British Library's food recordings collection made public online

13 June 2016 by
British Library's food recordings collection made public online

The British's Library's collection of food-related interviews is now online for anyone to listen to.

Interviewees include Albert and Michel Roux, Michel Bourdin, Cyrus Todiwala, Brian Turner and Joyce Molyneux, one of the first female chefs to receive a Michelin star.

Previously only available to listen to within the confines of the British Library in London, the recordings are part of the National Life Stories project, and include more than 1,500 interviews recorded over the last 100 years.

It is one of the most comprehensive and revealing resources on food in the UK and also features contributions from factory workers to butchers and fruit pickers.

The collection charts the changes that transformed the production, manufacture and consumption of food in 20th century Britain. As well as the scarcity of food during the 1930s, rationing, the increasing industrialisation of farming post-war and advances in technology, the collection also features recordings of Michel Roux Jr describing the opening night of Le Gavroche and Michel Bourdin explaining what he knew of the Connaught before accepting a job there.

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