Food was as important a part of daily life in the Middle Ages, as it is today. In Wortes and All: Medieval Cooking food historian Emma Kay examines what people were eating and drinking in England from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the 1500s. We not only discover what people were cooking and how they cooked it, but also the influences on their cuisine and sources of food, home and abroad, as society changed in this period. Alongside the history of various types of food and drink throughout the medieval period, the author has sourced recipes from Anglo-Saxon medical tomes, Scandinavian sagas and Middle Eastern cookery manuscripts to explore a varied culinary cultural dialogue. From soups, stews, salads, meat, fish, eggs and fruit to sauces, drinks and confection, this cornucopia of medieval food and drink will fascinate all of those interested in the story of cooking and eating during this complex and many-faceted era.

'This book is an interesting and informative introduction to medieval food.' * Current Archaeology Magazine, May 2025 *
'Overall, I did enjoy this book and the information that was provided. I learned quite a lot of new information about cooking and drinking in the medieval world, but part of me wishes it were a bit longer, as this is only about a hundred pages. I think I will explore other books written by Emma Kay. If you want a book that explores how the culinary arts changed over the medieval period, I recommend you read “Wortes and All: Medieval Cooking” by Emma Kay.' * Adventures of a Tudor Nerd, April 2025 *

Emma is a Fellow of The Royal Historical Society, Post-graduate Historian and Archaeologist, former senior museum professional & Award-Winning author of 13 food history books. She has appeared numerous times as a food history expert on documentaries and mainstream popular programmes for Channel 4, Channel 5, BBC1 and KBS-TV, Korea. She has lectured, delivered demonstrations and interactive talks online and across a variety of venues both nationally and internationally for The Guild of Food Writers, Bath and Stroud Literature Festivals, 1 Royal Crescent Bath, Wakefield Rhubarb Festival, The Women’s Institute, Tastemade, BBNY Group LLC, New York and been a regular interviewee on podcasts including English Heritage, BBC History Extra, Table Talk with Stefan Gates and Eat Your Heartland Out, with former U.S. senator Capri Cafaro. Emma has regularly featured as a food history expert & author on BBC radio and Talk Radio Europe and written articles for English Heritage, BBC Food, Lancashire Life, BBC History Magazine, Daily Express, Daily Mail, Times Literary Supplement, Victorian Review, Lancashire Post and Love Food.com among others. More recently Emma has worked as an online Archaeology tutor for a home learning tuition hub. She also continues to work with her ever expanding collection of antique Kitchenalia.