Leftovers

by Eleanor Barnett

ISBN: 9781803281582

Published: 2025-09-23

A topical and richly entertaining history of food preservation and food waste in Britain from the sixteenth-century kitchen to the present day. 'Bingeable' – The Telegraph 'A book for our time' – The Spectator '[Barnett's] an indefatigable researcher' – The Mail on Sunday In Leftovers, Eleanor Barnett explores the many ingenious ways in which our ancestors sought to extend the life of food through preservation, the culinary reuse of leftovers and the recycling of food scraps. Embracing a broad historical lens, the book spans Tudor household management; the world-changing inventions in food preservation of the Industrial Revolution from the tin can to artificial refrigeration; the growth of public health initiatives and organised food waste collection in the Victorian era; state promotion of thrifty eating during the two World Wars; and the politics of food and packaging waste in the modern era of sustainability. Opening a window on the everyday experiences of ordinary people in the...