No ice in Weymouth! – Eating ice cream with Jane Austen (and a bit beyond) | Dr Annie Gray
From delicate dessert tables to processed wafer cones, ice cream and sorbets have been part of the British diet for over 400 years. Yet our modern versions pale compared to the glories of the past. Food historian Annie Gray takes us back to the Regency, to eat ices with Jane Austen and her friend and family cook, Martha Lloyd. Jane herself enjoyed this seaside treat, declaring ‘I shall eat Ice’ while living at Southampton and revealing her shock at no ice in Weymouth. Expect Annie’s customary wit and enthusiasm as she shows us how ice cream might have been with the most basic of equipment, but was moulded and flavoured in ways which put modern methods to shame.
Join us as we explore the rich history of a chilly delight.
About the speakers
Dr Annie Gray is a historian, broadcaster, writer and consultant on all matters related to British food and dining from around 1600 to the present day. She’s the resident food historian on BBC Radio 4’s culinary panel show, The Kitchen Cabinet, and the author of quite a lot of books, including The Greedy Queen: eating with Victoria, and the recent The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: a history of the High Street.
