FEAST — Early Modern Cooking TV Pilot

Preliminary title card for FEAST, a medieval cookery television pilot produced by Tomas Brown. — Preliminary title card for FEAST.

‘FEAST’ was a short pilot for television I co-produced in 2019 directed by Preston Lotfi, with sound by Joe Dines, camerawork by Aaron Cawte and the acting of Marlow Stainfield.

We spent three intense days filming on location a Galloway castle. We shot six dishes, including coloured armourial marchipans, rabbit in spiced ‘civy’, baked fish and cockentrice — a roast consisting of a capon stitched to a suckling pig. I undertook much of the recipe, costume and set design research, and followed the recipes on camera. I worked predominantly with the late-fourteenth century The Forme of Cury and other period texts, and we made multiple research trips to the V&A collections for visual and object sources.

In hindsight the pilot was very ambitious for the budget and time we had. However, it was formative for my love of enactment as a research method, and remains a very fond memory. A gallery of images can be found below.

Tomas Brown and director Preston Lotfi on the set of FEAST, 2019 — Preston Lotfi and I.

Actor Marlow Stainfield on the set of FEAST, 2019 — Marlow Stainfield.

Tomas Brown working in the kitchen on medieval recipes for FEAST, 2019 — Working in the kitchen.

Set dressing at Galloway castle for FEAST, 2019 — Set.

Cameraman Aaron Cawte on the set of FEAST, 2019 — Aaron Cawte.

Preston Lotfi directing on the set of FEAST, 2019 — Preston Lotfi directing.

Exterior of Galloway castle during filming of FEAST, 2019 — Exterior scene.

Setting up on the set of FEAST, Galloway castle, 2019 — Setting up.

Sound designer Joe Dines on the set of FEAST, 2019 — Joe Dines.

Pick up shooting on the set of FEAST, 2019 — Pick up shooting.

Between medieval recipes on the set of FEAST, 2019 — Between recipes.

Tomas Brown on a smoke break during filming of FEAST, Galloway castle, 2019 — Smoke break.

Test shoot for FEAST, 2019 — Test shoot.