British Library Announces Food Season 2025
- The British Library’s highly anticipated Food Season runs from 17 April - 1 June 2025.
- Now in its seventh year, the festival will once again bring together a talented roster of chefs, food writers, historians, literary authors and cultural commentators to explore the rich history, global influences, and future of food and drink.
- Names include: Prue Leith, Ruby Tandoh, Dan Saladino, Claudia Roden, Bee Wilson, Nadiya Hussain and Candice Brathwaite.
- This year sees the launch of the Food Season Food Awards with four prize categories for Best Narrative Cookery Book, Food Stories Fellowship, Food on Display and a Food Hero Award voted for by the public.
The British Library’s Food Season has established itself as a must-attend event for food lovers, industry professionals, and academics alike. Whether you’re passionate about food history, keen to learn from culinary pioneers, or simply eager to indulge in new tastes and trends, there’s something for everyone.
The Food Season for 2025 offers an exciting programme of live talks, panel discussions, workshops, and exclusive tastings. All events are inspired by the British Library’s extensive collection, featuring rare cookbooks, historical recipes, and food manuscripts from around the world.
From the season launch event with cookery icon Dame Prue Leith talking about her life in food with journalist Jimi Famurewa; an expert panel discussion into the impact of weight-loss injections on our society; to cult food magazine Vittles posing the question: what is the point of a cookbook?; and chef Nadiya Hussain will be in conversation with celebrated author Candice Brathwaite. The season will also include an event celebrating the late Californian maverick, feminist food writer, M.F.K Fisher, with her daughter, Kennedy Golden, Alastair Harper from band Extradition Order (who will be performing as part of the event) alongside authors Rebecca May Johnson and Gurdeep Loyal.
During the final weekend 31 May - 1 June, the Library will be hosting the Food Season’s BIG WEEKEND; a two day celebration of food through words, sounds, cultures, ideas and tastings.
The 2025 Food Season has been developed by the Head of Eccles Institute for the Americas at the British Library and Food Season founder, Dr Polly Russell with award-winning food writers Angela Clutton and Melissa Thompson as co-directors. Food Season support from Joe Allen.
The British Library’s Food Season 2025 is sponsored by Miele.
Tickets for the 2025 Food Season are on general sale and the full programme of events can be found at https://events.bl.uk/whats-on/food-season.
British Library Food Season 2025 programme
Prue Leith: A Life in Food
Thursday 17 April 19.00 – 20.15, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
Dame Prue Leith is one of the most powerful voices in food in the UK. From starting a private catering company in the 1960s, to opening a cookery school, to advising government on hospital food to judging the nation’s favourite “bake off”, Dame Leith has witnessed and contributed to radical changes in food culture across the last 60 years. Join her reflecting on a life in food and the changes she has witnessed with food writer and critic Jimi Famurewa.
Food Stories with Itamar Srulovich and Friends
Thursday 24 April 19.00 – 20.45, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
A highlight of each season is the annual event with Honey & Co’s Itamar Srulovich who brings together a group of friends for a raucous, thought-provoking, and revealing evening. Together they will share and read extracts from the food writing that makes them cry, laugh, shout, and most importantly, hungry. Guests will include: Rosamund Grant, Olia Hercules, Angela Hui, Jeremy Lee, Marie Mitchell, Cynthia Shan-mugalingam, Ruby Tandoh and Dom Taylor.
At the Legends’ Table
Friday 25 April 19.00 – 21.15, Entrance Hall
Our modern appreciation of Italian, Middle Eastern and Chinese food owes so much to three food writing legends who were at the vanguard of bringing the food and flavours of their homelands to the UK: Anna Del Conte, Claudia Roden and Ken Hom. This is a rare opportunity to have beloved icons of food writing, TV cooking and cookbooks on stage together. In conversation with Itamar Srulovich from restaurant Honey & Co we’ll be hearing from chef Angela Hartnett on the influence that the cooking of Italian born British food writer Anna Del Conte (who turns 100 this year) has had on her; while author Claudia Roden and chef Ken Hom share their own experiences of starting out and discuss the impact their cooking has had on our appreciation and understanding of these culinary cultures. As Anna Del Conte can’t attend in person there will be a screening of a moving short film of Del Conte captured at home, talking with her family about her life in food.
What is the Point of a Cookbook?: A Vittles enquiry
Friday 28 April 19.00 - 20.30, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
This year’s Vittles panel is based around exploring the humble cookbook, a mainstay in many kitchens, the panel will discuss why they are so beloved, what the point of them is in a modern kitchen, how they can contend with online recipes and whether there is a future for them. To answer these questions, food writer Ruby Tandoh will be chairing a discussion with three outstanding recipe writers: Ozoz Sokoh, author of the newly published Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria; the mastermind behind the bestselling The Roasting Tin series, Rukmini Iyer; and recipe maven Sophie Wyburd, whose cookbook Tucking In straddles the digital and print worlds.
Ozempic Nation: Injecting our way out of a food crisis
Friday 9 May 19.00 - 20.30, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
Ozempic and other semaglutide drugs have dominated the headlines in the last year. Opinions on both sides are strong - on the one hand claiming their power as a miracle drug to beat the obesity crisis, while on the other sounding alarms about potential negative side-effects and their potential perception as “a quick fix”. Our expert panel includes endocrinologist Dr Tony Goldstone of Imperial College London who treats patients with obesity; Professor Christina Vogel, Director of the Centre for Food Policy and Professor of Food Policy at City University of London; Guardian columnist Zoe Williams; and chartered psychologist Kimberley Wilson whose work looks at the role of food and lifestyle in nourishing our brain and mental health.
Food Matters for Food Lovers
Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 May 2025 10.30 – 16.30
Join us for an immersive weekend of expert-led discussions on food writing and hands and tastebuds-on activities, to gain a deeper understanding of food, health, our planet. Led by food writer and commentator, Mallika Basu, and with special guests chef and cookbook author, Keshia Sakarah and Managing Editor of Good Food and Olive Magazine, Lulu Grimes, this weekend course will inspire, inform, and equip attendees with the knowledge and skills to think, eat, and write about food in a more meaningful way. Whether you’re passionate about food writing, trying new ingredients or restaurants, there is an event to help deepen your knowledge and shape a more inclusive, sustainable and tasty future for food. With tastings on both days, please let us know of any allergies or dietary requirements as soon as you purchase your ticket by emailing adultlearning@bl.uk.
Nadiya Hussain: Writing Rooza
Thursday 15 May 19.00 - 20.15, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
Nadiya Hussain has described her important new book, Rooza: a Journey through Islamic Culture as ‘a little piece of her heart’. Join two exceptional women, chef, cookery writer and Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain and author, journalist and influencer Candice Brathwaite as they talk about the impetus behind Nadiya’s book: a journey through Islamic cuisine inspired by Ramadhan and Eid, that explores food, culture and family and the ways these connect to questions of community and belonging.
A Sonic Journey through a Recipe: Matthew Herbert and Pam Brunton
Tuesday 27 May 19.00 - 20.15, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
ake a sonic journey through a recipe with two of the most exciting voices in food and music, award-winning chef at Inver restaurant in Scotland, Pam Brunton, and composer and award-winning DJ Matthew Herbert. Accompanied by the sounds and smells of a dish, Matthew and Pam will consider the potential for listening to food - where it comes from, how it is produced, what it costs to the land, communities and the earth - to better understand what shapes our tastes, landscapes and diets and to explore how eating well is an increasingly radical act.
THE BIG WEEKEND 31 May & 1 June 2025
Tickets for the Big Weekend are available as a Saturday or Sunday day pass, a full weekend pass or each event is available to book as a single session.
An A-Z of Language in Food: Why does the language we use in food matter so much, and why is it such a source of contention?
Saturday 31 May 11.15 – 12.30, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
When we argue about dish names, kitchen terminology or changing the spellings of ingredients, what does that say about what food means to us? Are we fighting about food itself, or are we really fighting about identity, nationhood and power imbalances through what we eat? Join writer and community organiser Jenny Lau for a rousing conversation that jumps off the key theme of language in her latest book, An A-Z of Chinese Food (Recipes Not Included), which explores Chinese food and identity through 26 essays. Alongside speakers Olia Hercules, Salma Elsahhar and Sally Abé, she will invite the audience to pick apart the food language that divides us.
Latin American Ingredients: Connecting Communities through Food>
Saturday 31 May, 11.15 – 12.30, Piazza Pavilion
The incredible diversity of Latin American regional cuisine, steeped in history, tells of indigenous ingredients, colonisation and migration stories, with each Latin American country boasting a unique array of traditional dishes that are integral to their culture. This event explores the deep roots of Latin American desserts and their ties to the UK. Chaired by Mexican chef and author Karla Zazueta with a panel of experts including Camila Marcías, a Latina pastry chef, food systems advocate and recipient of the Lou Willcock scholarship from the Oxford Cultural Collective for her work on the foodways of the Latin American diaspora in the UK. They are joined by Sara Castaneda, who co-founded Rio Nuevo Chocolate working directly with small-scale cacao farmers in Ecuador and artist-designer Laura Hoyos, founder of Hito Estudio, a design studio that translates the act of eating into a multisensory and artistic experience, celebrating the ingredients and culinary heritage of Colombia.
Gardening to feed Body, Soul and Society
Saturday 31 May 13.00 - 14.00, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
A panel of gardeners and food lovers come together to share their experiences of the power growing food has on our social, physical, mental and cultural health, whatever the scale or size of the garden. Join Leyla Kazim, BBC’s MasterChef and Radio 4 The Food Programme presenter who found that growing her own food became a catalyst for life change; food writer and grower Kathy Slack whose new memoir Rough Patch reveals how gardening helped her recover from depression; Claire Ratinon, the Guardian’s gardening columnist and author; and Pam Warhurst who founded the voluntary gardening initiative, Incredible Edible, in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Chaired by Jenny Linford, author of The Kew Gardens Cookbook and The Kew Gardens Salad Book.
From Albania to Zagreb: Eating the Balkans
Saturday 31 May 13.00 – 14.00, Piazza Pavilion
Almost 40 years since the fall of communism in the Balkans, the region’s food is having its rightful moment in the spotlight. The cuisines of this part of Southeastern Europe are richly complex, combining myriad influences and histories. The Balkans - whose borders are hard to define but comprise a number of countries nestled between the Black Sea and the Adriatic - has long been overlooked in the West but is now being fully celebrated for its deliciousness and diversity. Award-winning writer Caroline Eden, author of five books including Black Sea and her new book, Green Mountains, joins Macedonian-British writer Irina Janakievska, author of The Balkan Kitchen, fermentation consultant Jelena Belgrave, and Bulgarian-born chef and creative director Aleksandar Taralezhkov to discuss the growing interest in the region’s varied food cultures.
Food and Spectacle: Medieval to Modern
Saturday 31 May 14.30 – 15.30, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
Live frogs leaping from a gigantic medieval pie, 12ft-high royal wedding cakes, Georgian terrines shaped like Greek temples and the latest viral food trend on TikTok: spectacle and food go hand in hand. This event brings together chefs, historians, curators and sensory experts to delve into the past and look into the future to explore the meaning, politics and practices of food. Join Sam Bompass of experiential company Bompass and Parr; Calum Cockburn, Curator of Medieval Manuscripts at the British Library; chef and “Pie King” Calum Franklin; Dr Eleanor Janega, medieval historian and co-host of podcast Gone Medieval; and writer and actor Ian Kelly whose TV series, Carême, an adaptation of his historical biography, Cooking for Kings, launches on Apple TV in May 2025.
Fish Lives: Women in the Fishing Industry
Saturday 31 May 14.30 – 15.30, Piazza Pavilion
In this event, food writer and journalist Hattie Ellis will ask us to dive deeper into the fishing industry, by exploring the evolving roles of women in it through time. Folk tales and songs from Cornish, women+ singing group Femmes de la Mer will be interspersed with discussions of women in the fishing business with maritime historian Dr Helen Doe; modern-day accounts of working in the industry from “female fisherman” Ashley Mullenger; and archive material related to herring fishing from the Wick Heritage Museum in Caithness, Scotland. Tastings of British tinned fish will complete what is sure to be a salty feast for the senses.
Kitchen Comforts
Saturday 31 May 16.30 – 17.30, Piazza Pavilion
Discover how cooking, eating and feeding bring comfort across different cultures and communities. Author, journalist and broadcaster Jimi Famurewa is joined by cooks, food writers and restaurateurs Roopa Gulati, Jenny Lau and Julie Lin to discuss how food can be a source of emotional solace and grounding. They will examine what food as comfort means across the acts of eating, cooking and feeding others to understand how food impacts families, communities, cultures and societies.
Oysters, Sex and Death: the Life and Writing of M.F.K Fisher (with special tribute band)
Saturday 31 May 16.30 – 17.30, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
The late M.F.K Fisher has long been the food writers’ food writer. Before anyone else, her writing melded memory, personal experience and metaphor, alongside a sharp eye for detail, a passion for eating well and a wry sense of humour. Her essays inspired chefs and set the benchmark for food writing for decades and she even inspired an album from the conceptual band Extradition Order. Join the band along with a panel of food writers as they discuss her legacy, including Kennedy Golden, her daughter; Alastair Harper, award-winning playwright and band member; Rebecca May Johnson author of Small Fires, An Epic in the Kitchen; and Gurdeep Loyal author of Mother Tongue: Flavours of a Second Generation and culinary trends expert.
Beyond the Burger: US Food Wave
Sunday 1 June 12.30 – 13.45, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
Award-winning Guardian food writer Felicity Cloake cycled across America in 2024 looking for the answer to the question: Is there any such thing as American cuisine? In the week that Felicity’s American food adventure Peach Street to Lobster Lane is published, she’ll be talking to a special panel of guests about all that’s good / bad / terrifying / delicious about American food. The panel includes: Decatur chef and Southern food enthusiast Tom Zahir; Texan, author and James Beard Award-winning journalist Kayla Stewart; and Californian-born, London-based comedian Desiree Burch.
Beyond the Taco: Mexican food here and now
Sunday 1 June 12.30 - 13.30, Piazza Pavilion
Mexican food in the UK has boomed in the last few years as access to ingredients has improved and the UK's palate has become more versed in the complexities of Mexican food. While there remains a fixation on tacos, UK chefs and restaurateurs who specialise in Mexican cuisine have been showcasing the variety and depth of the country's cuisine and ingredients, often combining both Mexican and British produce with Mexican traditions. Chef, writer and historian Chloe-Rose Crabtree who discusses how far the UK's Mexican food scene has come and where it is headed; with author and chef Karla Zuazeta who specialises in Northern Mexican home cooking; Thomasina Miers who founded the Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca; Santiago Lastra of Michelin-starred restaurant KOL; and Andrea Montes Renaud, co-founder of Masafina, a British startup which aims to bring specialty Mexican ingredients to restaurant kitchens in the UK.
Five Years On: Hospitality since 2020
Sunday 1 June 14.15 - 15.30, Piazza Pavilion
In 2020, spurred on by the Black Lives Matter movement and the horrific murder of George Floyd the hospitality sector made a pledge to tackle racism and inequality. In this important discussion, experts in the field assess the landscape five years on and attempt to answer the question - has anything really changed? Food writer, diversity consultant and commentator Mallika Basu chairs the discussion, joined by industry expert Lorraine Copes, founder of ground-breaking social enterprise Be Inclusive Hospitality, Aji Akokomi, owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Akoko and Jackson Mclarty, entrepreneur and founder of BlackEats LDN, an initiative that runs sell-out markets showcasing Black-owned businesses in London.
A Few of Our Favourite (Kitchen) Things
Sunday 1 June 14.00 - 15.15, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
How is it that the most everyday of kitchen objects come to carry huge personal value far beyond their monetary value? Perhaps it is when we connect them with family memories or as symbols of identity - they become ways to keep the past alive, or to connect us with people or places we are now separated from. In Bee Wilson’s latest book, The Heart-Shaped Tin: Love, Loss and Kitchen Objects, she charts how seemingly ordinary things take on deeply personal meanings in our lives. For this event Wilson and award-winning food writer Melek Erdal will be exploring with Food Season co-director Angela Clutton the emotional and psychological relationship so many of us have with kitchen objects - from a grandmother’s old rolling pin to a cracked pasta bowl or a particular piece of cutlery.
Eat the Future: Radical ways to feed Ourselves and save the planet
Sunday 1 June, 16.00 - 17.00, Pigott Theatre, Knowledge Centre
In this discussion a panel of experts will explore the future of food and whether our current trajectory will see us able to sustain ourselves in the coming decades, in light of the climate crisis, public health epidemic and food insecurity caused by conflict. Dan Saladino, food writer and expert on biodiversity and food systems leads this panel of practitioners, each offering innovative and radical solutions to our food futures. From Sitopia Farm in south-east London, founder Chloë Dunnett champions organic, regenerative and no-dig principles to sell produce direct to the community. At Crate to Plate, salad and vegetable farming takes place in vertical growing spaces in the heart of the city. And at Kera Foods, pioneering technology transforms the byproduct of poultry farming - chicken feathers - into a nutrient dense, edible protein.
Martini: Myths, Magic and Mixes
Sunday 1 June 16.00 - 17.00, Piazza Pavilion
It’s almost 150 years since someone first had the idea of mixing vermouth and gin. And today, the martini is more popular than ever. Made infamous by characters both real and fictional, including James Bond, Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway and most recently Blake Lively’s character in A Simple Favor, the martini - in all its many iterations - has lasted the test of time as the ultimate in cocktail sophistication. Join Financial Times drinks columnist and The Martini author Alice Lascelles, Sipsmith master distiller and historian Jared Brown and award-winning bartender Monica Berg for a tasting and discussion, exploring the ins and outs of one the world’s most adored and iconic cocktails.
Notes to editors
Tickets are available here: https://events.bl.uk/whats-on/food-season.
Tickets range from £2.50 online to up to £25 for weekend passes and £50 for the Legends dinner event, with concessions available. There are 10% discounts for groups over 10 when booked in advance.
For further information, interviews and image requests, please contact Fiona Smith at Smith and Baxter: fiona@smithandbaxter.co.uk or the British Library Press Office: press@bl.uk.
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