Overview
London has had a voracious appetite since Roman times. It has spawned markets, encouraged market?gardeners and given a livelihood to restaurants and cafes by the million. Coffee, tea and chocolate brought their own drinking outlets, as did chops and fish and chips. Social divisions were emphasised by diet. While the better off relished roast and vegetables, the poor in the workhouses were condemned to a monotonous and sparse regime. Servants gladly ate the leftovers of multi?course dinners upstairs. The story ranges from cook shops to the Ritz, from palaces to prisons. Richard Tames takes us through an informed and entertaining history of how Londoners have eaten and were supplied. He includes household names and little known happenings in a fascinating and well illustrated book.
Synopsis
Much attention has been given to the fire, war, plague, and planners that have threatened the English capital, says London tourist guide Tames (history, Syracuse U.-London program), but no one has considered seriously how such a big city has kept itself fed all these centuries. Distributed by The David Brown Book Company. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR