Medieval Foods and Feasts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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