The Scottish Food History Podcast

In this episode, we talk with Rosalind Erskine and Kelly Crichton about their experience in roaming Scotland in search of great food stories. We discuss the relationship between Irish and Scottish food, why women might find it easier to connect with food and what the future hold for our nation's larder.

Today we give Dr Lindsay everything she's ever wanted; an episode all about tins! We take a look at early canning and Scotland's journey to "trusting the tins" before we jump into the history of Scotland's premiere preserving dynasty; Baxters. How did a gardener build a food empire that would survive for over 150 years? Let's find out!

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Eleanor Peters as we discuss Scotland's First Cookery Schools. This week we discuss the women who campaigned for women's education, the role the school cookery books would take in educating the country and the power wars that would ignite a battle over Scotland's kitchens.

This week on the Scottish Food History Podcast, we are joined by none other than Sam Bilton, or Mrs Sam Bilton as she is known online. In this episode we chat with Sam about her journey into food history before we listen to her History of Gingerbread talk from the 2025 Scottish Food Heritage Symposium.

On today's episode we give you a sneak peak into the Scottish Food Heritage Symposium with the keynote from Perilla Kinchin. Perilla, as the authority on Glasgow tearooms, gives us a tour of Catherine Cranston's empire and the impact of her tearooms on Scottish culture.

On this week’s episode of the Scottish Food History Podcast, Dr Lindsay Middleton and I jump into the life of Cate Cranston. Arguably the inventor of the modern tea room, a visionary and undeniable patron of the Glasgow Style, Cate is one of those characters that you won’t believe you never learned about in school. We are joined by Oliver Baird from Mackintosh at the Willow who gives us the inside scoop on Cate’s legacy, the uncomfortable questions we need to ask and what he’d want to ask Cate over a cup of tea.

On today’s episode, me and Lindsay are joined by David Miller, recently crowned Scotland’s Chef of the Year for 2025. David talks to us about his journey from a HNC cookery to being head chef for Carlowrie Castle, he talks about the dessert that he thinks helped him to chinch the title and we have a good blether about family recipes.

On this week’s episode of the scottish food history podcast, we are looking looking at the Tunnocks dynasty. the biscuits wars that created the tecake, the origins of the original wafer, and how exactly the son of a coffin maker would start a bakery that would change the face of Scottish confectionary forever. We are joined in this episode by Sir Boyd Tunnock, grandson of Thomas Tunnock and inventor of the teacake.

In this episode, Peter and Lindsay investigate the history of marmalade through the stories of Scotland's Victorian women. From Marion McFadyen in Paisley to Janet Keiller in Dundee, is there only one origin story for marmalade success!? To top off the episode, Peter and Lindsay interview their own mums and unpack some family food lore! Happy Mother's Day to all!

In this episode, Lindsay and Peter dive into the life of Christian Isobel Johnstone, a 19th century food writer. If you haven't heard her name, then maybe you've heard of Meg Dodds... Ali stoner, known to the world as Roving Haggis, joins this episode for a deep dive on Scottish food. Find out Ali's stance on plain or pan, her claim to Tesco fame and what exactly was behind the hearty skewers that graced her childhood dinner table.

In this special part 2 episode, Dr Lindsay Middleton and Peter Gilchrist dive back into the legacy of Florence Marian McNeill. With the help of Dr Gina Lyle, this episode examines how Florence changed Scotland and we hear, in her own words, where it all started.

This episode is all about the Victorian suffragist, folklorist and food writer, Florence Marian Mcneill. Born in Orkney in 1885, Florence would go on to be one of the most important figures of the 20th century, and you've never heard of her! Join us for a look at the first half of her life as we investigate the events and movements that shaped her commitment to equality and her love of Scotland. We are joined by the devastatingly fabulous Jeremy Lee MBE, chef proprietor at Quo Vadis, London and award-winning food writer, who tells us all about growing up in Dundee, his journey into food, creating the Quo Vadis menu and writing his first book; Cooking, Simply and well, for One or Many.

In this episode, Peter and Lindsay discuss the trials of being a food writer at Christmas time, before jumping into an investigation of Scotland's Hogmanay history. How did people countdown to New Year's without a watch? And why is new year’s eve called Hogmanay in Scotland? Why was the Stonehaven fire ball festival banned for two years and why did a group of boys push a 200-pound boulder up a hill during world war 2? Listen along to find out!

In this episode, we explore how Victorian Scottish city dwellers celebrated Christmas from the new indoor tree trend to the very Dickensian feast. We are joined by Dr Macon McCormack, who talks about how the whisky industry evolved over the Victorian period and Dr Neil Buttery, to talk about all things pudding!

This week we look at how Scotland's rural crofters would have celebrated Christmas, with food, folklore and a mysterious Victorianism of the day.

This episode kickstarts the series with a look at Scotland's festive history from Solstice to Christmas. Peter and Lindsay discuss the impact of the Victorian era on Scotland before popping a cracker for some yuletide jollityy.