Repast - Jenny Linford

Take a deliciously fascinating, expertly written global tour of cooking, eating and drinking through objects in the British Museum collection.

Our insatiable appetite for creativity in the kitchen – or around the open fire – is as old as time.

This new book, authored by food writer Jenny Linford in collaboration with experts at the British Museum, Repast focuses on artefacts in the Museum’s collection – from ancient clay cooking vessels to exquisite gold cups – spanning multiple continents and dating from prehistory to the modern day.

Beautifully illustrated throughout, Repast will engage and delight the growing audience interested in the history of food and drink.

Taking a broadly chronological approach, the book is arranged into 13 thematic chapters, starting with explorations of hunting and gathering and ending with the history of eating out; along the way, agriculture, alcohol and cooking – among other subjects – are also investigated.

Interspersed among the many remarkable objects examined in each chapter is a series of in-depth essays on specific ingredients such as tea (the world’s most consumed drink after water), pork (the world’s most widely consumed meat) and wheat (the source of 20 per cent of the world’s human calorie consumption), revealing the many social, cultural and religious aspects of food.

Through a feast of words and images, Repast presents the irresistible, global story of food, drink and the culinary arts.

Published by Thames & Hudson and The British Museum (published 24th April, 2025)