Warfare in News

Posted on Thursday 12th December
HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is to be featured in Michelin Star chef Heston Blumenthal’s latest Channel 4 show, Great British Food.
The new series, in which Heston reveals the secret history of some iconic British dishes and then transforms them, as only Heston can, started this week. The episode featuring HMS Victory will be shown on Tuesday, 17 December.
The HMS Victory episode sees Heston delve into the history of the Great British Roast Beef Dinner. He travels back to late medieval times and the Victorian era before finding himself in the early 1800s, uncovering just how important beef was to Admiral Nelson and his Navy.
Heston takes inspiration from a key period in Britain’s maritime history. By the Napoleonic Wars, beef had achieved such an important place in our hearts, and was used as a recruiting tool by Nelson’s Navy. Heston discovers that beef preserved in salt was a vital ration for Britain’s seamen before the Battle of Trafalgar.
The team explored the lower poop deck of the ship, where Heston prepared a recipe called Lobscouse, an old naval traditional dish using a variety of ingredients.
Find out more about the tv show via the Channel 4 website. For more information on the history of HMS Victory, see Jonathan Eastland's book by Seaforth Publishing.
The new series, in which Heston reveals the secret history of some iconic British dishes and then transforms them, as only Heston can, started this week. The episode featuring HMS Victory will be shown on Tuesday, 17 December.
The HMS Victory episode sees Heston delve into the history of the Great British Roast Beef Dinner. He travels back to late medieval times and the Victorian era before finding himself in the early 1800s, uncovering just how important beef was to Admiral Nelson and his Navy.
Heston takes inspiration from a key period in Britain’s maritime history. By the Napoleonic Wars, beef had achieved such an important place in our hearts, and was used as a recruiting tool by Nelson’s Navy. Heston discovers that beef preserved in salt was a vital ration for Britain’s seamen before the Battle of Trafalgar.
The team explored the lower poop deck of the ship, where Heston prepared a recipe called Lobscouse, an old naval traditional dish using a variety of ingredients.
Find out more about the tv show via the Channel 4 website. For more information on the history of HMS Victory, see Jonathan Eastland's book by Seaforth Publishing.
Further Reading
HMS Victory
(Paperback - 128 pages)by Jonathan Eastland
HMS Victory is probably the best-known historic ship in the world. A symbol of the Royal Navy's achievements during the great age of sail, she is based in Portsmouth and seen by tens of thousands of visitors each year.
As is the case for many historic ships, however, there is a surprising shortage of informative and well illustrated guides, for reference during a visit or for research by enthusiasts - ship modellers,… Read more...
Of further interest...

Author spotlight - Peter C Smith
Thu 14th MarchAn interview with Peter C Smith, author of Heritage of the Sea, about his interest in maritime history and his plans for future books. Read article...

'Killing the Bismarck' - Slaying the Myths
Tue 20th MayIain Ballantyne considers the myth and the reality of the Royal Navy’s pursuit and destruction of the German battleship Bismarck, as investigated in the new paperback edition of his book ‘Killing the Bismarck’ Read article...


The Charge of the Light Brigade
Wed 5th AprilHistory’s Most Famous Cavalry Charge Told Through Eye Witness Accounts, Newspaper Reports, Memoirs and Diaries Read article...