The British Food History Podcast
History
Neil has a most enlightening chat with Kevin Geddes about the fabulous television cook Fanny Cradock (1909-1994). Fanny has a reputation for being difficult to work with, cruel and monstrous, and that she was a fake. In this chat Kevin upturns SOME of those preconceptions. We talk about her way into radio and television, her manner and presenting style, the fantastic Christmas special, as well as her decline and fall from television cookery. Much of her life is fabricated and it is difficult to see where the real Fanny stops, and the celebrity Fanny begins.
Subscribers: don’t forget to check out the Easter Egg tab on the website to listen to the many extras from this episode: http://britishfoodhistory.com/easter-eggs/
Kevin’s book Keep Calm and Fanny On! The Many Careers of Fanny Cradock is published by Fantom https://www.fantompublishing.co.uk/product/kevin-geddes-fanny-cradock/
It’s All in the Booklet: Festive Fun with Fanny Cradock is also published by Fantom https://www.fantompublishing.co.uk/product/kevin-geddes-its-all-in-the-booklet-festive-fun-with-fanny-cradock/
Follow Kevin on Twitter and Insta @keepcalmandfannyon
Neil’s book A Dark History of Sugar is available to preorder from the publisher with a 25% discount. It is available, of course, to preorder at all other bookshops https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/A-Dark-History-of-Sugar-Hardback/p/20481
Links to things mentioned in this episode:
British Pathe reel: Fanny and Johnnie’s savouries and cooking tips (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgrtXKcmeyU
Fanny and Johnnie at the Albert Hall (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHGSJbPz2e8
Adventurous Cooking with Fanny Cradock (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EQJ8GnDsiw
Fanny Cradock Invites… (on BBC iPlayer) https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p05rv2m9/fanny-cradock-invites-you-to-a-cheese-and-wine-party
Fanny Cradock Cooks for Christmas (on BBC iPlayer) https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p05jvgzw/fanny-cradock-cooks-for-christmas-series-1-1-fanny-cradock-cooks-for-christmas
The Big Time: Fanny’s downfall? (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW-2fclfRpI&t=1s
Fanny on TV chat show Wogan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z82EYek2-xs
Also, don’t forget 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 find me on twitter @neilbuttery, or Instagram dr_neil_buttery.
If you like my blog posts and podcast episodes, please consider a monthly subscription or buying me a virtual coffee or a pint? Go to https://britishfoodhistory.com/support-the-blog-podcast/ for more details.
Historical Cookery with Jay Reifel
Ormskirk Gingerbread with Anouska Lewis
The History of Food Waste & Preservation with Eleanor Barnett
The Scottish Salt Industry with Joanna Hambly, Aaron Allen & Ed Bethune
Stuffed with Pen Vogler
The Leeds Symposium on Food History & Traditions with Ivan Day
BONUS EPISODE: 'A is for Apple' with Sam Bilton, Neil Buttery & Alessandra Pino
Medieval Meals & Manners with Danièle Cybulskie
Spices with Ian Anderson
The Philosophy of Chocolate with Sam Bilton
Apples & Orchards with Joanna Crosby
Christmas Special 2023: Mince Pies
BONUS EPISODE: 18th Century Female Cookery Writers with the Delicious Legacy Podcast
Special Postbag Edition #3
English Food, a People's History with Diane Purkiss
The School Meals Service with Heather Ellis
Early Television Cookbooks & Tie-ins with Kevin Geddes
18th Century Tavern Cooking with Marc Meltonville (& Richard Briggs)
Tudor Cooking & Cuisine with Brigitte Webster
Tinned Food with Lindsay Middleton
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Irish Songs with Ken Murray
History Obscura
Historycal: Words that Shaped the World
The Rest Is History
Everything Everywhere Daily