In today’s episode, I am talking with renowned food historian, chef and confectioner Ivan Day.

The 38th Leeds Food Symposium of Food History and Traditions is coming up – 27 April 2024 to be exact – Ivan is the Chair of the Symposium, so we had a good talk about the history and influence of this most important annual event on the study of food history.

We talked about a pioneer of food history study C. Ann Wilson who was the librarian at the Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds, who, with Peter Brears, Lynette Hunter and Jennifer Staid, created the Symposium in 1986. We also talk about this year's Symposium on 27 April 2024. The topic of this year being ‘Presenting the Food of the Past in Museums and Historic Houses’.

Also discussed: the excellent work of Peter Brears, the speakers of this year’s symposium, the social side of the symposium – including the excellent buffet – and why the Leeds symposium is held in York, amongst many other things.

Support the podcast and blogs by becoming, if you can, a £3 monthly subscriber, and unlock lots of premium content, or treat me to a one-off virtual pint or coffee: click here.

The Leeds Symposium on Food

History & Traditions website

The Symposium’s Eventbrite page

Find Ivan on Instagram @ivanpatrickday

Books and other things mentioned in today’s episode:

Brotherton Library cookery collection, University of Leeds

Food & Drink in Britain from the Stone Age to Recent Times by C. Anne Wilson

Over a Red-Hot Stove edited by Ivan Day

Fairfax House, York

York Castle Museum

Shibden Hall, Halifax

Cooking & Dining in the Victorian Country House by Peter Brears

The Food Museum

Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper by Neil Buttery

Previous podcast episodes pertinent to today’s episode:

18th Century Dining with Ivan Day