A Feast of Folklore

The Bizarre Stories Behind British Food

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 FORTNUM & MASON DEBUT FOOD BOOK AWARD

'Excellent' Tom Parker Bowles

Folklorist Ben Gazur guides you through the dark alleys of British history to uncover how our food habits have been passed down through generations of folklore.

We investigate the origins of famous food superstitions – why do we throw salt over our shoulder and think carrots can help us see in the dark? – as well as much more bizarre and lesser-known tales too, from what day the devil urinates on blackberries to how to stop witches using eggshells as escape boats.

Hilarious and fascinating, A Feast of Folklore will introduce you to the gloriously eccentric folk who aren’t often noticed by historians. Here lies a smorgasbord of their dark remedies and deadly delicacies, waiting to be discovered.

'Will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about your dinner plate’ Dee Dee Chainey, author of A Treasury of British Folklore

'Diverting, delightful and deliciously weird enough to satisfy the most demanding appetite' Christopher Hadley, author of The Road

'A must read the next time you are sitting down to a sausage roll' Max Miller, creator of Tasting History

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