1. Medieval Foods and Feasts

2. Month Work that needed to be done Weather the farmer wanted
January
mending and making tools, repairing fences
showers
February
carting manure and marl
March
ploughing and spreading manure
dry, no severe frosts
April
spring sowing of seeds, harrowing
showers and sunshine
May
digging ditches, first ploughing of fallow fields
June
hay making, second ploughing of fallow field, sheep-shearing
dry weather

3. Month Work that needed to be done Weather the farmer wanted
July
hay making, sheep-shearing, weeding of crops
dry early, showers later
August
Harvesting
warm, dry weather
September
threshing, ploughing and pruning fruit trees
showers
October
Last ploughing of the year
dry, no severe frosts
November
collecting acorns for pigs
showers and sunshine
December
Mending and making tools, killing animals

4. Standing - moderate/heavy work 1,742 Calories in 8 hr
Weeding Garden
1,960 Calories in 8 hr
Standing - moderate/heavy work
1,742 Calories in 8 hr
Hauling - water (e.g., on farm)
Cultivating Garden
1,470 Calories in 6 hr
Chopping Wood - occupation, fast
5,552 Calories in 6 hr
Farming - animal care, general
2,613 Calories in 8 hr

5. Sawing - hardwood, by hand (carpentry)
3,266 Calories in 8 hr
Forking Bales of Hay
3,484 Calories in 8 hr
Farming - shearing sheep
2,613 Calories in 8 hr
Farming - chasing livestock, walking
1,524 Calories in 8 hr
Digging - ditches
3,701 Calories in 8 hr
Chopping Wood - occupation, fast
7,403 Calories in 8 hr

6. dark bread (probably made of rye) with luck some meat or fish
Breakfast
dark bread (probably made of rye)
ale to drink.
Dinner
ploughman's lunch"
eaten in the fields
dark bread and cheese
maybe some meat
flask of ale to drink.
Supper
vegetable pottage
with luck some meat or fish
Bread
ale

7. Breakfast
white bread;
three meat dishes;
three fish dishes
wine or ale to drink.
Dinner
three courses but each course might have between four to six courses in it!
meat and fish
wine and ale
It is likely that only small parts from each dish were eaten with the rest meant to be thrown away -  though the lord's kitchen workers and servants might be able to help themselves if the lord was not looking!
Supper
very similar to the dinner but with slightly more unusual dishes such as
pigeon pie,
woodcock (bird)
Sturgeon (fish)
Wine and ale

8. white bread;
three meat dishes;
three fish dishes
wine or ale to drink.
three courses but each course might have between four to six courses in it!
meat and fish
wine and ale
It is likely that only small parts from each dish were eaten with the rest meant to be thrown away -  though the lord's kitchen workers and servants might be able to help themselves if the lord was not looking!
very similar to the dinner but with slightly more unusual dishes such as
pigeon pie,
woodcock (bird)
Sturgeon (fish)
Wine and ale

9. Menu
Invitation:
Please join us at midday on the sixteenth of December to celebrate …..
Turkey Legs
Beef and Bean Stew
Roman Macaroni
Bread
Soft Pretzels
Turnips
Apple Tarts