To contact us:

David Richardson

Tel: +44 (0)23 9236 9970

Email: legiiavg@btopenworld.com

The Roman Kitchen

Much of the Roman cooking utensils and other kitchen equipment would be instantly recognisable to most modern people who are familiar with the inside of a kitchen. Often all that has changed is the material used to create the object. Much pottery has been found in the ancient Roman kitchen which is one of the reasons we have a fairly good idea what was used by them today, as pottery can often withstand the ravages of time better than metals and other perishable materials.

Many modern appliances are solely based upon similar objects to those which can be found amongst the archeology of a Roman kitchen. Ovens, food blenders, serving jars, griddles and much more beside can easily be found, in more primitive designs, among the ruins of kitchens in well preserved locations such as Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Our display demonstrates a humble Roman kitchen that might have been found in many houses throughout the Empire, utensils, food and equipment have all been recreated from discoveries made throughout the Roman Empire. We even regularly reproduce some of the menus that are currently known to us through archaeology. Although many of the recipes that the Romans may have enjoyed would be alien to us today there are some old favourites to be found among them such as pork and apple, almond cake, fig pudding, rice pudding and even a form of ground beef burger.

Mortarium, a special roughened bowl for grinding herbs and spices

Rare edible Roman snail at Chedworth Villa

Our own edible doremouse, see if you can spot him at the shows...