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Keeping a Good Table: Food in the 16th Century

By 15 October 2024No Comments
Tudor Food

When you think of food from the 1500s, you probably head straight for the images of whole-roasted swans, pigs with apples in their mouths or feast tables laden with more decoration than food. While most of these stereotypes can be true in part, food for the ordinary person, the kind that would have lived in Bayleaf and cooked in Winkhurst, would have been much more recognisable.

Interestingly, the owners of Bayleaf were ‘Yeoman Farmers’, those that farmed for profit. This meant that they were above the level of ‘poor’, but not quite at the level of ‘wealthy’. We’re not absolutely sure exactly what they would have spent their money on, but we do know that they ‘kept a good table’, a fantastic compliment at the time; their hospitability and respectability was being recognised, celebrated and, if you were lucky, gratefully enjoyed.

Vegetables, pottages, loaves of bread, ale, beer, fruit, honey – the food the ordinary Tudor was eating would, today, be considered hearty and filling. The average adult man would have needed around 5,000 calories per day, to sustain them in the fields and in their work. So, let’s have a deeper look at what would have adorned a 16th Century table.

 

Feasts of the Rich

The Tudor elite, particularly the royalty and nobility, were known for their extravagant displays. These feasts weren’t just meals – they were a display of wealth and power. Tables groaned under the weight of roasted game, intricate pastries, and fruits preserved with sugar, a costly treat. Meat, in particular, was the centrepiece of any grand Tudor feast, with venison, swan, and boar often gracing the tables of the upper classes.

One of the most impressive features of wealthy 16th Century feasts was the diversity of meats. Diners could expect to see dishes featuring beef, pork, lamb, and poultry. But it didn’t stop there – fowl such as peacocks, storks, and even herons were served, often presented in dramatic displays that mirrored the flamboyant tastes of the time. These were expensive luxuries, just as much a statement of their power, as a celebration of good food. Wealthier homes also indulged in imported delicacies, including dried fruits like figs and dates, alongside citrus fruits like oranges, all of which demonstrated the global reach of England’s trade. Oranges and pomegranates came from Spain – a trade journey of only 10 days by sea! These fruits were being delivered almost as freshly as they are today!

To accompany these meals, spiced wine and ale flowed freely, seasoned with ingredients like cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. For the Tudors, these spices not only added flavour but also underscored their access to the riches of the world. And this access was as far reaching as the 16th Century person could possibly imagine. For example, the tiny Banda Islands off Indonesia (a group of ten volcanic islands so small you’ll need a magnifying glass – or a lot of screen pinching and swiping – to actually find on a map), were ostensibly the whole world’s only source of nutmeg!

 

The Diet of the Working Folk

While the upper classes enjoyed luxurious dishes, the lower classes had a far simpler diet, heavily dependent on bread, pottage, and vegetables. Bread was the cornerstone of the Tudor diet, but its quality varied greatly. The wealthier ate fine white bread made from wheat flour, while the working classes baked a darker, coarser loaf made from rye or barley. And, in a bread oven like ours at Winkhurst, a housewife could bake up to seventeen loaves at one time; a very handy fact when you learn that an adult man would usually eat a whole loaf with every meal.

The common Tudor’s daily meal plans often included pottage, a thick soup made from grain and vegetables, such as onions, leeks, or peas. On occasion, this simple meal might be flavoured with a small piece of bacon, salted meat or salted fish. Meat was a rarity for the working classes, reserved mainly for special occasions like festivals or harvest celebrations. Even milk and cheese, though more accessible, were not consumed in the vast quantities enjoyed by wealthier households.

The Tudor farmers’ diet reflected the agricultural seasons and the limitations of local produce. This simple, plant-heavy diet helped maintain their health, and made them almost entirely self-sustaining. While the owners of Bayleaf were primarily farming for profit, they would have also been able to eat whatever they grew, and maintain a level of independence from potential national food crises. This was a national reality too, as, by the end of the 16th Century, England was almost entirely self-sufficient in food production and agriculture.

What we do here at Weald & Downland Living Museum is try to relive and experience this truth as much as possible too. The food we use in Winkhurst is primarily from our own gardens; the wood we burn in the fires and ovens comes from our woodland and coppicing; the plants we use to dye linen and wool come primarily from our gardens; even the linen itself can be made from the flax we grow here. As much as we can, we want to be entirely circular in our usage; from garden to table and back again.

 

Influence of the Renaissance: The Arrival of New Ingredients

The 16th Century was not only a time of local customs but also an age of discovery, with explorers bringing back new foods that began to change England’s culinary landscape. The Renaissance ushered in a wider palate for spices and ingredients previously unknown to England.

Sugar, brought in large quantities from the New World, became a prized ingredient in the Tudor kitchen, especially in sweet dishes enjoyed by the rich. The upper classes had a particular fondness for sugar-dusted fruits and elaborate marchpane (an early version of marzipan? creations shaped into fantastical forms like castles, animals, or even ships.

As more trade routes opened, and the 16th Century progressed, ingredients such as potatoes, tomatoes, and new spices made their way into Tudor kitchens, alongside more exotic imports like oranges, lemons, and olives. These were typically reserved for the upper crust of society, though they slowly filtered down over time.

 

16th Century Drinking

No 16th Century meal was complete without a hearty drink. Ale was the drink of choice for most people, and it was consumed by all classes, young and old alike. Beer, a more robust beverage than ale, gained popularity later in the period due to improvements in brewing technology. 16th Century Drinking

Wine was reserved for the wealthy, as it had to be imported from France and the Mediterranean, making it an expensive indulgence. Like the food of the period, wine was often flavoured with spices, honey, and even herbs, creating rich and complex drinks that complemented the decadent feasts of the time. For the very wealthy, spiced wines like hippocras – a mixture of wine with sugar and spices – were served at the end of meals as a digestive.

And, if you’ve ever heard the fact of Tudors drinking ale or beer instead of water because the water was dirty and unsafe… unfortunately that was a myth that most likely came from a time of mass urbanisation in the 19th century when large urban areas, like London, would have meant clean water was a scarcity, unlike in the mostly rural environment of the 16th century. Primarily, they drank ale and beer because it tasted better, had more benefits in terms of satiating appetites (it was more calorific than it was alcoholic), and was a fantastic motivator for harvest workers. It was also great for giving these workers energy. It would have been the energy drink of its day, so to speak. They drank it because they enjoyed it.

 

Preserving Tudor Traditions: Experience History at Weald & Downland

At our Bayleaf and Winkhurst buildings, we bring these Tudor dining experiences to life. Visitors can explore the preparation methods, from open fire cooking to intricate banqueting techniques, and learn how different foods were preserved in a world without refrigeration. From rich pies and roasted meats to the simple yet hearty pottage, the diversity of the Tudor diet reflects the vast changes of the era.

Our interactive buildings manned by our knowledgeable and friendly volunteer interpreters, offer a chance to step back in time and see first hand the divide between the diets of the rich and the working class. Special workshops provide insight into 16th Century gardening, farming, and even the evolving methods of brewing and salting, allowing you to experience the traditional techniques and processes of the past.

By understanding what the Tudors ate and drank, we gain a richer understanding of their lives, their culture, and the intricate relationship between food, society, and history. Join us on a journey through time, and see how the table, as much as the crown, defined the Tudor era.

You can find out what we have on, and when we’re demonstrating, on the ‘What’s On’ page!