The Tudor kitchens at Hampton Court Palace served over 400 people a day in the court of Henry VIII. Lavish feasts for the King and courtiers, and meals for 200 staff were prepared in the huge kitchens that still exist today. It’s easy to imagine that conditions in these kitchens would be hot, messy, and unhygienic. But was that the case?
In this video, our Tudor historian takes you through a tour of Henry VIII’s kitchens, explaining how they were designed with health and hygiene in mind. Isaac also tests some Tudor methods for doing the dishes, including brick dust, wood shavings, and boiling in lye.