Scoff: A History of Food and Class in Britain - Pen Vogler

Avocado or beans on toast? Gin or claret? Nut roast or game pie? Milk in first or milk in last? And do you have tea, dinner or supper in the evening? 

In this fascinating social history of food in Britain, Pen Vogler examines the origins of our eating habits and reveals how they are loaded with centuries of class prejudice. Covering such topics as fish and chips, roast beef, avocados, tripe, fish knives and the surprising origins of breakfast, Scoff reveals how in Britain we have become experts at using eating habits to make judgements about social background. Bringing together evidence from cookbooks, literature, artworks and social records from 1066 to the present, Vogler traces the changing fortunes of the food we encounter today, and unpicks the aspirations and prejudices of the people who have shaped our cuisine for better or worse. 

Reviews:

'Sharp, rich and superbly readable' Sunday Times

'Superb' The Times

'Utterly delicious' Observer

'A brilliant romp of a book' Jay Rayner

'A rich, persuasive diet of social friction, anecdotes and witty observation... It's a book to make the reader both think and salivate' Financial Times

Publisher: Atlantic Books

ISBN: 9781786496492

Pages: 480

Weight: 410g

Dimensions: 195 x 130 x 35 mm