Europeans are eating out in unprecedented numbers - in cafs, pubs, brasseries and restaurants. Globalization brought about changes in patterns of leisure and consumption, as well as a democratization of restaurant culture. But what if we open up this concept of 'eating out' to include any eating that takes place outside the home? What cultural shifts can we see through time? What differences can we discover about pre-industrial, industrial and post-industrial societies?Eating Out in Europe addresses such questions as it examines changes in eating patterns through time. 'Eating out' is broadly conceived to cover everything from nibbling a pizza at work to dining in an exquisite restaurant, from suffering an institutional lunch at the school cafeteria to enjoying the natural world with a picnic. The meaning of eating out clearly varies enormously depending on the setting, circumstances and significance of the meal. The contributors describe and interpret the huge changes that occurred in eating habits throughout Europe by analyzing such factors as urbanization, technological innovation, demographic growth, employment patterns and identity formation. Case studies include the evolution of the pub, the rise of the fast food industry in Britain, picnicking in 19th-century France, snack culture in the Netherlands, industrial canteens in Germany, the rise of restaurants in Norway and countryside traditions in Hungary, among others. Fully comprehensive and illustrated, the contributors draw on examples throughout Europe from the late eighteenth century to the present day.

A valuable addition to European food history. Food and Foodways The strength of the book lies precisely in the wide range of approaches to the surprisingly rich history of eating out...This book has established an excellent research agenda for years to come. Gastronomica Eating Out in Europe is a welcome addition to the growing body of research on this topic. Food and Foodways Eating Out in Europe... flows with an ease that should captivate even the most casual reader... I found it to be most informative and a pleasure to read. -- Phil Coleman British Food Journal Anyone with an interest in food history should buy this book. Financieel-economische

Marc Jacobs, Director, Vlaams Centrum Volkscultuur, Brussels Peter Scholliers, Professor of History, Vrije Universiteit Brussel