The Victorian Way

The Victorian Way is English Heritage's much-loved historical cookery series, filmed in the kitchens of Audley End House in Essex. Kathy Hipperson stars as Mrs Avis Crocombe, the real Victorian head cook of the house, preparing authentic nineteenth-century recipes in full costume and character.

Crocombe really existed: she cooked at Audley End from about 1878 to 1884, and her handwritten recipe book survived in her family until a distant relative rediscovered it in 2009. Food historian Annie Gray works with the series, and the recipes range from the familiar — ginger beer, custard, Christmas cake — to the startling, like roast swan and fried tongue sandwiches.

The series became one of the biggest heritage hits on YouTube, passing 200 million views by 2021 and winning the Grand Prix at the YouTube Works awards in 2019. A tie-in cookbook, How to Cook the Victorian Way with Mrs Crocombe, was published in 2020.