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The Twenties

Giles Coren and Sue Perkins discover the culinary delights of the bright young things in the 1920s, with social engagements at The Ritz, Cafe de Paris and Brooklands.

Series in which restaurant critic Giles Coren and writer and comedian Sue Perkins experience the food culture of years gone by.

This time, Giles and Sue discover the culinary delights of the bright young things in the 1920s. Chef for the week is food writer Allegra McEvedy, providing aspic-inspired cookery. 'It' girl Sue gets a real bob and Giles dresses in the dandyish fashions of the period. During their 1920s week, they go from one social engagement to another: cocktails at The Ritz, the charleston at Cafe de Paris and motor racing at Brooklands.

During the general strike of 1926, Giles helps out by working on the buses while Sue cooks sausages for the volunteers in the park. They even find time to go on a Tutankhamun-inspired Egyptian expedition to the British Museum, together with a recreation of the picnic supplied by Fortnum and Mason for Howard Carter.

The week culminates in a spectacular Red and White Meal cooked by Allegra, with guests Celia Walden, Diana Quick, Lord Ponsonby and David Taylor. The meal hails the end of the Roaring Twenties and the beginning of the Wall Street Crash.

1 hour

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Giles Coren
Presenter Sue Perkins
Director Kate Scholefield
Producer Kate Scholefield

Broadcasts