Emma Kay

Emma Kay is a British historian and author known for her work on historical food cultures. She is best known for Fodder & Drincan: Anglo-Saxon Culinary History (2022) and The Dark History of Chocolate (2021). She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Guild of Food Writers member.

Kay was born in the United Kingdom and spent her youth immersed in theatre and literature. She began working at Billy Budd’s Bistro in Dartmouth in her early teens. There she gained hands-on experience in cooking, cleaning, and hospitality. She later worked in the pub trade in Stratford-upon-Avon.

In her twenties, she changed direction and studied history, archaeology, and heritage interpretation. She earned degrees at Plymouth, Exeter and Surrey universities. After moving to London, she spent over a decade working at national museums, including The British Museum and Royal Museums Greenwich.

She later moved to the Cotswolds, where she completed an HND in Heritage Conservation while working at Lydiard House and the University of Bath. She began collecting antique kitchenware and turned her attention to food history. She works as a freelance food historian, author, and public speaker. Her media appearances include radio, television, talks and cookery demonstrations.

In 2022, Kay published Fodder & Drincan: Anglo-Saxon Culinary History. The book covers early medieval food practices from 400 to 1066 CE. It draws on artefacts and archaeological evidence to show what ingredients were available to Anglo-Saxon communities. These included fish, shellfish, birds, early wheats, vegetables and herbs such as fennel and mint. She also explores Roman and Scandinavian influences on British food culture.

In the introduction, Kay writes that “the modern world has a huge amount to learn from ancient times.” She presents survival strategies and culinary customs, offering sample recipes for modern readers.

Fodder & Drincan received positive reviews. It was included in The Oldie Christmas book selection in 2022. It was also recommended by Vikings of Middle England for its accessible yet detailed content.

Emma Kay lives in Cirencester with her husband and son.

Photo credits: museumofkitchenalia.co.uk
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