Description

Book Synopsis

A topical and richly entertaining history of food preservation and food waste in Britain from the sixteenth-century kitchen to the present day.

In Leftovers, Eleanor Barnett explores the many ingenious ways in which our ancestors sought to extend the life of food through preservation, the culinary reuse of leftovers and the recycling of food scraps. Embracing a broad historical lens, the book spans Tudor household management; the world-changing inventions in food preservation of the Industrial Revolution from the tin can to artificial refrigeration; the growth of public health initiatives and organised food waste collection in the Victorian era; state promotion of thrifty eating during the two World Wars; and the politics of food and packaging waste in the modern era of sustainability.

Opening a window on the everyday experiences of ordinary people in the past, Leftovers reveals how factors such as religious belief, class identities and gender have histor

Leftovers

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    A Hardback by Eleanor Barnett

    £23.79

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    RRP £27.99 – you save £4.20 (15%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Tue 25 Aug 2026.

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      Book details

      Publisher Bloomsbury
      Imprint Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
      Published 9 October 2024
      ISBN-13 9781803281575
      978-1803281575
      ISBN-10 180328157X
      Also in:
      History History: specific events and topics

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      A topical and richly entertaining history of food preservation and food waste in Britain from the sixteenth-century kitchen to the present day.

      In Leftovers, Eleanor Barnett explores the many ingenious ways in which our ancestors sought to extend the life of food through preservation, the culinary reuse of leftovers and the recycling of food scraps. Embracing a broad historical lens, the book spans Tudor household management; the world-changing inventions in food preservation of the Industrial Revolution from the tin can to artificial refrigeration; the growth of public health initiatives and organised food waste collection in the Victorian era; state promotion of thrifty eating during the two World Wars; and the politics of food and packaging waste in the modern era of sustainability.

      Opening a window on the everyday experiences of ordinary people in the past, Leftovers reveals how factors such as religious belief, class identities and gender have histor

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