Feeding the masses: fuelling an agricultural revolution

It’s easy to take the food on our plates for granted, but the 20th century has been a time of enormous change for the production and supply of what we eat. Not to mention the sort of dish you’d be looking forward to on a Friday evening. Herring and pickled beetroot, anyone?   But did you know about a highly specialised, world-renowned government institute that was developing the latest technology across the 20th century? From tractor testing to drilling and harvesting techniques, the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering was based at Wrest Park until 2006. When King George VI visited for its opening in 1948, producing food in postwar Britain was a critical priority.   This time, Amy Matthews chats with food historian Emma Kay, English Heritage curator of history Andrew Hann and former institute employee Edwina Holden MBE to find out about this hugely influential period in the history of Wrest Park, just before it came into English Heritage’s care.  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.   Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/   Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout. *  Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/   The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.    *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices