See you on
17 October 2026
First Course
How did the Normans change the way we eat?
Sam Bilton in conversation with Professor Giles Gasper and Jennie Hood
Bayeux Tapestry - Scene 43: Bishop Odo blesses the first banquet that Duke William and the Norman Barons hold on English soil. The bishop is recognisable by his tonsure and also by the fish in front of him. Titulus: ET HIC EPISCOPUS CIBU[M] ET POTU[M] BENEDICIT (And here the bishop blesses the food and drink)
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Have you ever wondered why we breed pigs, cows and sheep but eat pork, beef and mutton?
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Or when forests first became off limits to the general population making poaching a crime?
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Why the English kitchen became so enamoured with spices?
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And when did table manners become a big deal?
Can these changes to our culinary landscape all be attributed to the Normans after they conquered southern England in 1066? Join Sam Bilton as she discusses the impact the Normans had on English foodways after the conquest with food historian Jennie Hood and Giles Gasper, Professor of High Medieval History at Durham University.
Jennie Hood
Jennie Hood is a food historian whose main interest is the recreation of medieval food using recipes from manuscript sources. She usually cooks from her kitchen in Glasgow, but in the summer she can be found at living history events across Scotland, working in a more authentic medieval setting and sharing her food knowledge with the public. Jennie has given guest lectures in medieval foodways at Emory University in Atlanta and Oberlin College in Ohio, and she has also given talks and published articles on Scottish food history, especially the history of haggis and Burns Night. You can find her on Instagram @medievalfoodwithjennie
Professor Giles Gasper
Giles Gasper is Professor in High Medieval History at Durham University. He specializes in the intellectual history of the high middle ages (11th-13th centuries), particularly in the development of theology but also medieval food culture. Recent work in this area includes a study of twelfth century culinary recipes for the English Historical Review co-authored with Faith Wallis (McGill). Giles has also collaborated with Blackfriars Restaurant in Newcastle to research medieval food which has included lectures, teaching and tasting classes for the Eat Medieval programme.
