What It Was Actually Like to Work in Henry VIII's Kitchen

What It Was Actually Like to Work in Henry VIII's Kitchen

April 14, 2026 · 22 min

About this episode

This episode explores the daily operations and challenges of Henry VIII's kitchens at Hampton Court.

Henry VIII's kitchens at Hampton Court occupied 55 rooms, employed 200 men, and burned six tons of wood every single day. This episode spends 24 hours inside that operation, from the scullions lighting fires before dawn to the leftover food going to the poor at the end of the day. We cover the kitchen hierarchy, the staggering food quantities, the spit boy and his very specific idea of a holiday, who ate what and where, and the theft problem that required a royal decree to address. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Host: Heather Teysko

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Places: Hampton Court

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