14 DAY TRIAL // A series of ancient meals dating back to the 18th century have been recreated by a group of students from Wakefield College after an old recipe book from the World War II has been unearthed.
At first sight, the valuable recipe book, found within the household management papers of the Nostell Priory in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, seems an ordinary book with leather covers. But the hand-written manuscripts belonging to the Winn family include detailed instructions on how to cook a variety of historic meals.
Experts have used the handwriting to date the book back to the 18th century, as it was unnamed and undated. It is believed that it belonged to Lady Sabine Winn, the wife of Sir Rowland Winn, 5th Baronet.
The first half of the book includes recipes for different preserves and pickles, wines and cordials, as well as instructions on how to prepare meals and desserts.
The second part of the cooking book is filled with traditional recipes used by our ancestors to cure different illnesses ranging from headaches to the plague. It includes remedies not only for adults and children, but also for animals, and often offers detailed instructions on how to administer them.
Catering students at Wakefield College, under the supervision of Chef Lecturer Darren Sharpe, are recreating some of the long-forgotten meals described in the book. The recipes have been revealed by the West Yorkshire Archive Service so that they can be served up at the award-winning Gaskell's Restaurant at their college.
“This is a perfect example of a live project with a respected local employer and agency. Our students and academic staff were given access to the archives an came up with an exciting menu for the customers of the College's award winning restaurant,” Laurent Berges, from Wakefield College, said, as reported by Daily Mail.
“It is very important students learn how to respond to a customer's brief, and develop outstanding professional skills in the process,” he added.
Among the dishes to be found on the restaurant's menu are a traditional Quaking pudding from the 1700s, which was thought to have cured the plague, stewed rabbit, a sheep's head pie, and a recipe to “alleviate a mad dog's bite.”
Wakefield College offers a range of further and higher education programs from its three campuses across the Wakefield area. It is the largest college in the District and has an impressive track record, having provided education and training in Wakefield and its surrounding area since 1868.