Calling all foodies! Stuffed: A History Of Good Food And Hard Times In Britain is an eye-opening, mouthwatering tour de force of a culinary encyclopaedia. Written by food historian Pen Vogler, it serves up a veritable smorgasbord of delicious tidbits as it charts the history of our island through the contents of its dinner plates.

The book is divided up into 26 portions, each exploring a historical period through the lens of one of its most prevalent foodstuffs. From explaining how the humble bean revolutionised ancient farming to mapping out how the artificial prolonging of strawberry season ushered in our current era of supermarket supremacy, each chapter has its own tasty revelation to impart. 

By focusing predominantly on the ingredients we fall back on when times get tough, the book – complete with updated, easy-to-follow recipes of historical mainstays like pumpkin pie and Scotch broth – is determined to help its readers eat nutritiously while living within their means. The author’s fury at a modern system that sees millions go hungry while food is plentiful is clear throughout, as is her stark warning about the lethal nature of the ultra-processed food that makes up the bulk of our diet nowadays. Get Stuffed – you won’t regret it.