The Austen Table: A Culinary Celebration

Celebrate Jane Austen on her birthday, December 16—or any day—with a festive meal inspired by Austen family recipes and Regency-era favorites. 

We're excited to announce a new section on our website: The Austen Table: A Culinary Celebration. Food historian Dan Macey has curated a collection of 18 recipes to help us recreate foods and beverages Jane Austen may have enjoyed herself. Included in the selection are recipes generously contributed by Julienne Gehrer from Dining with Jane Austen (The Ashgrove Press, 2021) and by Laura Boyle from Cooking with Jane Austen & Friends (Trail Publishing, 2010); we are grateful for their help in making this resource available to Janeites everywhere. 

All the recipes have been adapted for today's cook—many drawn from period sources such as Martha Lloyd's household book, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse, and The Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth Raffald. They also range from the simplest to the more elaborate—from toasted cheese (a favorite of Jane Austen) to a "bride's cake" fit for Mrs. Weston. A PDF version of each recipe is also provided so you can easily download or print the instructions for use in your kitchen.

Bring a taste from the Austen table to your celebration—whether you're hosting a dinner, luncheon, tea, picnic, or simply curling up with your favorite Austen novel!