Introduction

There is a very clear link between poverty and a poor diet in real life but also in literature.  In this blog I will explore food poverty by analysing passages from some 19^th century texts such as Henry Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor, and Alexis Sowyer’s recipe book: A shilling cookery for the people but then I will also look at the representation of the working class and food in Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier set in the North of England during the bleak 1930’s. I will examine the availability and quality of food in the texts and the issue of skill.  However, food poverty certainly isn’t a thing of the past it just has a different form with the poorest families in Britain living on just £13 a day, I think even the best chefs would struggle to continuously make well balanced, nutritious meals plus we must consider the time constraints and stresses of modern life. According to The Trussell Trust, Britain’s biggest food bank network between 1st April 2017 and 31st March 2018, they distributed 1,332,952 three day emergency food supplies to people in crisis, a 13% increase on the previous year. 484,026 of these went to children. I want to see if there are similarities between food poverty in texts from the 19^th and early 20^th century to today’s discourse. What is the attitude towards food poverty in Britain before and nowadays? Is it one of sympathy, empathy or is the common Victorian belief still prevalent that the poor are to blame for their ‘idleness’. Jamie Oliver’s desire for everyone to eat healthily despite social class is ideally what should happen but the othering of poor people’s diet isn't effective.  I want to see if there are similarities between food poverty in texts from the 19^th and early 20^th century to today’s discourse. I want to see if it is actually possible to eat nutritious meals despite the severe financial strains and austerity many face in society. I will do this through analysing some of Jack Monroe’s recipes who is food poverty campaigner and the recipe book inspired from the BBC show Eat well for less.