Special event
Pleasant vices: a history of pleasurable food

At this delectable event a panel of experts will explore the cultural backgrounds behind some of our ‘pleasant vices’ – alcohol, sugar, chocolate and aphrodisiacs – in relation to the British Museum’s collection and beyond.

Hosted by acclaimed food historian and artist Tasha Marks, the panel includes food and wine expert Susan Boyle, chocolatier and pâtissier Paul A Young, and Jennifer Evans, Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Hertfordshire.

This event relates to a forthcoming British Museum YouTube series with Tasha Marks, available from early May at youtube.com/britishmuseum

Refreshments will be available to buy in the lecture theatre foyer from 17.45, with the discussion starting at 18.30.

Tasha Marks is an award-winning food historian and artist who explores the relationship between food, art and history. Her practice, AVM Curiosities, champions the use of food as an artistic medium, with projects ranging from museum-style exhibitions and sculptural installations to interactive lectures and limited edition confectionery. She has recently authored the Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets entry on Mrs Beeton, one of the Victorian era’s most influential cooks.

Jennifer Evans is a senior lecturer in history at the University of Hertfordshire. Her research interests lie in the reproductive and medical histories of the 17th century. Her first book, Aphrodisiacs, Fertility and Medicine in Early Modern England, was published in 2014. She has also edited Perceptions of Pregnancy from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century (2017), and is the co-author of Maladies and Medicine: exploring health and healing 1540–1740 (2017). She is currently working on a project exploring men’s sexual health in the 17th century.

Paul A Young is a world-renowned chocolatier at the forefront of the British chocolate scene. A champion of traditional artisanal methods, he is famed for his incredibly creative chocolate pairings, incorporating unusual and interesting flavours into his products. Paul’s passion for his craft and his cutting-edge creativity have won him numerous awards, including best Sea Salted Caramel in the world two years running. He has written three books, including Sensational Chocolate: A Celebrity Collaboration in support of the Children’s Air Ambulance. Paul is often in the press and on TV, including The Sweet Makers, This Morning, Sunday Brunch and Good Morning Britain.

Susan Boyle is a drinks consultant, researcher, writer, storyteller and performer. As an award-winning member of the Guild of Beer Writers, Susan is an international beer judge and one half of Two Sisters Brewing. Together with her sister Judith, she makes Brigid's Ale, using local ingredients and honey, which can be enjoyed in their family pub in Kildare Town, Ireland. Susan is currently studying for a research masters in the importance of storytelling and place to beverages at the Institute of Technology Tallaght. Her critically acclaimed one-woman wine tasting show A Wine Goose Chase has toured widely and she regularly hosts drinks features on Irish national television and radio.

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