When most people think of the Industrial Revolution, images of bustling textile and iron factories come to mind. This period set the tone for mass production as we know it! But have you ever thought about its impact on food? From our dietary patterns to the rise of packaged products, the Industrial Revolution significantly changed the way we eat.
For example, lunch breaks stemmed from the lifestyle and schedule of factory workers.
The Industrial Revolution, which took place from 1760 to 1840, started in Great Britain. (By 1780, the United States jumped on board.) Before this time, folks typically came home to eat a midday meal. But as mass production flourished, people began working in factories far from home. This meant they had to pack lunch or buy food from a nearby vendor. Workers also began eating an early meal before going to work, resulting in the tradition of breakfast that we know and love today.
While these eating patterns still live on, the actual food has obviously changed since then.
People ate relatively simple meals. They were limited to the fruits and veggies from nearby areas, since the practice of importing foods was only just starting to improve. (Refrigeration and transportation developed during the Industrial Revolution, too.)
Despite the progress of this period, food shortages were a major problem.
That’s because people were leaving their farms to work at factories.
Urban pollution also became an issue as cities quickly grew.
As you can imagine, the combination of factory life and food shortages seriously influenced what people ate.
With all of this in mind, here are 13 foods people regularly ate during the Industrial Revolution.
1. Oatcakes
They were both cheap and easy to eat.
In Great Britain, workers at potteries and mines were usually fed oatcakes, a coarse biscuit-like bread made of oatmeal. They were cheap and easy to make on coal-fired bakestones, and don’t exactly sound like something we’d randomly crave. These days, oatcakes are still enjoyed throughout Great Britain, though they probably taste a lot better.
2. Pies
They’re not the pies we know today.
During the Industrial Revolution, factory workers often ate leftover pie at lunch. They would pack it in a tin pail and eat it cold, much like we do today — but minus the ice cream or whipped cream on top. In fact, pies were so common that pie stalls were set up outside the factories.
3. Yorkshire Parkin
Yorkshire parkin, a sticky cake created in northern England, provided folks with a cheap source of energy.
The cake is made of oatmeal and black treacle (molasses), which were staples during the British Industrial Revolution. Other ingredients include flour, margarine, brandy, and powdered ginger. This tasty cake is still enjoyed in Yorkshire and surrounding areas today.
4. Boiled Bacon and Cabbage
As a cheap and filling meal, boiled bacon and cabbage became a typical dish during the British Industrial Revolution.
This didn’t use the sliced bacon that you’re probably thinking of, though. It calls for an entire slab of pork belly that’s been cured and smoked. The bacon and cabbage were boiled in a big pot with carrots, parsnips, peppercorns, and potatoes. Finally, it would be served in a dish and garnished with thin pieces of bread.
5. Bread
Bread was another basic food during the Industrial Revolution.
In fact, factory workers spent 36 percent of their income on bread, while miners spent 25 percent of their earnings on the staple. This makes sense, since bread tends to be a quick snack that easily fills you up. I mean, who doesn’t love a yummy piece of bread at any time of the day?
6. Meat
A classic breakfast, lunch, and dinner staple.
When factory workers weren’t eating leftover pie for lunch, they usually dined on bread with meat and cheese. Besides, the typical Industrial Revolution diet mainly consisted of meat. Not a vegetarian in sight! The basics included pork, bacon, beef, and mutton (sheep), though poorer families often ate cheap and rancid cuts.
7. Jam
Another staple of the working class was jam with bread or biscuits.
Usually, factory employees bought the pre-prepared pairing from a shop near their place of work, much like how we buy takeout during our lunch break today. It’s an easy lunch that doesn’t require a ton of preparation, time, or money — perfect for a quick break at the ole factory that doesn’t pay great wages.
8. Coffee
Coffee, like potatoes, is said to have fueled the Industrial Revolution.
Up until this time, most people drank beer because the water was too polluted. But as people began to work for hours on end, they turned to coffee for productivity and alertness. According to the academic journal Past & Present, more than three-quarters of industrial families regularly bought coffee.
9. Pudding
When it came to dessert, pudding was the dish of choice.
It was often made with raisins, currants, and rice. This especially makes sense because in 1837, a man named Alfred Bird invented custard powder, according to Local Histories. He created this powder for his wife, who was allergic to eggs and yeast, but still wanted to enjoy a delicious custard.
10. Eggs
About 25 percent of urban families also bought eggs.
But interestingly enough, they only bought enough for one member of the family to enjoy. This became especially important as the popularity of breakfast rose. According to The Atlantic, “The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century — and the rise of factory work and office jobs that accompanied it — further normalized breakfast, transforming it, Abigail Carroll writes in Three Squares: The Invention of the American Meal, from an indulgence to an expectation.”
11. Garibaldi Biscuits
These are still popular today.
Garibaldi biscuits were one of the first foods to be commercially produced and pre-packaged during the Industrial Revolution. It’s a thin, flaky cookie filled with raisins or currants. The Garibaldi biscuit, which is usually eaten with coffee or tea, is still popular today, showing just how significant the Industrial Revolution was.
12. Gruel
In addition to oat cakes, factory workers were often served a watery porridge-like dish called gruel.
The cheap dish is typically made by boiling a bit of oatmeal in water and milk. One gruel recipe, for example, calls for three spoonfuls of oatmeal and one pint of water. Needless to say, this might be the only not-so-tasty thing on this list, and is definitely something we wouldn’t want to chow down on today.
13. Crumpets
Crumpets — with tea, of course — were often enjoyed during the Industrial Revolution.
The delicious griddle cakes were served with butter and jam, just like they are today. Yum! According to Jane Carson’s Colonial Virginia Cookery: Procedures, Equipment, and Ingredients in Colonial Cooking, in places where afternoon tea was held, “The beverages was acccompanied by bread and butter, hot buns or crumpets or muffins, and cake.”
