And history buffs as well...It's brilliant! I wish I had all morning to watch. I'll be tuning in later though. Thank you so much for posting this:)

Thanks for the tip. Have you seen the show Supersizers? I recently discovered it. I would have thought it was about McDonald's but it isn't. It's a BBC series on the history of food, though I'm not sure what channel it airs on. Fun, fun, fun!

OMG. That is one of my favorite programs. It is actually part of a three DVD set called "The Victorian Garden", which I bought some years ago. I still watch it every so often.

In addition to the above, you should check out: "The Victorian Farm", "The Edwardian Farm", and "Tales From The Green Valley". I also bought these from Amazon UK. They are wonderful especially if you enjoy history and with a lovely and talented cast who recreate the time periods.

Thank you so much for posting this! I had never heard of it and have so far gotten through 5 episodes. I LOVE it!

What a great show!!! I'm still making my way through Episode 1. I'm in love with the cook, Ruth Mott. Found an article about her. She recently died at the great age of 95.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ruth Mott tribute

onedogedie, thanks for that link. I enjoyed Ruth Mott so much. And "The Wartime Kitchen and Garden"? I've never heard of this program! Because of your link I get to watch Ruth Mott again, I've bookmarked the Utube first two episodes of that show and I think the other epiosdes are listed to the left - I hope.

I will add my thanks for the pointer. I am really enjoying it. I love things that cover the history of how women really lived and worked.

> I think the other epiosdes are listed to the left - I hope.

Alas, they have the first two and then the last one (episode 8).

Also watched the Victorian Kitchen Garden episodes. Amazing to see the gardens and learn how they were able to supply the kitchen with so much...well, everything right from the estate gardens. I've learned a lot. The head gardener is as charming to watch as Ruth was in the kitchen episodes. Next up: The Victorian Flower Garden episodes!

thank you, this was lovely

deedles, you'll love the whole series.

writersblock, you are right. The guy who uploaded Episodes 1,2, and 8 said in the comment section that he couldn't get the other episodes to copy off the disk. I went on line and searched for the DVD, but time after time read where it was never offered on a DVD or even a VCR Tape. However, after much digging, I found a seller in the UK who has copied the series from the TV (I assume) and will sell a plain DVD with all 8 episodes. He's selling on a web site called ioffer.com. Somehow you make an offer even tho there's a selling price posted and it says free shipping. I'm not sure that is to the USA tho. I sent a question to him whether or not he accepted Paypal, which he said he did; but along with his reply it was noted that he was "offering" the DVD for $34.00. So I guess the price is actually $34.

I don't mean to hijack the OP thread, but I wanted to add that I also found out there was a Christmas special on UK television with Ruth Mott in her small home town as she gets ready for Christmas. I thought that would be so nice to see. Somebody was talking about the fact that they had a VCR tape of it and it's nearly wore out from the family watching it so often over the years esp. leading up to Christmas. That post was dated 2008, so I hesitated contacting the person.

Oh wow is that show neat.... Thank you so much Alexhouse!

As for locating video, you can contact me offlist for another source/name if you like. I know someone from Canada who seems to be able to get anything at all from all around the world. I haven't really inquired too closely as to the legality or morality of this. I am, at least, happy to pass along his contact info. - the dilemma can be yours.

Alas, they have the first two and then the last one (episode 8).

Some links must be crossed or something for I watched a whole bunch of the episodes.

Here is Episode #2. Breakfast.
Here is Episode #3. Luncheon.
Here is Episode #4. Afternoon Tea.
Here is Episode #5. Dinner
Here is Episode #6. Supper.
Here is Episode #7. The Dinner Party.
Here is Episode #8. Picnics.

I just watched Episode #2 of the new season's Downton Abbey last night and the Dinner Party episode of Victorian Kitchen came to mind.

And here I am remembering the old Upstairs Downstairs and that butler whose name is escaping me ... he looks, sort of, in manner at least, like the Gardener. What was his name? I'm pretty sure I "told" this list this little prized memory before: as a schoolgirl some friends and I received ten pounds each from him for caroling! What a gentleman... :) He's not alive any longer but I sure remember him fondly.

I cannot believe how much I enjoyed watching that episode. Can you *imagine* sawing soup back and forth like that for so long? It just wasn't even all that long ago either and how different is our society today.

But I have a question: that stove, is it like those Aga's people use nowadays? That is, is it perpetually on and you just utilize different spots for hot or less-hot? So interesting ... [Gordon Jackson -- that's who it was!]

Aliris: I know! That soup! My gawd where is my stick blender? Can you imagine the work?

I too saw all the episodes on youtube. I think so anyway...

How about her spinning the sugar for the dessert? Did you see the episode where she hauled out that massive turbot pot that took the two of them to place on the stovetop?

Thanks, AlexHouse, but we were talking about The Wartime Kitchen, not The Victorian Kitchen.

There is only one place I found to get the war time series

Here is a link that might be useful: war time kitchen and garden series

My DH and I enjoyed episode 1. Will have to watch more.

Thanks for the link, donaleen, but you do realize he is just burning copies and sending them? You aren't getting a legit DVD, just a dvd-r that he made?

donaleen, that's the website - ioffer.com - that I spoke of in my above post. And writersblock is right, he makes copies from a copy he made off the TV. Plus now I see it's $17.99, not $28, or the $34 offer he sent me. I would consider ordering but it's a bit confusing and I'm not sure of quality.

Well, I took a chance. I really really like the Wartime Kitchen one and I want to see the rest of it. I tried hard to find it somewhere else, but couldn't.

I thought it was really interesting that onions were one of the first foods to disappear in war time England. We have been watching a series called Foyle's War (on Netflix) where they mention the onion shortage. Can you imagine cooking without onions?

Schoolhouse, sorry. I missed the fact that you had already talked about it.

That's ok donaleen. So, how much did you end up offering or did you pay what he wanted? I'm the one who asked him if he accepted Paypal and he posted his reply. However, when I wanted to ask if shipping was free to the USA or just to UK, I wasn't able to get my email addy accepted again. I'm going to go ahead and order a copy too, but need to wait until I get the money into my PayPal acct. Let me know about the shipping if you can.

I didn't even realize it was a bargaining kind of place. I am not a bargainer anyway. I paid what was asked, $17.99 total. It is on its way...

It is coming from Maryland, not the UK. I have the shipping info from the Post Office.

Well,I should have checked out your link before I posted because I clicked on yours and it's a different ioffer.com seller than what I found. Good! I'm also going to deal with that one. Thanks donaleen. I don't like to bargain either.

I just want to thank AlexHouse for pointing me in the direction of all these wonderful video series... kitchens and gardens, Victorian and war time. It is so much fun and I am learning things, too.

Hey Donaleen, Schoolhouse, AlexKitchen and all the rest -- are any of you still here? *I'm* not! I nipped back onto gardenweb to find the name of this series to give to the mother of a friend who was a terrific gardener in her day and had one of the first gardening or kitchen TV shows I think? She didn't have a TV... ;)

Sadly, when I click on all these links ... gone. It says they're removed for copyright infringement by BBC. So I'm wondering: why do they not release the videos for sale and not permit them to be sold?

I guess I probably know the reason, someone from the series, perhaps Ruth Mott or her family? ...likely has some copyright issues and BBC cannot release them. I know that happened with Alistair Cooke's stuff.

But I can't find the series anywhere! The wartime kitchen series is on utube and the victorian kitchen and garden is, but not the victorian kitchen!

I'm wondering whether anyone has any information or links to this series that still works. It really was such a wonderful series. The reason I even thought of it was because of that section about the mushrooms that were grown. A friend visited with a housegift of a block of fungus that you water and out of it grows mushrooms -- it's really, really wild. So fast and weird and strange and beautiful and slimy they are! I was reminded of the series.

Thanks any for whatever functional links anyone might have....

They are still available on Amazon UK

Here is a link that might be useful: victorian series

Thanks donaleen I just ordered the series dvd. Includes the the three series for 35$ usd to my door by sept 3 Not bad!

But these are region 2, Great Britain-specific. They will not play on most DVD players in North America! :( ppbenn -- did you realize this before ordering? Do you have an alternate way of viewing them??

aliris thanks for pointing out my lack of reading the fine print! Did not realize and now would have to spring for the DVD player...
Or I could just book a flight to London as soon as my DVD's arrive

You can watch on your computer...

Here is a link that might be useful: for your computer

ppbenn -- lol.
donaleen -- that is *great*!!! GW is so amazing.... I am totally out of time and, well, not done with my kitchen but not thinking about it anymore ( ;-) ) so don't hang around here and yet ... think of all the information lost!

Can I just clarify I'm understanding: one downloads this freeware to "kill" the region setting, then inserts the disk and watches the TV programs on your computer. So ... ppbenn no longer needs to travel to London to watch those DVDs on the way to her/im?

I'm really excited about this! I am so going to order those DVDs now! The American offering the discs on idisk or ioffer? whatever it was ... he says he only has the garden, war and Victorian part of the triumvirate; he's missing the Victorian Kitchen?! Such a sadness. But .... with this software: oh goody!!!

I don't watch TV. *Listen* to me.... But that was so incredibly neat. Here's the reason I got interested in revisiting the series. This kit really works! It's totally scary. Makes me wonder whether you can just take dead mushrooms, chop them into a mash and dry them out, rehydrate them and grow fresh spring from the moosh of the old??? I wanted to see if there were clues in that episode.

Hi everyone! I'm reviving this old thread in case anyone happens to have a modern, working link to this wonderful series. I have no idea why the BBC won't let this old stuff be available. It may just be 4 of us oldsters interested, but ... we're interested?! I'd love to review the episodes of "The Victorian Kitchen" if possible. I never did buy those DVDs which was a mistake.