Recipes from a Victorian Kitchen
The Servants' Wing at Audley End House and Gardens in Essex is the perfect place to experience Victorian life.
With its stunning open range, high ceilings, wonderful copper pans and kitchenware, the kitchens at Audley End would have been a hive of activity in Victorian England, as the cook and her staff busily prepared dishes for Lord and Lady Braybrooke.
Mrs Avis Crocombe was the cook at Audley End in the 1880s and we have brought some of her recipes to life in the kitchens she worked in.
A Real Victorian Cookbook
Mrs Avis Crocombe was the head cook at Audley End House in the 1880s. She compiled many different recipes in her handwritten cookery book which includes a range of Victorian delights - including a recipe for roasted swan!
We use these recipes as inspiration for our cookery videos which you can find on the English Heritage YouTube channel.
The cookbook is now safely archived at Audley End, but the wonderful kitchens are open for exploration and visitors can venture inside to discover what life was life for kitchen staff in the Victorian era.
Latest Recipe
How to make cheese seftons
Cheese and pastry. What's not to like? In the latest episode, Mrs Crocombe shows us how to make delicious cheese seftons, ideal for the end of a meal or as a savoury palate cleanser.
Main Dishes
DOUBLE-CLICK ON A VIDEO TO VIEW IN FULL SCREEN
Cakes and Biscuits
Seasonal specials
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SubscribeAudley End Events
Go behind the scenes at Audley End House and experience for yourself the inner workings of a Victorian kitchen.
On our special event days, you can meet Mrs Crocombe as she prepares a meal for the family, learn from the stable-hands while they groom the horses, and meet housekeeper Mrs Warwick and other members of staff as they organise the house for the day.
There are also plenty of other ways to get 'hands on' with history by taking part in our events happening across the country.
Search all eventsYou Might Also Enjoy...
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Blog: The Queen and her Cakes
Curator Michael Hunter gives a brief account of a quintessential British institution, afternoon tea, and gets to the bottom of three cakes closely associated with Queen Victoria.
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Shop: Food Gifts
Create historically inspired recipes with our range of food and drink products, from our award-winning scrumptious curds and jams to our delicious liquers and Mead.
