Our first book group meeting took place on 29 March at the Summertown Wine Café, and was a great success. The book we had chosen to read was Last Chance to Eat: The Fate of Taste in a Fast Food World, by Gina Mallet.

The author, originally from Oxfordshire, charts how we have gone from loving food to fearing it. She looks at five popular foods- eggs, cheese, beef, vegetables and fish- and explores their evolution, comparing her nostalgic recollections to present perceptions and quality.

The book generated a lively discussion among the members (whether or not they had finished it!) We sipped wine and talked about topics in the book and food in general.

The next meeting will take place on 24 May (same time and venue) when we will talk about Rituals of Dinner: The Origins, Evolution, Eccentricities and the Meaning of Table Manners by Margaret Visser. We encourage everyone who loves food and books to join us. More details will be available soon on our website.

Liz Wilding