History and Bakes a Resource Pack for Schools

THE IPSWICH BISCUIT

History and Bakes A Resource Pack for Schools

Contents

About the Ipswich Biscuit 5 How to use this resource pack: a teacher’s guide 6 Key stages overview 7

SECTION A: KEY STAGE 1-2 9 Lesson 1: Eliza Acton 10 Worksheet (1) 12 Worksheet (2) 15 Lesson 2: Nutrition and Biscuits 28 Handout (1) 32 Worksheet (1) 33 Lesson 3: Ipswich and Biscuits 35 Worksheet (1) 37 Contents

SECTION B: KEY STAGE 3 - 4 39 Lesson 1: Client Briefing – Ipswich Biscuit 40 Worksheet (1) 42 Lesson 2: Nutrition and Biscuits 48 Worksheet (1) 50

SECTION C: REFLECTIONS ON THE HISTORY OF BISCUITS 56 from Professor of Archaeological Science, Martin Jones Food for Journeyors 57 Biscuits as text 58

The contents of this pack have been produced by Pacitti Company 2019. You may use it for educational purposes only. Images and other content may be subject to third party copyright licenses. About

Imagine if Ipswich were to have its own namesake biscuit. Something delicious with the word ‘Ipswich’ clearly stamped or pricked or marked on it. Can we make the town known with a great bake?

The Ipswich Biscuit is a project where art meets science through a public crafting of baked goods.

5 How to use this resource pack

This pack is for schools interested in taking part in the Ipswich Biscuit Competition. This pack has a focus on learning about local historical figures, the history of biscuits, baking skills and nutrition, as well as further activity in design.

It offers lesson plans and worksheets for teachers and students during class time. The activities are presented to encourage students to learn and practice skills in Food Technology, Art + Design, and History relating to the Ipswich Biscuit.

All resources are linked to the National Curriculum requirements for Key Stages 1-4. The resource has been split into two sections (key stage 1-2 and key stage 3-4) and are listed below.

Food Technology (England) National Curriculum key stage criteria

6 Key Stage 1 + 2

As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.

KEY STAGE 1

• use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes • understand where food comes from

KEY STAGE 2

• understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet • prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques

7 Key Stage 3 + 4

KEY STAGE 3

• understand and apply the principles of nutrition and health • become competent in a range of cooking techniques [for example, selecting and preparing ingredients; using utensils and electrical equipment; applying heat in different ways; using awareness of taste, texture and smell to decide how to season dishes and combine ingredients; adapting and using their own recipes

KEY STAGE 4

• how to calculate energy and nutritional values and plan recipes, meals and diets accordingly • understand the economic, environmental, ethical, and socio-cultural influences on food availability, production processes, and diet and health choices

8 KEY STAGE 1 - 2

The Ipswich Biscuit LESSON 1 Lesson 1 Eliza Acton INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS

Who was Eliza Acton? Elizabeth “Eliza” Acton (17 April 1799 – 13 February 1859) was an English food writer and poet, who produced one of Britain’s first cookery books aimed at the domestic reader, Modern Cookery for Private Families.

What was she best known for and why was she so important? The book introduced the now universal approach of listing ingredients and giving suggested cooking times for each recipe. It included the first recipes using Brussels sprouts and for spaghetti. It also contains the first recipe for what she called “Christmas pudding”; the dish was normally called plum pudding.

What else was she known for? Poetry.

Where and when was EIiza born? Sussex, in April 1799.

Where did she grow up? Ipswich, Suffolk as they moved for her father’s work.

Who were her family and what did they do for work? She was the eldest of six sisters and three brothers. Her father was John Acton, a brewer, and her mother was Elizabeth (née Mercer). By1800 the family had moved to Ipswich, Suffolk, where they lived in a house adjoining the St. Peter’s Brewery, where John took employment running Trotman, Halliday & Studd, the company that owned the brewery.

10 Lesson 1 Eliza Acton LESSON OBJECTIVES

• Students should have independently researched the local historical figure, Eliza Acton • Students should be able to repeat key facts back to the class. • Students should be able to extract information from the historical recipe book to create a clear step-by-step guide

RESOURCES

• ICT Room and/or internet access • Pens/pencils, worksheet per group • Worksheets 1 and 2

TEACHER’S LESSON PLAN

• Using the internet, ask students to find answers to the Eliza Acton worksheet questions (20 minutes) • Ask students, in groups, to deliver their findings back to the class (10 minutes) • Ask students, in groups, to read the recipe for Eliza Acton’s ‘Threadneedle Street Biscuits’ (5minutes) • Ask students to use the recipe for ‘Threadneedle Street Biscuits’ to make a clear step guide to make the biscuit (10 minutes) • Ask students to research 3 modern biscuit recipes online (all differing) (15 minutes) • Using the recipes they have looked at so far, ask the students in groups to come up with their own delicious biscuit recipe (15 minutes) • Ask students to share their biscuit recipes with the class (10 minutes)

Extension: Optionally, another lesson can be dedicated to baking the Threadneedle Street Biscuits.

11 Worksheet 1 Eliza Acton

Who was Eliza Acton?

......

What was she best known for and why was she so important?

......

What else was she known for?

......

Where and when was EIiza born?

......

12 Worksheet 1 Eliza Acton

Where did she grow up?

......

Who were her family and what did they do for work?

......

13 Worksheet 1 Eliza Acton

What else can you find out about Eliza Acton?

......

14 Worksheet 2 Eliza Acton

1897 edition of Acton’s ‘Modern Cookery for Private Families’ Source: tonbridgehistory.org.uk

1897 edition of Acton’s ‘Modern Cookery for Private Families’. Source: archive.org

15 Worksheet 2 Eliza Acton

1897 edition of Acton’s ‘Modern Cookery for Private Families’. Source: archive.org

16 Worksheet 2 Threadneedle Street Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

•Flour (900g) •Butter (85g) •Sugar (120g) •Milk (570ml) •Bicarbonate of soda (1/2 teaspoon) (optional) •Carraway seeds (optional)

TOOLS

•Sieve (1) •Measuring scales (1) •Wooden spoon (1) •Rolling pin (1) •Ruler (1) (optional) •Square cutter (1) (optional shapes) •Teaspoon (1) •Baking tray (1)

17 Worksheet 2 Threadneedle Street Biscuits

Using Eliza’s guide can you write down each step of the recipe?

Step 1

......

Step 2

......

Step 3

......

18 Worksheet 2 Threadneedle Street Biscuits

Step 4

......

Step 5

......

Step 6

......

Step 7

......

...... 19 Worksheet 2 Other Biscuit Recipes

Now research three different biscuit recipes online. Make a note of the ingredients, the tools and the recipe.

BISCUIT #1 NAME: ......

INGREDIENTS:

......

TOOLS:

......

Step 1

......

Step 2

......

20 Worksheet 2 Other Biscuit Recipes

Step 3

......

Step 4

......

Step 5

......

Step 6

......

...... 21 Worksheet 2 Other Biscuit Recipes

BISCUIT #2 NAME: ......

INGREDIENTS:

......

TOOLS:

......

Step 1

......

Step 2

......

...... 22 Worksheet 2 Other Biscuit Recipes

Step 3

......

Step 4

......

Step 5

......

Step 6

......

...... 23 Worksheet 2 Other Biscuit Recipes

BISCUIT #3 NAME: ......

INGREDIENTS:

......

TOOLS:

......

Step 1

......

Step 2

......

...... 24 Worksheet 2 Other Biscuit Recipes

Step 3

......

Step 4

......

Step 5

......

Step 6

......

...... 25 Worksheet 2 Your Biscuit Recipe

Using Eliza Acton’s Threadneedle Street biscuit recipe and the three other biscuit recipes you have researched, create your own biscuit recipe in groups.

YOUR BISCUIT NAME: ......

INGREDIENTS:

......

TOOLS:

......

Step 1

......

Step 2

......

...... 26 Worksheet 2 Other Biscuit Recipes

Step 3

......

Step 4

......

Step 5

......

Step 6

......

...... 27 KEY STAGE 1 - 2

The Ipswich Biscuit LESSON 2 Lesson 2 Nutrition + Biscuits

LESSON OBJECTIVES

• Students should understand what makes up a healthy diet and be able to identify at least two foods which belong to the correct nutritional group • Students should be able to recall the history of biscuits and different types of biscuits around the world

RESOURCES

• ICT Room and/or internet access • Pens/pencils, worksheet per group • Worksheet 1, Worksheet 2 from Lesson 1 and Handout 1

TEACHER’S LESSON PLAN

Nutrition

• Ask students what foods make up a healthy diet (5 minutes) • Ask students why it is important to have a healthy diet (5 minutes) • Refer to the Eatwell guide chart (handout 1), alternatively, if you have a smartboard or computer access, refer to any NHS Eatwell guide chart. Explain to students the purpose of each food group (10 minutes) • Ask students to ‘guess’ which group belongs to which section on the chart, then discuss as a class (10 minutes)

Biscuits

• Ask students to name different types of biscuits (5 minutes) • Referring to Lesson 1 on Eliza Acton, ask students to identify which ingredients in the food chart go into making a basic biscuit (5 minutes)

29 Lesson 2 Nutrition + Biscuits

• Discuss as a class, what could be added, or taken away to make a biscuit recipe more nutritionally balanced (5 minutes) • Referring back to Lesson 1, ask students to recreate their biscuit to make it more nutritionally balanced, labelling the nutrition groups i.e. flour = carbohydrates (Lesson 2: Worksheet 1) (15 minutes)

Biscuit History and Culture

• Ask students to refer back to the list of biscuits mentioned earlier in the lesson. One of which is likely to have been the popular American brand ‘Oreo’. Ask students, is this a biscuit or a cookie? (if you have a smartboard or internet access, refer to images of other American popular brands). Ask students to describe the taste, look and texture of a biscuit and a cookie (on a white board, split the board into two columns, one labelled cookie, and the other biscuit). Ask them to write down words which describe them. (10 minutes)

Cookies Biscuits Soft and hard Hard Dipped in milk Dipped in tea Sweet Sweet or savoury American British (American biscuits are like British scones)

30 Lesson 2 Nutrition + Biscuits

• Explain to students that the word for biscuits comes from the old Latin words ‘bis cotus’, meaning twice baked, which is why biscuits have a hard texture. Biscuits were part of the sailor’s sea diet from the late 1700’s, and remained so until bread and canned foods were introduced. Ask students why they think biscuits would have been a good food source for sailors (5 minutes) • ICT, research: Ask students, in groups, to research the traditional biscuits of another country (not the UK or USA) (10 minutes) • Ask students to report back to the class, describing the ingredients and look of their researched biscuit (10 minutes) • Discuss as a class the differences and similarities between the different cultures’ recipes (5 minutes)

31 Lesson 2 Nutrition + Biscuits HANDOUT 1

The Eatwell Guide. Source: assets.nhs.uk

Nutritional Food Groups

• Carbohydrates give us energy • Proteins help our bodies to repair themselves • Fats help store energy for our bodies • Fibre is important for helping us digest our foods

32 Worksheet 1 Nutrition + Biscuits

Using your biscuit recipe from last lesson can you make it healthier? List the nutritional group each ingredient belongs to: Carbohydrates, Protein, Fats and Fibre.

INGREDIENTS:

......

Step 1

......

Step 2

......

33 Worksheet 1 Nutrition + Biscuits

Step 3

......

Step 4

......

Step 5

......

Step 6

......

...... 34 KEY STAGE 1 - 2

The Ipswich Biscuit LESSON 3 Lesson 3 Ipswich + Biscuits

LESSON OBJECTIVES

• Students should be able to utilise local historical facts, nutritional values and cultural varieties to create a final version of their biscuit • To consider flavour, ingredients and local culture when creating their recipe

RESOURCES

• ICT Room and/or internet access • Pens/pencils, worksheet per group • Worksheet 1, Worksheet 2 from Lesson 1 and Handout 1 from Lesson 2

TEACHER’S LESSON PLAN

• Ask students to write down on the white board places they love in Ipswich (5 minutes) • Ask students to write down words to describe Ipswich (5 minutes) • Ask students to write down food they love in Ipswich (5 minutes) • Ask students to think about a place in Ipswich where they had their favourite food. Who were they with? What was the weather like? Who made the food? Ask them to tell the person sitting next to them (10 minutes). Some students can then share their story with the entire class (5 minutes) • Ask students then to write down in their groups some of the flavours from each of their stories they can remember (5 minutes) • Ask students to think about the different biscuits from around the world they researched last lesson. What are the different ingredients? How are the flavours different? What did they like the sound of? Ask them to write down their answers down (5 minutes) • Ask students to refer back to the all the recipes they’ve looked at so far, and create a biscuit they would like as an Ipswich Biscuit (20 minutes) (Lesson 3: Worksheet 1) 36 Worksheet 1 Ipswich + Biscuits

Using your biscuit recipe from last lesson and thinking about your group’s favourite flavours and ingredients from Ipswich and around the world, write out a recipe for an Ipswich Biscuit. Remember to list the nutritional group each ingredient belongs to: Carbohydrates, Protein, Fats and Fibre.

INGREDIENTS:

......

TOOLS:

......

Step 1

......

Step 2

......

...... 37 Worksheet 1 Ipswich + Biscuits

Step 3

......

Step 4

......

Step 5

......

Step 6

......

...... 38 KEY STAGE 3 - 4

The Ipswich Biscuit LESSON 1 Lesson 1 Client Brief

LESSON OBJECTIVES

• Students should be able to analyse thoroughly a set of design briefs from a client considering: - Cultural beliefs - Allergens and variety in dietary requirements

CLIENT BRIEFING

• Ask students to read the client briefing worksheet (1). Emphasise the historical context i.e. Eliza Acton and Ship’s biscuits.

ELIZA ACTON

Where and when was EIiza born? Sussex, in April 1799.

40 Lesson 1 Client Brief Where did she grow up? Ipswich, Suffolk as they moved for her father’s work.

Who were her family and what did they do for work? She was the eldest of six sisters and three brothers. Her father was John Acton, a brewer, and her mother was Elizabeth (née Mercer). By 1800 the family had moved to Ipswich, Suffolk, where they lived in a house adjoining thet St. Peter’s Brewery, where John took employment running Trotman, Halliday & Studd, the company that owned the brewery.

Her cookbook and biscuit recipes can be found here pages 560-561: https://archive.org/details/moderncookeryfo00actogoog/page/n623

Ship’s Biscuit information can be found here: https://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/ships-biscuit

RESOURCES

• Worksheet (1) • ICT or internet access for each student

41 Worksheet 1 Client Brief

CLIENT BRIEF

Pacitti Company (an Arts charity in Ipswich) who produce SPILL Festival of Performance would like a biscuit to be created (savoury or sweet) which could be retailed in local grocery stores and cafés.

The client would like the biscuits to represent Ipswich in flavour and design, which could be retailed at a financially accessible price point and could accommodate a variety of different dietary needs.

The client would like 20 biscuits as a first stage product test which would be judged by an Ipswich community panel in December 2019.

Complete the following table in relation to the client briefing: Market research in relation to client brief is key, think about similarities and differences in currently marketed biscuits.

To design and bake an Ipswich Biscuit Food technologist’s brief notes (make for the local community for retail in detailed notes on another page) partnership with Pacitti Company. Environmental Issues

42 Worksheet 1 Client Brief

Historical contexts i.e. Ship’s biscuits, Eliza Acton

Target Market needs (cultural dietary needs in Ipswich, dietary requirements, demographic etc). Can you think of other ways to gain data outside of the internet? e.g questionnaires with families, residential homes etc.

Existing Products (big branded biscuits are important, but consider where and what other biscuits are being sold in the region)

43 Worksheet 1 Client Brief

Nutrition

Ingredients

Possible Products (is there a gap in the market, what ingredients, designs would retail well in the region?)

44 Worksheet 1 Client Brief

Using your market and product research, can you create a biscuit which would meet the clients needs? Fill in the worksheet below.

For guidance, why not research recipes of biscuits? Here is an example recipe:

• 125g butter, softened PER BISCUIT: • 70g caster sugar • 1 egg yolk • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 150g plain flour

Makes approximately 15 biscuits.

METHOD

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. 2. Mix 125g softened butter and 70g caster sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, then add 1 egg yolk and 1 tsp vanilla extract and briefly beat to combine. 3. Sift over 150g plain flour and stir until the mixture is well combined – you might need to get your hands in at the end to give everything a really good mix and press the dough together. 4. Pull pieces off the dough and roll them out to about the thickness of two £1 coins on a floured surface and cut out shapes using a 9cm biscuit cutter 5. Transfer the individual biscuits to the baking sheet and bake for 8-10 mins or until the edges are just brown. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then serve.

Source: bbcgoodfood.com

45 Worksheet 1 Client Brief

Using your market and product research, can you create a biscuit which would meet the clients needs?

INGREDIENTS:

......

TOOLS:

......

Step 1

......

Step 2

......

46 Worksheet 1 Client Brief

Step 3

......

Step 4

......

Step 5

......

Step 6

......

...... 47 KEY STAGE 3 - 4

The Ipswich Biscuit LESSON 2 Lesson 2 Nutrition — Ipswich Biscuit

LESSON OBJECTIVES

• Students should be able to understand and apply Eat Well’s traffic light nutrition system • Students should be able to amend their previous Ipswich Biscuit recipe from last lesson to make it more nutritionally balanced

EAT WELL’S TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM

• Read the Lesson 2: Worksheet 1 with the class and discuss the information in the charts • Ask students to complete the template nutrition chart in relation to the ingredient listing for their Ipswich Biscuit • Ask students to amend their Ipswich Biscuit making it more nutritionally balanced

RESOURCES

• Worksheet (1) • ICT or internet access for each student

49 Worksheet 1 Nutrition — Ipswich Biscuit

PACKAGE LABELLING

In the UK, repeating nutritional information on the front of pre-packaged foods and drinks is voluntary (under the Food Information Regulation) but most of the major supermarkets and many food manufacturers provide this. The information has to be displayed as either:

• Energy (kJ and kcal) only or • Energy (kJ and kcal) • Fat • Saturated fat • Sugars (total sugars) • Salt

This information will be written per 100g/100ml, per portion or both. The government’s recommended format is red, amber, green colour-coding and percentage Reference Intakes, or as you may better recognise it - traffic light labelling!

Using front of pack labels is really useful when you want to quickly compare different food products.

50 Worksheet 1 Nutrition — Ipswich Biscuit

Using the government scheme, a combination of colour coding (traffic lights) and nutritional information is used to show, at a glance, whether a product is high (red), medium (amber) or low (green) in fat, saturated fat, salt and sugars, and how much energy (calories and kilojoules) it provides. This can help you make comparisons between foods to allow you to make a healthier choice; for example selecting a sandwich for lunch.

TOP TIPS ABOUT TRAFFIC LIGHT LABELLING

What does green mean? What does amber mean? What does red mean? If there is mostly green This means the product is Red doesn’t mean you on the label, then this is neither high nor low in the cannot eat the product, telling you straight away specific nutrient. but means the food is high it is low in that nutrient You can eat foods with all in fat, saturated fat, salt or and a healthier choice! or mostly amber on the sugar. label most of the time. We should be cutting down on foods with lots of red on the label, eating less often and in small amounts.

So when choosing between similar products, try to opt for more greens and ambers, and fewer reds!

Often labels will also show the exact quantity of nutrients in the portion of food or drink you are buying, and your reference intake (RI). In some cases, where there isn’t much room on the label, they will only show energy values (calories). The full nutritional information will then be displayed on the back of packaging.

51 Worksheet 1 Nutrition — Ipswich Biscuit

What are the guidelines for high, medium and low on package labelling?

The table below shows how high, medium and low levels of fat, saturates, total sugars and salt in foods are classified for front of pack labels (there are different levels for drinks; see more info here). These levels have been decided by the UK government. The ‘per portion’ in red is used where portions are 250g or more.

TEXT LOW MEDIUM HIGH

Colour Code Green Amber Red Fat ≤ 3.0g/100g > 3.0g to ≤ > 17.5g/100g > 21g/portion 17.5g/100g Saturates ≤ 1.5g/100g > 1.5g to ≤ > 5.0g/100g > 6.0g/portion 5.0g/100g (Total) Sugars ≤ 5.0g/100g > 5.0g and ≤ > 22.5g/100g > 27g/portion 22.5g / 100g Salt ≤ 0.3g/100g > 0.3g to ≤ >1.5g/100g >1.8g/portion 1.5g/100g

Source: nutrition.org.uk

Research 4 different biscuits on the market, preferably from the same supermarket or grocery store. Look at comparing the following:

• Which biscuit is the healthiest? Explain why. • Which biscuit is the highest price point and the lowest? Explain why this may be. • Look at the healthiest biscuit. How could you make this even healthier? Does it require completely different ingredients or a decrease/increase in these?

52 Worksheet 1 Nutrition — Ipswich Biscuit

Refer to your Ipswich Biscuit product idea from last lesson. Can you work out what your biscuit would score on the Eat Well guides traffic light system?

Use the 4 biscuit products you’ve researched as guidance.

Consider the following when working out the nutrition for your biscuit:

• Serving sizes • You may need to research particular ingredients to figure out the nutritional content (this will especially help with working out the calories of your biscuit) • Using the guidelines, add the traffic light colour system of green, amber, red

Use the below traffic light system as a template:

Each serving (______g) contains:

53 Worksheet 1 Nutrition — Ipswich Biscuit

Looking at the nutritional value of your Ipswich Biscuit recipe, can you make the recipe any healthier? Remembering to keep in mind the client’s brief. Refer back to your initial recipe, and make amendments below:

INGREDIENTS:

......

TOOLS:

......

Step 1

......

Step 2

......

...... 54 Worksheet 1 Nutrition — Ipswich Biscuit

Step 3

......

Step 4

......

Step 5

......

Step 6

......

...... 55 REFLECTIONS ON THE HISTORY OF BISCUITS

Professor Martin Jones Food for journeyors

‘Biscuit’ translates as ‘twice-baked’ — the first bake to cook, and the second to dry it out. Historically, the biscuit had to be bone dry in order to survive long, sometimes months-long, journeys in the days before there were refrigerators. The shape of the biscuit is designed for the journey. It is often ‘flat-packed’ for convenience and economy of space. It was often in silver foil to protect it from the hazards of travel. The biscuit tin has become an iconic storage container in its own right.

Question: What adventurous journey might you have in mind, and how would you best design your biscuits and their packaging for the journey?

FOOD ABOUT JOURNEYS (PAST AND FUTURE)

The traveller is both excited by the adventure of a novel destination, and by nostalgia for the comforts of home. Both themes may inform a biscuit’s ingredients.

Many of today’s biscuits are ‘treats’, their ingredients capturing the spirit of adventure in exotic places; chocolate from Aztec America, ginger and cinnamon from Southeast Asia, almonds from the Mediterranean and coconuts from India.

Their predecessors, the ‘ship’s biscuits’ would, by contrast, remind the ocean- bound explorers who first made contact with these distant lands of a cosier, nostalgic world. The cereal and pulses of these hard-tack biscuits would be the crops they remembered growing around villages of their childhood.

Question: What memories and aspirations would you build into your biscuit, and how?

57 Biscuits as text

PRINTED FOOD

Biscuits are bound up with travel and the journey, and also with the technology of those journeys. Just as the ship’s biscuit served journeys across the seas, many biscuits familiar today arose from modern technologies for crossing the land.

Huntley and Palmers Biscuit Company grew up along the new railway town of Reading, feeding those travelling along this network of the industrial age. Their biscuits are ‘printed’, and bear the text of the company name. In 1907, Ernest Shackleton took Huntley and Palmer biscuits to the Antarctic. A century later, one of these particular biscuits sold at auction for £1,250. The company name was still clearly inscribed.

Ship’s biscuits were occasionally written on or painted, but modern biscuits have taken printing and design to new levels, with fancy edges, panoramic scenes, and full colour designs. Developments in biscuit printing technologies, especially the rotary molder of the 1920’s, opened the way for unending sculptural forms and surface designs (cf. Custard creams below)

Question: What would you print on your biscuit, and how would you exploit modern printing technologies?

58 Case Studies

CASE STUDIES OF A FEW WELL KNOWN BISCUITS

• In 1854, a celebrated revolutionary figure visited Tyneside, capturing the imagination of Jonathan Carr, a successful British biscuit-maker. Said revolutionary had recently returned from exile in South America and, after his Tyneside trip, was heading for Genoa with a plan to reunite his Italian homeland. Carr took from this Mediterranean homeland the themes of grape and grain and created a slender dried fruit sandwich that still bears the proud name of ‘Garibaldi’.

• Towards the end of the Edwardian era, the interiors of London’s most elegant homes were influenced by worldwide journeys that stretched from the tropics to the poles. Hardwoods from the rainforests would be furnished into elegant tables adorned with potted palms and ferns, and illuminated beneath the cut- glass lozenges of decorative chandeliers. Tropical vanilla pods, decorative lozenges and fern fronds were also brought together in the design of a biscuit invented in 1908. The desire for the kind of ambitious surface sculpting seen on the ‘Custard Cream’ drove the invention of the rotary molder in the subsequent interwar years.

59 • As with the history of many well known biscuits, no-one seems to be sure how the Lincoln biscuit got its name, how that relates to its characteristic covering of bobbles, or why this once popular biscuit is drifting towards extinction. Facebook has a “Bring back Lincoln biscuits” page. Search there if you are interested.

• Shortly after the Great War, a Massachusetts-born writer named Eleanor Early began gathering New England stories, including New England recipes. One relates to a confection she suggests was ancestral to the much-loved ‘brownie’. She describes a biscuit comprising such global ingredients as: molasses, cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmeg, allspice, citron and raisins. These ancestral brownies she explains were rich with spices from the Indies, plump with fruits and nuts, and encountered on Cape Cod in the days of clipper ships and went to sea on every voyage, packed into canisters and tucked away in sea chests. But there is one particular ship and one momentous journey invoked by this biscuit, which is the Mayflower. Before taking the pilgrims of 1620 to New England, the Mayflower was launched from Harwich, and biscuits Eleanor Early recalls went by the name of ‘Harwich Hermits’.

60 Now it’s your turn to get baking! Have you got the magic recipe?

Full competition details are available at ipswichbiscuit.com THE THINK TANK HIGH STREET IPSWICH SUFFOLK IP1 3QH pacitticompany.com