Stuff the diet!

Biscuits and cakes, recipes and cooking

The New Year resolution to go on a diet - stuff that! Have a slice of cake, or try a couple of biscuits. Or both. Go on, try one of these four - they all link to larger images and a bite of history. And there are collection descriptions as well, and selected links to more websites.

Photos copyright © The University of Manchester, The John Rylands University Library; YMCA England (Birmingham University); and Glasgow Caledonian University Archives.

Collections

Home-made

• Edward Kidder (1665 or 1666-1739): a London schoolmaster's recipes.
• Elenor Mundy (fl. 1728): includes recipes for puddings, pies, cakes, preserves, wines and cordials.
• Dorothy Mary Leak (1903-1989): notes and newscuttings of recipes.
• Blanche Leigh (fl. 1939): the Lady Mayoress of Leeds owned a significant collection of cookery books.
• Maude Mary Whittaker (died 1984): recipes for confectionery, bread, and cakes compiled in 1914.
• MacFie family: sugar refiners, of Greenock and Liverpool.
• James Marshall (Glasgow) Ltd: semolina manufacturers, of Glasgow.
• Alexander King (Wishaw) Ltd: North Lanarkshire jam manufacturers
• East Kent Packers Ltd.: founded in 1944, by 1970 had become the largest fruit-growers' co-operative in the world.
• Raspberries: the raspberry industry in Scotland.
• Glasgow School of Cookery: established in 1875

Shop-bought

• Cadbury Brothers: manufacturer of drinking chocolate and cocoa from the 1830s.
• Huntley & Palmers: biscuit manufacturers; Joseph Huntley established a biscuit bakery in Reading in 1822.
• Creamola Food Products Ltd: desserts manufacturer founded in Glasgow in 1904.
• Scottish Union of Bakers and Confectioners: established in 1888.

Related links

• Huntley & Palmers Collection: including their highly-prized biscuit tins (Reading Museum)
• Cadbury World: visitor attraction (Bournville, Birmingham)
• Biscuit Making in 1928: Macfarlane Lang's biscuit factory (BBC 'Scotland on Film' website) [film clip requires free RealPlayer software]
• Eating History: Just Desserts: looking at British cookery (Great British Kitchen website)
• NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown: website selected for preservation as an invaluable cultural resource by the UK Web Archiving Consortium.

• British Sugarcraft Guild: promoting the art of cake decorating
• Worshipful Company of Bakers: founded in London in medieval times

• Fairtrade: making sure the producers of cocoa and chocolate, sugar and confectionery in developing countries get a fair deal
• 5-A-Day: it's a good idea to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables as well of course!

[ Archives Hub Blog: Have another slice.

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