9 December 2026
- 19:30 to 20:30
Talk
A sweet history of cake and Christmas
Join us for a festive tradition, Annie Gray’s Christmas lecture. The topic? That most iconic (and delicious) of puddings, the Christmas cake!
- Date
- 9 December 2026
- Location
- Online
Food and drink play a huge part in defining who we are and how we are perceived by others. True on an individual basis, it’s even more true when we consider national identity. One of the defining dishes of Englishness is cake: we make it, eat it, and have exported its delights wherever we’ve spread our particular brand of culture.
Discover the history of cake through the story of one of the most iconic English cakes: the rich, fruited spectacular that is a really good Christmas cake.
Annie Gray takes us on a tour of cake and where it came from and explains why Christmas cake is now imperilled. (Spoiler alert: she has solutions). It's not too late to make your own, so let this talk help get you in the mood.
Event details
- Date
- 9 December 2026, 19:30 to 20:30
- Price
-
Free
Pay what you can
- Location
- Online, Live-streamed on Vimeo
Dates for this event
How to join online
What you need to join
This event will be live streamed on the website of our streaming service, Vimeo.
When you book, you will receive an email that includes the link you need to join the event. This link will also be shared with you in a reminder email in advance of the event.
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- For the best experience we recommend using either a laptop or desktop computer.
Help during the event
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- If you have a query that has not been answered above, please email us at whatson@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Watch after the event
This talk will be available to watch after the event, using the same link you will receive to join it live. It will remain available for a limited period of 48 hours after the event has finished, unless otherwise stated.
