MRS BEETON – BRITAIN’S ORIGINAL DOMESTIC GODDESS
Tim Harrison
- Regions:
- London, Surrey
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Published Author/Journalist/Historian
- Fee:
- Paid: £140 including travel expenses
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 16th February 2026
- Tagged:
- Mrs Beeton | Queen Victoria | Cookery | Cookery Books
BEFORE Delia, Nigella and Fanny there was Isabella, better known as Mrs Beeton, who wrote the most influential cookery book of all time. Tim Harrison shares the delicious story of her 1861 masterpiece, Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. Born into a large family in Epsom, her first published recipe for a Victoria sponge was a disaster after she forgot to include the eggs! Despite that setback, she persevered, and her hefty 1,112-page handbook to running a Victorian home made her a legend. This is the story of that book and the remarkable life of its author.
Views: 19 | Enquiries: 0About Tim Harrison
IN A LONG, varied career as journalist, author and local historian I have written for everyone from Private Eye and The Telegraph to Viz and The Economist. For 18 years I worked on BBC One’s Question Time, and now edit Surbiton's local newspaper, The Good Life.
I grew up next door to film star Margaret Lockwood, I've exhibited at the Royal Academy, I once lost at snooker to Hurricane Higgins and I’m president of my local historical society. I have written more than 30 stage plays as well as a book about David Bowie's launch of Ziggy Stardust.
I love sharing my knowledge and quirky adventures with a diverse array of groups and societies, and bring a PowerPoint slideshow on a memory stick/laptop for use with your inhouse projector.
I am an experienced public speaker and enjoy using humour and images to make my talks engaging and entertaining.
Each lasts around 45 minutes to leave time for audience questions.
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