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zosia1995's review against another edition
4.0
I love food and I love British history and this book beautifully combines the two. Delicious reading.
seventhswan's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.25
This was a well-researched and reasonably interesting book, but in my opinion the structure - and over-reliance on literary references - let it down.
nd2712's review against another edition
4.0
Did I expect an almost 500 page book to pull me out of a reading slump in the middle of a burnout-brain-dumpsterfire?
'Scoff' is a fascinating, if not slightly mis-sold book - and you can see that reflected in the reviews. If you want a comprehensive, century by century, detail-orientated breakdown of how food and class have intersected over the ever changing landscapes of British history: you're not going to get it with this book. HOWEVER, if you want peeks into that landscape through the lens of some beloved favourites, fashionable trends and oft-forgotten historical dishes - you're going to love this. And I was firmly in that second camp.
I went into it was an interest, but was worried it would be very dense. And whilst it is in places, the chapters are short and sharp enough to keep you going. Using the literature of the time, as well as historical cookbooks and research, Vogler pieces together a nation epitomised by the food it enjoyed - and how class played such a pivotal role in what you ate, as it still does today. The author is clearly a big fan of Austen and Dickens - their novels' foodie exploits pop up frequently - and succeeds in breaking down, what can be quite hefty, history into a far more palatable reading experience.
Part of me is already planning on ordering a copy (I read this on audio), just so I can go back and find all those facts that intrigued me. This tome covers a huge variety of foods and champions against the notion that Britain is where food comes to die - it's just not true! I imagine it to be a great book for foodies all over the world, especially if you're curious as to the UK's quirks when it comes to the things that fill our cupboards.
'Scoff' is a fascinating, if not slightly mis-sold book - and you can see that reflected in the reviews. If you want a comprehensive, century by century, detail-orientated breakdown of how food and class have intersected over the ever changing landscapes of British history: you're not going to get it with this book. HOWEVER, if you want peeks into that landscape through the lens of some beloved favourites, fashionable trends and oft-forgotten historical dishes - you're going to love this. And I was firmly in that second camp.
I went into it was an interest, but was worried it would be very dense. And whilst it is in places, the chapters are short and sharp enough to keep you going. Using the literature of the time, as well as historical cookbooks and research, Vogler pieces together a nation epitomised by the food it enjoyed - and how class played such a pivotal role in what you ate, as it still does today. The author is clearly a big fan of Austen and Dickens - their novels' foodie exploits pop up frequently - and succeeds in breaking down, what can be quite hefty, history into a far more palatable reading experience.
Part of me is already planning on ordering a copy (I read this on audio), just so I can go back and find all those facts that intrigued me. This tome covers a huge variety of foods and champions against the notion that Britain is where food comes to die - it's just not true! I imagine it to be a great book for foodies all over the world, especially if you're curious as to the UK's quirks when it comes to the things that fill our cupboards.