourful, and thoroughly enjoyable account of British culinary history. For anyone curious about the intersections of food, culture, and history, Taste is an essential read that entertains, educates, and inspires a deeper appreciation for the story behind every bite.

[Bryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very long, very detailed history of food in England -- yes, it says Britain, but it is really focused upon England. I found it interesting in places and very well done, but it is definitely a resource for researchers more than something that works as a book to read through. Colquhoun is a completist and she loves comma-separated lists, so when she talks about what vegetables the Elizabethans grew and ate it looks like this:

Cardoons stood sentinel in the beds beside cresses, colewort, summer savory, tansy, radishes, beets, cowcumbers and skirrets. William Harrison noted in his Description of England that even the poor were starting to grow melons, gourds, cucumbers, radishes, parsnips, carrots and turnips, yet these were also served as 'deintie dishes at the tables of delicate merchants, gentlemen and the nobilitie'.

This makes it the perfect book if one needs to know, for instance, whether or not a 14th century lady-in-waiting to Anne of Bohemia would have eaten rhubarb jam (probably not, rhubarb was considered medicinal until the 17th century), but not so pleasant for light reading -- after a few paragraphs of lists of vegetables (or fruits that were used in preserves, or meats that were considered worthy of being put into the new Spanish-style dish olla podrida) my eyes start to glaze over and I have to take a break, which is why I started this book in July and only finished it at the end of December.

[Aj · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 5-star resource on culinary history, but a 3-star read. I am deeply impressed with the research that went into creating a linear timeline of Britain’s culinary history. That said, this was an incredibly dry read. Still, there was a ton of info packed in here, so if you want that? 100% a book for you.

[Elizabeth Bridcut · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough treatment - I didn't quite realise what a tome this was (being an ebook) when I started but it's fascinating. I thought it was a bit rude of her to express horror at the idea of freezing pate sndwiches after barely turning a hair at all sorts of historical concoctions!! For the record freezing pate sandwiches works very well!!

[Shatterlings · Rating 5 out of 5]

An in-depth look at food through British history, some foods appeared much earlier than I thought they would like curry and salad cream. There’s a lot of stews and puddings, and we definitely ate a wider variety of fish and birds in the past. I found it fascinating.

[Ghada · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading up until it reached the 1900s.
Though the book was detailed on cooking, dining and domestic household chores it lacked visual references which in my opinion would have made it much more interesting specially when mentioning so much weird foods and produce.

[CharlotteReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed and fascinating look at history, the history of food and culture.

[Daphne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think I’m enough of a foodie to have properly appreciated this book. The history was fascinating, but the lists of ingredients and recipes were too numerous and repetitive for me.

[Dominic Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

History and food. What's not to love?

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Angela Lewis]

History of British gastronomy and the effects on it. A comprehensive guide with snippets of interesting facts.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - It took me a LONG time to finish this book, but it was worth the effort. I enjoyed reading about history through this lens.

[Sherry Mackay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative book. I enjoyed lots of it but struggled with the later chapters. It just didn't seem as interesting as the medieval ones for instance. There are many fascinating facts and stories about food and eating habits of the English and French (since they were intertwined). It is a great book just for delving into now and then if you can't take the time to read it all at once. It was amazing to find out that modern eating habits of 3 separate courses is a fairly modern invention. Also that sweets at the end of a meal is a modern idea too. Everything used to be chucked on the table at once and you ate whatever was in front of you. Too bad if you wanted a dish that was down the other end of the table! I think I prefer the modern way so I get a bit of everything. Some readers have bagged the food history book by Clarissa Dickson-wright but I liked both of these books, and would recommend clarissa's if you enjoyed this one.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit more than I'd planned on , but interesting nonetheless.

I picked it up for a refresher on TudorBethan and to fill in some detail on the Victorians, but I ended up reading most of it anyway. I found the section on rationing and the World Wars to be fascinatingly new.

It can be a bit "British" for American readers. I'm a Anglophile, but the author lost me for a bit while waxing rhapsodic over the scent of a freshly-boiled pudding and I'm still not entirely sure what Salad Cream is. The rise and fall of the vegetable and the increasing and decreasing fondness for "things in tins" was interesting to watch over the long haul.

The Modern (post 1950) section seemed a bit rushed, and spent a lot of time referencing well-known cookbooks and TV presenters that were utterly unfamiliar to me. But the more "historical" sections were both detailed and readable.

[Janine Skeoch · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting read if you love food and have an interest in the origins of cookery. I agree the first part was more fascinating than some of the later chapters. I can't believe some of the food that was consumed, and how elaborately it was presented. As for hygiene and safe cooking practices right up to relatively modern days ... well, many people must have become mighty sick, and possibly died! So much of the food, particularily varieties of "meat", we would never, ever, consider eating today.

So, all in all, an enjoyable read, although I did tend to skip over certain parts as some of it was quite repetitive. Would have been nice if there were more pictures too!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an English book written for an English audience. I'll admit that I didn't know many of the dishes and names mentioned, and can only assume that a typical Brit (or an Anglophile) would.

I found many surprises in here, one of which was how long ago "traditional" English cooking seemed to have ceased being popular, at least in the cities. I was also astonished, and saddened, at the plight of the poor during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and how little was done about their lack of sustenance.

[Jake Goretzki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched and with enough anecdote to feel like decent, leisurely social history. Can still feel rather 'one damn thing after another' (from sweet and savoury to savoury; from many ingredients to few ingredients; from heavy sauces to light sauces; from X court chef to Y).

I would have liked a bit more weight on the twentieth century (though nice to see Abigail's Party in there) - any account surely needs to mention George Bowling eating a sausage in 'Coming Up For Air'.

But enjoyable. NB I still don't understand why anyone can eat 'Sunday Roast' (which is frankly an abomination).

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an historical undertaking tracing the history of British cooking from the Neolithic to the present. Through this book I learned that food changes every few generations. The lost dishes of my youth are part of the historical cycle of constantly changing tastes and new ideas as to what constitutes a good meal. If you are an American as I am you may need a dictionary as the book is filled with Briticisms especially as to defining what is on the author's table. Very readable and very enjoyable.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep coming back to this book whenever I want something really interesting and thought-provoking to read! It's quite a hefty read but I've still managed it several times and would highly recommend it to any food/cookery geeks as it gives surprising insight into social history through the food that we ate and the methods in which we prepared it. Certainly some food for thought anyway (muahaha!).

[Deodand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like others who read this book, I occasionally had to close it and go get something to eat. There are some tasty-sound descriptions of food going back to British prehistory. Occasionally the book devolves into lists of types of food but Colquhoun does her best to keep it interesting. You can tell she enjoyed writing about the high-class Medieval tables of infamy with their double-digit courses.

I was surprised to learn how old are some of the everyday dishes we eat.

[Chrys · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoroughly diverting trawl through the history of Britain through food. The waves of invaders adding their spices, dishes and methods, the weird food fads, what the people of the time wrote about food and how it was prepared and eaten. Although chapters sometimes have the tendency to launch into long lists of food (sometimes hunger inducing sometimes definitely not) it's fascinating to see the evolution of what we have available to satisfy our appetites after centuries of development.