Talk: A Dark History of Sugar
Many of us possess a sweet tooth, but why are we as a species so predisposed to want to eat sugar?
Neil Buttery will explore the reasons behind our fondness for the sweet stuff and survey the great lengths that humans have gone to taste and produce it.
Join him as he delves into our evolutionary history to explain why sugar is so loved yet is the root cause of so many bad things. He will also consider the role of the slave trade in sugar production and how the exploitation of the workers didn’t end with emancipation.
Neil was was awarded with ‘Best First Book’ at the Guild of Food Writers Awards for his ‘A Dark History of Sugar’ book. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the Talk.
This Talk is part of our Chelsea Physic’s Garden 350 Anniversary Year and Chelsea History Festival 2023.
Ticket Information:
- Tickets are £10
- Concession tickets are £8 (Over 60s, Students, Armed Forces, Registered disabled)
- There are no discounts for Friends of the Garden
If you have any questions prior to the talk, please email
Please note that this event takes place at our Gallery space. Access to the Gallery is via a narrow flight of stairs. Unfortunately, the room is not wheelchair accessible.
The Speaker:
Neil Buttery
Neil Buttery is an author, food historian and chef who specialises in the history of British food. A Dark History of Sugar was published in 2022, followed by his biography of Manchester legend Elizabeth Raffald, Before Mrs Beeton, in 2023. He started his popular podcast, The British Food History Podcast, in 2020.
