Welcome back to the British Food History Podcast. In today’s episode, I am speaking with Great British Bake Off alumnus Briony May Williams about retro foods. She’s on a mission to bring back some of the foods of the 21st century that are maybe not being enjoyed as much as they should be in the 21st. I am very much in agreement with this – obvs.
We talk about how Briony became interested in retro foods and historical cooking (we all have an origin story, don’t we?), memories of Bake Off, puddings as comfort food, Waldorf salads, our shared appreciation of frozen peas and Kitchen Aids, plus the infamous banana candle salad.
The Retro Food Society by Briony May Williams is out now
Follow Briony on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @brionymaybakes
Briony’s Substack
Season 10 of the podcast is sponsored by Netherton Foundry, makers of high-quality kitchen and outdoor cookware. Netherton Foundry ships to several countries outside of the UK, including the USA and Canada. Visit www.netherton-foundry.co.uk to find out more about their wonderful products – approved not just by me but by folk such as Tom Parker-Bowles, Diana Henry and Nigella Lawson.
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Things mentioned in today’s episode
The BBC Travel Show episode featuring both Briony and me
Great British Bake Off New Year special
Delia Smith boils an egg
Sam Bilton’s banana candle salad
Car Fest 2026
Southport Flower Show 2026
My kedgeree blog post
Previous pertinent podcast episodes
Neil's accompanying blog post
B is for Banana, Banting & Berries
Previous pertinent blog posts
Toad-in-the-hole
Neil’s blogs and YouTube channel:
‘British Food: a History’
The British Food History Channel
‘Neil Cooks Grigson’
Neil’s books:
Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper
A Dark History of Sugar
Knead to Know: a History of Baking
The Philosophy of Puddings
Don’t forget, there will be postbag episodes in the future, so if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email me at neil@britishfoodhistory.com, or on twitter and BlueSky @neilbuttery, or Instagram and Threads dr_neil_buttery. My DMs are open.
You can also join the British Food: a History Facebook discussion page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishfoodhistory
Mentioned in this episode:
A is for Apple Season C has begun!
Join Neil Buttery, Sam Bilton and Alessandra Pino for their journey through the letter C on 'A is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink'.
Available wherever you get your podcasts.
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