Much Ado About Mutton

I ordered my copy directly before it was avail here because I wanted an autographed copy. Wonderful history about mutton, plus recipes and lots of information. Good mutton is very tasty, so I encourage people to try it if you can find it.

This is a fabulous book about the history of sheep in Britain, the people who farmed them and the produce they got from them. It is social history, animal husbandry and traditional cooking all rolled into one with some excellent mutton recipes and wonderful photos throughout. It is written in an interesting and entertaining way and is a thoroughly good read and source of information. Highly recommended.

Like some other reviewers, I happily chanced upon this book hearing the BBC Radio 4 conversation with the author. I was listening on the car radio while I was out and about. When I told my wife about it when I got home, she told me that she, too, had heard the interview on the kitchen radio. Our shared enthusiasm for what we heard meant we ordered the book promptly.We have not been disappointed. Much Ado About Mutton is a fascinating combination of social history, culinary history and good recipes. It is wonderful how it reminds us of the place of mutton in the heritage of British food. It complements the contribution, for example, of Fergus Henderson of St John's / Nose to Tail Eating fame.Having sourced a good joint, last night we enjoyed the traditional spiced leg of mutton with caper sauce. It was a revelation, and for lusciousness and flavour compared favourably with another slow cooked roast, shawarma (lamb).We give thanks to Bob Kennard to allow our discovery of such traditional and neglected recipes, and will continue to try much more. The mutton hams described in the book sound particularly interesting and we will use the guide to mutton specialist butchers and farmshops included in the book to make sure we can try one..

Bob Kennard has produced a lavishly illustrated book that should fascinate anyone with an interest in our food and where it comes from. To say that it's lavishly illustrated is no exaggeration. Practically every page has an illustration of sheep: sheep being auctioned, sheep grazing, sheep being marked, sheep as cheese, sheep being milked, sheep now and sheep then. Even sheep looking dramatic against a setting sun! For most of us our only contact with a sheep is to eat bits of it. But here you can learn so much more: did you know that Soay sheep can be plucked? That shearing speeds in the UK are higher than those in Australia and New Zealand? That upland sheep can stay within their own unfenced boundary (a "heft") and that knowledge of the heft is passed from ewe to lamb? A great gift for Christmas!

Brought this for my chef son who is mad on mutton. I have a small flock of sheep so have, albeit briefly, read through this excellent book championing an important part of our heritage. Found it fascinating, thoroughly comprehensive, well written and not at all "heavy going". If any other readers have not tried mutton then the index of suppliers will provide a good source. Also useful for those of us wanting to raise our own mutton as a guide to producing the best product. All round a well worthwhile book to own.

Very interesting book; it covers the historical side if sheep in many countries and history of sheep in the UK. There is a small section on cooking but adequate to make best use of this meet.