Indulge in the Christmas spirit as award-winning food historian and chef Dr Neil Buttery as takes us on a journey through the festive pies and puddings of the past.

Neil will talk about some of the delicious festive food and how it was served at parties in the Georgian and Victorian eras. He'll also look behind the baize doors to see how the servants interacted with their employers' porcelain and fabulous food, remaining apparently serene whilst under very high pressure to pull off wonderful and exciting dinners and balls.

Dr Neil Buttery has been writing on the history of British food for over fifteen years and through the process of writing and cooking has become an author and professional chef specialising in cooking food from our past.

He has appeared on Channel 4’s Britain’s Most Historic Towns, Radio 4’s The Food Programme, a Telegraph cookery competition for food bloggers (where he came second!), and made the world’s largest Jaffa Cake in Channel 5 show Amazing Cakes & Bakes, where he was also the resident food historian.

In May 2022 his first book, A Dark History of Sugar, was published and in September 2023 it won Best First Book category at the Guild of Food Writers Awards 2023.

His second book Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper was published in March 2023 and in June 2024 it won the Best Food Book category at the Guild of Food Writers Awards 2024.

September 2024 saw the publication of his third book, Knead to Know: A History Baking in October his fourth, The Philosophy of Puddings.