Could you share a brief overview of your background?
I’m Professor of Modern World History at Liverpool Hope University. It is one of the three universities in the city of Liverpool. My specialism is the history of food and I also focus on current policy around food, food poverty, and food security, so all things food.
I moved to Liverpool from Ireland and have been here about a decade now. I love Liverpool. I think it’s a brilliant city in so many ways. I originally started out studying Irish history, but over the years my interests have morphed into the international history of food, which I now teach, write and research. I do quite a lot of food consultancy for the public and private sector, and I suppose that reflects Liverpool in a way, because Liverpool is a great international gateway.
What do you love most about what you do?
I would say having the opportunity to travel the world for research. I love teaching, it’s brilliant to be around young people and to know what’s going on in the world of young people. But for me, it’s getting external funds that enable me to travel the world. I’ve researched the theme of food, broadly defined, everywhere from North America and Latin America, to parts of Europe, to China, to the Caribbean. That’s the most fun, because food is such a common thing, it brings us all together. The different cultures, rituals, and economic dimensions to the question of food are endlessly fascinating for me.
What key themes will you be discussing in your keynote at the conference?
I’m keen to, firstly, give people an introduction to myself and share some pieces of research which I think will be interesting. I’ve got some great anecdotes from some serious research I did around the history of airplane food. Most people hate airline food; it’s something they’d rather forget. But I did the whole history of airline food, focusing on the airline that’s no longer with us, a great American VIP airline, Pan American, or Pan Am. So, some good anecdotes around the history of airline food, which I presume quite a lot of people will have experienced before coming to the conference, even if they don’t like it.
Then I’d like to dig into a bit of British and Irish eating traditions and some of my research and policy work today around social eating, which is something I’m very enthusiastic about. There are so many international examples of social eating schemes, especially in the Nordic countries, in Scandinavia, which I’m really interested in. I’m excited to talk about a social food revival that we’re having in Britain, then I’d like to go very specifically into Liverpool.
Could you give a sneak peek into the culinary and cultural history of Liverpool?
I want to introduce Liverpool’s food history and culture through the medium of the Liverpool dish ‘scouse’, which is essentially a bowl of stew with crusty bread and red cabbage. But therein lies so much of the history of Liverpool in terms of Irish migration, poverty, different social groups within the city, and lots of Scandinavian influences as well. So, I’m literally going to go into the ingredients of that dish to tell everyone about it, which of course is where the term ‘Scouser’ comes from, to give them a bit of an introduction to the city itself.
Liverpool is such an international hub. A restaurant in town was doing some building work recently and they found a menu from The Titanic, for example, so I’ll talk a bit about all the international and transatlantic links as well, sharing the story of Liverpool through its food.
What’s your favorite thing about Liverpool? Are there any food/drinks spots that you’d like to share with attendees?
I think one place people might find interesting to visit is the Chinatown area. Liverpool has the oldest Chinatown in Europe, and around that area is quite funky and cool. I’d also definitely tell people to go to Bold Street. Bold Street is a nice, pedestrianized part of the city, right in the city center. You’ve got literally every cuisine on that stretch, from Greek, Turkish, African, vegan, vegetarian type options to literally anything.
There’s also another place, one of these indoor eating markets, called Blackstock Market, where you get long table dining. Social eating is cool. And then I would encourage people to go to the traditional pubs of Liverpool, of which there are too many to mention, but noting The Lady of Mann and my very traditional pub recommendation, The Roscoe Head to name a couple.
Is there anything else you’re excited for people to experience or learn about Liverpool?
I guess people are coming in from all around the world, many of whom wouldn’t have been to Liverpool. I think it’s important to state that Liverpool, as I’m sure they’ll discover, has a very proud sense of self-identity. In some ways, it’s not a typically English city. It’s very proudly independent and I guess would have more unique and different cultural influences than some other British cities. I think it is important visitors understand the uniqueness of it even within England, which is a wonderful thing.
Lauren Hurrell
